The Short Family with a Tall Order

Written on 03/31/2024
Jacob H.

The Short family is a close-knit family of seven, consisting of Warren and Lynn, both 65 years old, and their five children. Jessica, 34, is married to Jay McCoon, 35, and they have two daughters, Kaydence, 12, and Hailey, 8. Matthew, 33, is married to Amanda, 33, and they have a son named Myles, 2. David, 30, is married to McKenna, 24, and they have a son named Landyn, 2. Warren's stepson Joel Sherman, 39, is married to Angela Sherman, 42. Warren's stepdaughter Carly Konkle, 33, is married to Boyd Konkle, 40, with a daughter named Claire who is 14. The kids, as well as their parents, have led successful, fulfilling lives. Matthew and David did Motocross for several years, Jessica is a successful Pharmacy Tech, David joined the Army, Joel is an IT Tech, and Carly is a Pharmacy Tech specializing in compounding. Their family motto is "Honesty, Integrity, and Honor" and we hope to showcase this in their story.

Warren and Lynn have an interesting love story. They met in high school, dated for a while, and then went their separate ways. In fact, Lynn went all the way to Texas. But years later, they reconnected on Facebook and got back together. They were married on June 28th, 2014, at Warren's home in Metamora, surrounded by family and friends. Their honeymoon trip to Alaska is one of their best memories. As avid outdoorsmen, they love to hunt and fish in different states and countries. They also enjoy visiting national parks and wilderness places. They have an annual salmon fishing trip and now have to split the family into two groups, due to size, to go every other year.

Warren has had a varied career, attending several schools and working in different fields. He attended grade school and high school in the Lake Orion school district. After high school, he attended Oakland University for two years, then changed to Oakland Community College for an Associate’s degree in Business Administration and Industrial Technology. He later attended Walsh College of Business for his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. He also attended several trade schools, including Chrysler Motech Auto Body School, AT&T phone school, Toledo College, and Northwood School of Taxidermy, among others. His employment history is equally varied, having worked in several jobs before settling into a role doing Quality, Health and Safety, and Environmental Management Systems Audits.

Lynn graduated from Lake Orion High School and then went to Michigan State University for two years before moving to Texas in the early '80s. There, she transferred to Dallas County Community College District for further study. She worked at the local newspaper called Green Sheet, where she discovered a talent for sales and ended up working in the call center and doing business development work.

Warren's hobbies have included rescuing animals, restoring cars, archery, gardening, and DIY projects. When he was a teenager, he rescued animals, raised them, and released them. Later, he got into automotive and learned to rebuild engines, restore cars, and even raced stock cars for several years. He also competed in several archery leagues, state tournaments, and even the Nationals in Las Vegas several times. He was even invited to the world championship twice, once in Sydney Australia and once in Kenya, Africa, but he was unable to afford the travel to attend those. As he got older, his interests turned to family, children, and sustainability. He taught his children to fix their cars and encouraged them to do sports and attend college. After his children moved out, his focus turned to gardening and preparing for retirement. He built large gardens and an orchard and does a lot of canning/freezing of fruits and veggies. He also hunts and fishes to keep meat in the freezer, cuts firewood to supplement their home heating and is an avid DIY guy.

Warren and Lynn love football and are a big fan of the Lions. Lynn's love for football was nurtured by her father who was a big Cowboys fan...unfortunately. Just kidding. Lynn says, "I am still a fan of the 'Boys', but fell in love with the Lions when I moved back to Michigan in 2010." She likes gardening, crocheting, and reading. She decided to sign up her family to deliver Meals on Wheels for a six-month stint, which they loved so much that they stayed on for 3-4 years.

There are many interesting stories and fun facts about the Short family, but two stories stand out that explain how they got where they are today. One day, about 20 years ago, Warren was picking junk cars for parts when he came across two red foxes trying to kill a newborn fawn that was still wet. He chased away the foxes and waited for hours for the fawn's mother to return, but she never came. As it grew dark, he realized that the fawn wouldn't survive if he left it there, so he took it home and raised it with his children until it was ready to be returned to the wild in the fall. Fast forward 20 years, Warren's son David found a fawn in their yard on a hot summer day. The fawn was dehydrated and lethargic, clearly overheated and in trouble. Warren moved the fawn to the shade and gave it some water, hoping that the mother would come back. Unfortunately, the next morning, it was cold and raining, and the fawn was still there. Warren knew that he had to take action to save the animal, but he also knew that it was illegal to keep wildlife without a permit. He called several local rehabbers looking for someone to take the animal, but everyone was full. Warren decided to take a risk and raise the fawn himself. During the first week of raising the fawn, a woman came forward and shared how few and far between rehabbers are, especially fawn rehabbers. She told Warren what it would take to become a licensed rehabber, and he decided to help. Today, Warren is a fully licensed wildlife rehabilitator and runs Short's Fawn Rescue, where he saves dozens of sick, injured, and orphaned fawns. These two stories show the Short family's love for animals and their dedication to helping those in need.

Warren gives presentations at the Marguerite de Angeli library and local schools. He is working on a presentation to help law enforcement when they encounter fawns and other animals, either hit by cars or called in by the public. He also has a blog on their website that shares information about deer and their habits. The wildlife rehab was officially established in 2021 and you can find them on Facebook and and learn more about them at www.shortsfawnrescue.com. If you need to contact them for any reason, you can call 810-969-8589 or email them at shortsfawnrescue@gmail.com. They are always looking for opportunities to educate others, fundraiser opportunities, and more. Right now, they have been working to raise funds, materials, and manpower to build their onsite fawn hospital; which is a huge need with spring is coming fast.

The Shorts currently have two dogs, Buddy, a male chihuahua, and Boots, a female Chiweenie. They tried raising hedgehogs, but they weren’t for them. Lynn likes chickens, so they had some for eggs, but they're gone. They're planning to get more chickens in the spring. Warren and Lynn live in Lapeer Township and have great neighbors. Warren especially loves country living, and they both appreciate the tight-knit community they have. Warren has been involved with the Lapeer Steelers, and Little League football, and was a scout leader for a few years while his boys were in Boy Scouts. 

Photograph by: Lasting Memories Photography