Following graduation from Fonda High I worked on my parents farm until April of 1961 when I made a decision to gain experience and training by serving in the United States Army.  Although I spent the majority of my time in the service at Fort Knox, Kentucky; I took basic training at Fort Riley, Kansas and also spent time at the Postal School in Fort Ben Harrison, Indiana and also in Korea.

Through the introduction of my brother Johnny, I started writing Mary, my wife. It wasn't until several months later, on a leave from Korea I got to meet Mary in person. It wasn't long until I proposed and we were married in April of '63. It wasn't until the day before the birth of our first daughter, Susan, in April 1964 that I got out of the Army for good.

Shortly afterwards I landed a job at Sears Automotive as a seat cover installer. Since then I have moved up to the position of full-time auto mechanic with a specialty in brakes.  I am now going on my nineteenth year at Sears.

In the coarse of my life we have also been blessed with the birth of two other daughters; Brenda, who was born in February of 1958 and Melody who was born in July of 1974.