E. Randal McEuen

Foster Guess has died

Jerry Foster died 

Thomas E. Teer died

Bernice Craighead Travis died

Donald Rice died on May 9, 2014 at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville, TN while on a fishing trip with his son! 

Sharon and I celebrated our 57th Wedding Anniversary the past June 20th! I have a big three day week end every year with a Birthday, (6/18/Each year), Fathers Day, and Wedding Anniversary. I imagine most of you have more wedding anniversaries than I, and many have, sadly, lost your spouses! Our generation can be proud to have had many wedding anniversaries, as opposed to the recent generation, who have ended having anniversaries in single digit years, or a few weekends!! Sharon and I have six Grand Kids, five boys and one girl. The youngest is a Freshman in H.S.. All four of our offspring live in Hobart, Portage, IN, and one in Chicago!! It seems that is a plus to have them live within 35 miles of us, according to some people; But, it is great to have them live healthy, somewhere!! When they live close by it limits the distant places you have to visit!! At the end of July, 2016, I drew my 32 year pension check from U.S. Steel! That was a milestone that makes me older! I was caught up in the huge steel industry cutbacks in 1984! 421 of us were let go that day! That was the day our #3 group in 18 months left! Sharon and I had three kids in college, and one in high school at that time!! Needless to say my cup hadn't runneth over with dollars (Never did!) at that time! I was a steel inspector at Gary Works for 18 years, belonged to the Union, and became a Management Safety Engineer, for the last 12 years. I was fortunate to find a job in Chicago (In 6 months!) Safety coordinating the construction of a 44 story building, Quaker Tower, at 219 North Clark Street. There were more than 400 people working at the job site at one time, and had 31 subcontractors. The job lasted 2 1/2 years, and cost $70,000,000. Following the completion of that, I found work doing Safety Engineering for the clients of a large Insurance Agency in Chicago. I was fortunate to have interesting jobs my whole 52 years of work, including the catching of chickens for Fort Watson, at Watson Produce Co, in Marion!! At the Insurance Agency, I had an office at home, a company vehicle, gas card, and set my own schedule of work, with some "Hurry up and go for some Ins people"! I was assigned to visit Cellular Field, Oprah Winfrey's Studio, and other high visibility jobs in that position. One I particularly liked was the conversion of Elvis Presley's reserved place atop the downtown Hilton in Las Vegas!! They converted his place into "Three Villas" that, each had its' own large hot tub, swimming pool, and men, women showers, that looked like car washes!! They were to rent for $16,000 per night, and intended for the very rich, middle Eastern oil people. I understand they brought many wives along!! I thought they seldom took baths!! Early on, in my beginning Safety Engineer job at US Steel, I was assigned to go with a second Safety guy to downtown Chicago, and introduce some newly hired college graduates to what they should expect when they begin their trainee jobs at the steel mill. As the two of us walked through the 'Loop" to the USS building, with me dressed in a suit and tie, carrying a briefcase, I said to my friend, Tom Schultz, "I wonder what my friends in Marion, KY would say if they could see me now"? Following, I said, "Then my briefcase would come open and my PB&J sandwich, and my teddy bear would fall out"!! I'm still loose, know when to have fun, and I have loved the 80 years (Most!) so far!!

Posted on: Jan 19, 2014 at 10:52 AM

I lost Lane's radio station when I changed browsers a few weeks ago!! I didn't listen often--But--it was nice to have on my bookmarks--which is now my favorites!! Hope all is well with you two, and the family!!! Randal

Posted on: Jan 13, 2014 at 6:06 PM

claudean crider cone--

claudeancone@yahoo.com