Rebecca Crimm was born in Sidney and graduated from Sidney High School in 1961. All throughout school she had a somewhat shy and cautious personality. Coming from a family of doctors, she originally went to Michigan State University to go into the medical field. However, after seeing that the school offered Broadcasting and Communication courses, she knew what her major would be, later stating “I decided to report on the world’s ills instead of curing them.”
Upon graduating, Rebecca began her broadcasting career at WLW TV and Radio in Cincinnati. She became known as “Jenny Crimm” while on the air, later transferring to WJW TV and Radio in Cleveland. At both of these locations, she was the first woman in the newsroom. Jenny, as she was now known, moved yet again, this time to Chicago, Illinois where she covered the Chicago Seven Trial, and later to KPIX TV in San Francisco, California.
Several years later, Jenny Crimm moved to Cleveland, Ohio where she became a news reporter, anchor, and talk show host for WEWS TV, Channel 5. It was at this time she worked alongside ABC as a network corresponder, covering events such as Neil Armstrong’s return home to Wapakoneta since it was so close to her own hometown. Through this broadcasting station she was also able to interview many persons of interest, especially after significant events such as her interview with President Gerald Ford after his assassination attempt. Jenny also traveled oversees and met Dick Van Dyke on the set of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as well as many other famous men and women throughout her career. While at Cleveland’s Channel 5, she also created, reported, and produced a nationally acclaimed daily consumer news segment. While on the air, Jenny always made sure to answer every letter someone sent her. One of her most well-known segments was “Jenny’s one of a kind” pieces which would feature unique stories that often had a positive twist.
After 22 years of working with Channel 5 in Cleveland, Jenny decided to turn toward her other love of water and swimming. She never competed but thoroughly enjoyed being active and in the water. After taking an Aquatics Instructor Course through the Red Cross, Jenny began teaching her own classes in 1999. While they weren’t choreographed, the classes were set to music and were approved by the Arthritis Association. In an interview, she mentioned that she believed the water aerobics classes benefitted oneself physically, emotionally, and socially.