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Attended UT Austin but finished BBA in Industrial Management at North Texas University. Entered the Army Reserve program while in school and was commissioned in the Field Artillery through Officer Candidate School. Retired from the Army with 28 years service. Spent 20+ years in oil & gas industry, for the most part in Houston. Worked mostly in materials management and purchasing. Thoroughly enjoyed the "boom", didn't enjoy the "bust" that came in the early 80's. Left the oil and gas industry and Dwan and I both went to education, Dwan as a HS science teacher and me running the purchasing department for a large school district in the Houston area (Pasadena ISD) for the next 10 years. Left there and went back into industry with the corporation providing electrical and natural gas services in the Houston area, in parts of Arkansas and Minnesota. Worked 5 years helping integrate three acquired utility companies providing electric and natural gas services to much of Arkansas and the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and writing purchasing contracts for a large coal fired electric generating plant
emissions control construction project. Got the last of our 5 children out of HS and decided retirement looked a lot better than continuing in the industrial rat race. In 2003, I took my third retirement (education, Army & industry) and Dwan and I moved to North Arkansas and built our dream home. Dwan taught another 5 years, up here, while we got our youngest two kids through college. I built a grass airstrip and hanger just outside our back door. The hanger houses my wood shop and a 1947 Aeronca L-16 (military version of the 7BCM Champ if there are any pilots looking). Dwan gardens, ran the Master Naturalist chapter here in this part of the state, cooks gourmet foods and seldom slows down. We have a small Airstream trailer that we have and are continuing to pull all over the states and parts of Canada. Our driveway is a mile long and it's nearly 4 miles on dirt/gravel roads to the nearest pavement, then another 8 miles to the nearest town, Flippin, population ~1200. We're in the boonies and loving every moment of it.
Jan 2018 (update) Continuing to live a difficult to explain "charmed" and happy life. Skated through a couple of major health issues 5 +/- years ago, the worst outcome of which was having to quit flying and giving up my little airplane and losing my mother in Jul '16 at age 93. I'm still chainsawing and splitting our firewood and my hanger has been converted to 100% wood shop and filled with primarily woodworking tools. Dwan has added bees, chickens, heritage sewing and chair caning to her repertoire and rekindled her interest in quilting, so we're never caught-up much less bored. We're planning our third trip to Germany for this Summer to include a Mediterranean or river cruise this time.
As many of you know, this past May, I had a small stroke. I've since "graduated" from physical and occupational therapy and have recently started flying again. I'd say I'm 99% now. Thanks to everyone for your concerns and best wishes.
Found out what caused my stroke. Had a benign meningioma removed late last January. Now have some pretty expensive titanium up where my hair was supposed to be. All is well here now. Not expecting any more problems. (Got lucky and dodged that bullet.)
Jul, 2014 - Approaching 2 years ago now, Dr. & Dwan said, "No more flying." Sold my little airplane. Put proceeds into more woodworking tools (and new sewing machine for Dwan) and converted my hanger from 50% wood shop to 100%. Biggest news, however, is our new and first granddaughter (Ruth Avery) born 8/21/2013 to Aubrey Garrison Wheeler and husband Nathan. Dr./Major Aubrey & her family are on their way from Grand Forks AFB, ND to her new PCS assignment in Germany.
Still enjoying life in the "boonies" and thankful to wake up on the green side each morning.
7/23/2016 - Lost my 93 year old mother on 16 July 2016 to old age dementia and complications of a fall, broken leg, successful repair surgery, and blood clot induced stroke. She led a long and fruitful life, never wanted to be an invalid and was ready for her spirit to rejoin my dad. We're greatly saddened, but happy for her.
Dwan and I are headed back to Germany on 1 Aug to meet and greet our latest grandson (actual arrival date and expected name as yet unknown to us). Aubrey is scheduled for discharge from the AF and return to CONUS in late Spring of next year. We're looking forward to that even though she and Nathan plan to settle up in the NE area.
Jan 2017 - Aubrey is extending in the AF for a "sweetheart" assignment that will make her non-deployable and allow her to get Flight Surgeon Qualified which will make her more attractive, assignment wise, for the Air National Guard when she and Nathan come back state side. The extension in Germany also fits well with Nathan's employment as European sales manager for the Canadian manufacturer he's worked for since college.
Nothing else major to report. We're beginning to slow down, but continue to enjoy retirement, the Ranch, our kids and grand-kids.
Aug 2018 - Trip to Germany turned out to be a month baby sitting and helping out while Aubrey delivered our newest grandson, John and brought him to their Geilenkirchen home (part of an old remodeled castle) near her NATO base assignment. Before returning stateside we took a "wine and cheese" tour of Tuscany and down to Rome. As of this writing (Nov, 2018), we have about returned to our normal routines and recovery from a May 2017 hail storm that delivered tennis ball size hail (very literally) and major damage to all our building roofs. Returning to normal includes completing a 2+ year project that put our ranch in a conservation easement to keep its natural state and protect it from being split up and developed from now through perpetuity. We're enjoying growing older, but glad and proud for the opportunity.
May 2020 Life continues for Dwan and me at our "bit of heaven". We are up to our chins in numerous conservation projects (wild-life and quail habitats development, fence building, rotational cattle grazing for pasture restoration and increased stock carrying capacity, invasive plant removal - cedar, buckbrush, thistles, et.al.
I am on hold to swear Aubrey in as an AF LTC just before she and her family return to the US from Germany.
Both of our daughters, Aubrey and Shanon, have purchased blocks of land adjacent to our Thunder Ridge Ranch-East. Shanon and her husband are completing a MAJOR remodel and upgrade of a house that came with their land purchase.
Dwan and I celebrated our 40th March 10, 2020, and are pretty sure "it's going to last" because no one else would put up with either of us. Besides she continues to raise great tomatoes and veggies in her garden, cook like a 5-star chef, keep bees and country chickens & look after this cranky old codger like a mother hen. We have taken full advantage of the Covid-19 sequestration to get many delayed projects accomplished and are coming through unscathed health-and welfare wise despite having to put off the solar electric project I was planning because of the stockmarket's performance or lack thereof.
