Thought I'd supply a little information about Don. We were married for 17 years, divorced and both remarried. I met his wife Marilyn at one time. They came to our house, it was a little uncomfortable but good. Marilyn seemed to be very nice.
Don was involved in some scary activities after we were divorced and had to go on the Witness Protection program, had to leave the west coast. We didn't know where he was but he contacted the boys or came out every two years or so.
We heard that he had suffered several strokes and had some heart attacks. The last time I saw him, he came to my sign shop here in California, he told Bill thank you for taking care of the boys over the years and hugged me. A few years later his wife called my middle son, Mike and told him that dad had passed away in his sleep. It was hard for all of us. Even though we weren't together on many things, I will always feel love for him. Funny too, I felt like after 17 years of shared life I should have been there when he closed his eyes for the last time.
I had a variety of room mates during my two years at LA. Sometime early in my senior year Don and I ended up together with Marvin Blehm. I do not know of one time when we were together that there was one serious thought among us. I think Marvin's parents lived near Gaston and Don's family lived right on the hill beside the LA school store. We used to sign out to go to Don's house on Sundays. Once there, we sometimes could get Mr. Seslar's car and head for Forest Grove. Big deal! How many kids had other ways to get off campus once in a while? Lots!
One evening, Don and I played a trick on Marvin. Marvin was hall monitor and always came to bed after the lights were out. We squeezed some Elmer's glue into Marvin's toothpaste tube. The predicable happened and Marvin got steamed enough at us that he told on us for sneaking off campus. But he negleted to say he was with us most of the time. Don and I ended up in trouble and roomed by ourselves the rest of the year.
Don and I had stupid names for each other. I think I called him "Hector" and he called me "Rastus".
On the over-night senior class trip to that local falls (can't think of the name of it) we decided we were going back to the dorm. Stupid! We ended up walking most of the night and arriving back on campus early in the morning where they were not ready to feed us. Uncle Buzzy found us walking behind the girls dorm. When he quizzed us we told him we expected the dorm walls would fall down after our 7th time around. He told us it would never happen because we did not have the brains of a mustard seed! But that was typical of our adventures. High risk with little chance for payback. Don seemed to always be ready to push the envelop just to see what would happen. I liked the rush of adventure but always felt like an outlaw not far ahead of the posse.
I considered Don my best friend during those years and years that followed. He and Donna Faye and Jeanie and I stayed in touch and visited each other's homes occasionally until our oldest boys (about the same age) were teenagers. The boys (their 5 and our 3) always had good times together and life seemed like it was going as it should.
After our move to Ohio in 1974, we did not keep in close touch but I still considered them as best friends and missed them a lot. We learned of the family breakup. When we got the tragic news of Gary, their eldest son's death, our hearts broke. He was about the same age as Terry, our eldest.
A few years ago, I tried unseccessfully to locate Don, not knowing his identity had to be changed. I considered it a personal loss when I learned of his death. I will always regret not staying in closer touch.
I have to say that, regardless what he may have been involved in and whatever he has done I still think of him as my friend, Hector.
Donna Faye Stephens (Hedges)
Thought I'd supply a little information about Don. We were married for 17 years, divorced and both remarried. I met his wife Marilyn at one time. They came to our house, it was a little uncomfortable but good. Marilyn seemed to be very nice.Don was involved in some scary activities after we were divorced and had to go on the Witness Protection program, had to leave the west coast. We didn't know where he was but he contacted the boys or came out every two years or so.
We heard that he had suffered several strokes and had some heart attacks. The last time I saw him, he came to my sign shop here in California, he told Bill thank you for taking care of the boys over the years and hugged me. A few years later his wife called my middle son, Mike and told him that dad had passed away in his sleep. It was hard for all of us. Even though we weren't together on many things, I will always feel love for him. Funny too, I felt like after 17 years of shared life I should have been there when he closed his eyes for the last time.
Ted Bair
Me and Don,I had a variety of room mates during my two years at LA. Sometime early in my senior year Don and I ended up together with Marvin Blehm. I do not know of one time when we were together that there was one serious thought among us. I think Marvin's parents lived near Gaston and Don's family lived right on the hill beside the LA school store. We used to sign out to go to Don's house on Sundays. Once there, we sometimes could get Mr. Seslar's car and head for Forest Grove. Big deal! How many kids had other ways to get off campus once in a while? Lots!
One evening, Don and I played a trick on Marvin. Marvin was hall monitor and always came to bed after the lights were out. We squeezed some Elmer's glue into Marvin's toothpaste tube. The predicable happened and Marvin got steamed enough at us that he told on us for sneaking off campus. But he negleted to say he was with us most of the time. Don and I ended up in trouble and roomed by ourselves the rest of the year.
Don and I had stupid names for each other. I think I called him "Hector" and he called me "Rastus".
On the over-night senior class trip to that local falls (can't think of the name of it) we decided we were going back to the dorm. Stupid! We ended up walking most of the night and arriving back on campus early in the morning where they were not ready to feed us. Uncle Buzzy found us walking behind the girls dorm. When he quizzed us we told him we expected the dorm walls would fall down after our 7th time around. He told us it would never happen because we did not have the brains of a mustard seed! But that was typical of our adventures. High risk with little chance for payback. Don seemed to always be ready to push the envelop just to see what would happen. I liked the rush of adventure but always felt like an outlaw not far ahead of the posse.
I considered Don my best friend during those years and years that followed. He and Donna Faye and Jeanie and I stayed in touch and visited each other's homes occasionally until our oldest boys (about the same age) were teenagers. The boys (their 5 and our 3) always had good times together and life seemed like it was going as it should.
After our move to Ohio in 1974, we did not keep in close touch but I still considered them as best friends and missed them a lot. We learned of the family breakup. When we got the tragic news of Gary, their eldest son's death, our hearts broke. He was about the same age as Terry, our eldest.
A few years ago, I tried unseccessfully to locate Don, not knowing his identity had to be changed. I considered it a personal loss when I learned of his death. I will always regret not staying in closer touch.
I have to say that, regardless what he may have been involved in and whatever he has done I still think of him as my friend, Hector.
Ted Bair