History since graduation:
I graduated from St Paul’s college High in 1973 with the rest of you and started the journey.
Then attended St. Paul’s College with some of you, then at that point my life took a secular turn.
In 1975,I first went to SEMO in Cape Girardeau and pursued my dream being a rock musician and I was a semi-professional one for over 25 years, Why do I owe that to ST. Paul’s, Well while at St Paul’s, I never really played but was the roadie for the stage band and moved equipment for Kevin Baker, Ken Fuchs and Ken’s brother on weekends.
When I moved back to Bishop in 1976, I worked as a computer field technician for from 1978 to 1990 and I attended Texas A&I and got my Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology in 1988, But through the years played in a country band. But after many years I felt my life could do better so I moved to Austin, TX and worked for the Texas Attorney General’s Child Support division. At this time I also attended South West Texas State University at night and started working on an MBA. Then in mid stream I changed jobs to the Texas Department of Human Services received my MBA in 1996. I was a system analyst for years, for those of you who do not know that is, it’s basically a big project planner that gets to spend a lot of money, After I received MBA, I was hired by the Texas Youth Commission (which is a prison for youth) and became the network planner & designer & IS manager, here I really got to use some of my high school skills in treating my fellow man. Spent 10 years on the executive council of Dell computers, which is basically a industry advisor.
While going to MBA School I met my first wife Kathryn who also had a MBA and was married till 2000 when she was called to her heavenly home, due to breast cancer. I guess we were fortunate that we had no children.
Then I got remarried to my second wife Terri, now we had the same values and a lot in common but the macabre truth, she had lost her husband and we started to talk about our similar experiences dealing with Funeral homes, I have wonderful two step children (a daughter and a son) I don’t know how many of you it has happened to but they do move in and out several times before you can call them gone and I have two grandsons. And finally we're empty nesters.
After I met my second wife, I finally got to put my Christian training to use, my wife’s daughter had run away from home at 17, so I helped to find her and through my writing and Christian actions got her to come home, get her GED and go to college, a happy wife, who talks to her daughter several times a week now, priceless, and have a son in-law in our armed forces.
Now I am retired from IBM on disability, and retirement is over-rated trust me but I still maintain a garage of servers and email systems at home at home to try to keep busy, I know that I still have some serving to do, cause a few years ago I suffered 3 strokes, and although some of my body no longer works as It once did my mind was left intact and sharp, It was not time yet for me to be with my mother and grandparents. Always remember we’re being tested and God will never give us more than we can handle, so always remember walk with God and be thankful for every day
