ENDEAVORS

I’ve observed that sometimes children (and some wives) had little, or perhaps only a general idea what their parents actually did when they left to go to work to supply the money to support the family’s needs.

I recently had occasion to summarize some of my significant activities. I thought that loved ones might have interest.

After graduation from Kansas State University and a year of training throughout Caterpillar in Peoria, Illinois, I lived in the field ten years for Caterpillar, covering various areas over the Southwest quadrant of the U.S.A. from San Francisco, CA, Tustin, CA, Denver, CO, and Albuquerque, N.M. I assisted dealers with sales to highway and dam construction, mining, logging, landfills, and industry; and advised on equipment usage. Then followed ten years of Federal specialty sales administering over a dozen innovative contracts. My last ten years I was sales engineer for the new hydraulic excavators. I consulted on over 100 additional attachments and major re-configurations, adding versatility for use beyond the original design goal of ditching. I retired with 33 years of service.

For a year I was sales manager with La Bounty in Two Harbors, MN; another year owning an antique consignment shop in Wichita KS, and then spent nine years as the Environmental Engineer restoring McConnell AFB in Wichita before my final retirement at age 69. At most locations (13) I purchased or designed and built my homes. I was a licensed Civil Engineer, Kansas registration. Three daughters arrived along the way.

I always affiliated with and was active in a Methodist Church wherever I was residing, and worked on church mission work teams, some overseas. As a youth I was a Boy Scout. In college I was in Sigma Alpha Epsilon social fraternity, I also used and supported the YMCA at many locations. Recreations I pursued included golf, snow skiing, motorcycling, and horse camping/trail riding. Because of my interest in geology, earth science, and animal and human history, I had extra enjoyment from a wide variety of trips with Elderhostel (now Road Scholar).

Other travels included overseas, camping at state and national parks, and cruises. I volunteered, and with over 200 training hours, became a Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Deputy Reserve Officer in the Mounted Patrol, along with my horse, Amigo. My curiosity and wide interests took me into many varied activities.