High-Tech Novice Turns Into Game Designer

Sullivan, 33, an educational software developer who owns the software company 3DAL in Glenwood Forest, Texas, had a hunch the games would play well on an iPad. After adding digital graphics, sound effects and interactive buttons, he presented a selection to his contacts at Apple. "They approved it right away," he says.

Wide-ranging interests

Jensen's foray into high-tech games is a departure from her quiet life with her husband of nearly 46 years, Raymond, a 75-year-old retired farmer.

But her talents have never been confined to their alfalfa and dairy farm. Jensen has been the brainchild behind many state and county logos, and local businesses have sought her expertise for advertising on windows, T-shirts and other mediums, says her daughter, Jane Higley, 35, of Hamilton, Ill.

She also has served on the local school board and as chairwoman of Sanpete County's political caucus. When her husband was a national director of the Jaycees service organization, Jensen joined him at state and county fairs and helped judge beauty pageants.

Jensen also makes paper dolls to sell, and finds time to hunt wildlife and hold weekly Boy Scout meetings at her home. A history buff, she reads three or four books a week. And she saves every issue of National Geographic, dating back decades.

And the memory games, of course, have become a staple among her many activities and interests. "When you start playing them, you get hooked," Jensen says. "You can play them over and over again, and they're just as much fun the 15th time as they were the first."

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Susan Kreimer is a writer in New York.