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Thomas Austin
I have been confined with corvid 19, with worries of going anywhere and that it may be harmful to my health, I have started writing “MY STORY”, a story of my crazy life. It includes all the women, business successes and failures and how God came in and changed my life. It is totally ADULT rated and none of you are in it negatively. I told about my life from birth to now. This document is not that story. It is available to anyone who is interested and contacts me concerning it. What I am writing below is a summary of my memories of growing up in Westside High School.
As I see the corvid 19 crisis happening. I sit here at home, bringing back memories of my past. I came from a dysfunctional home where my father thought he was Adolf Hitler. So, coming to school was a real treat and I did not want to leave. It is all you guys I am sending this to, and some earlier and higher grades. I started grade school at Oakdale school and went from there to Westside High in the 7th grade. I was never a good student, but it was always fun to see all of you. You were always great to be around.
I remember Alice Gillogly in the office, she was always so nice. Mr. Winchell went out of his way to help me. I had Attention Deficit Disorder but at that time it had no name, and it could make me look stupid. He took his own time to give me IQ tests and I took four of them, each showing a different score, but they were always in the 140 area. He said that with a 140 IQ I should be getting A’s, but I was working hard to just get a C grade. He was the first to recognize there was a problem, but it was many years later that medical science discovered that many children have the problem, and they gave it a name - Attention Deficit Disorder or ADD for short. Ms. Hoyt in English literature was tough but excellent at teaching me to write. Mr. Tangdal went on to become principle when my daughter went to Westside 30+ years later. Coaches Lane & Hoyt, Mrs. Clark in drama, and typing teacher Miss Allen. Coach Morrissey in PE, and Mr. Andreas who taught World History. Each of these teachers gave me skills that I have used in my career and life.
Thank you, Terry Rusthoven, for being my friend when you came to Westside. For all the times we had together, double dating in high school, being a fraternity brother at Nebraska, and all the screwing around we did later. Going to Canada with me to the Quantico Canoe Country was a fun adventure. All we had were maps to go from the large lake to the next lake and portaging all our gear and canoeing to the next lake. No power poles, telephone lines, roads and usually no one else in sight. The fishing was great, we ran into a storm and paddled hard to get to our campground. There was no need to call for help because there was no one to respond. I deeply appreciate your friendship and hope life is going well for you and your family. May God Bless you both.
Jean Encell Rusthoven, thank you for being my friend from junior high throughout high school and my first summer back home from college. I loved you all that time, but I felt it was better to part and I think you felt it was not going to work for the two of us as well. You have done well. Terry has given you a great life. I never lied to you and you are the only other girl I genuinely loved besides my wife Alice. Seriously, I feel ashamed that I have never talked with you for about 50 years. That is because I did not know what to say and I did not want it to look like I was coming on to you. I am sorry that I sounded so disjointed when I called, but I really did not know what to say. May God bless you and your family, for the rest of your life, and thank you for being my friend for all those years.
Susie Miller, please forgive me for standing you up after I gave you a ride home two nights before. You were so nice to talk with and let me kiss you good night. The reason I did not show up was I had just gotten a registered letter that day from the US Army that I had been avoiding, telling me they were sending the military police out to handcuff me, and I was going to Viet Nam. I had already signed up with the Army Reserve but somehow the paperwork was not getting to the draft board. I was in a panic and not thinking straight and was out of my mind. I was not talkable so went to Mr. Winchell from Westside because I knew he had been in the army before teaching at Westside. I had several classes with him from the eighth grade to graduation. He could have said drop dead you have been gone for a year and a half from Westside, but he did not. He called an Army Major who he had tutored through college and owed him some favors. I met that Major and he got it straighten out with the draft board and got me into Mr. Winchell’s army reserve unit in Omaha. All that took several weeks to get done and I was sent to basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. By then you were probably in college somewhere, I think Illinois, but I cannot remember exactly were. I am terribly sorry because I had wanted to see you again before you left. I understood your innocence and I truly feel responsible for any problems you may have had. I am sure you are a wonderful woman and I hope life has gone well for you. Thank you for your friendship, May God bless you.
Bill Steel is now deceased, and I miss him. We went to Westside and he later went to Creighton Prep Highschool, but we were on the same swim team. He was also a fraternity brother. His wife, Diane, was so nice to tell me the news. Best wishes to your family Diane.
Steve Miller who I went to school with at Oakdale, Westside and our first semester in college, I have seen at the Westside reunions. You have done very well for yourself and family. I have not seen you since the fourth reunion. You are a good man.
Curt Chiles and I have known each other since we were five years old. We went to Oakdale and Westside together. The last time I saw you was in Denver and your business life was doing well but your married life had some problems. I hope that changed. The last time I saw you was when my girlfriend, who is now my wife, and you went to dinner in Denver. I hope life is going well. Please say hi to your sister Sue class of 1957 and your brother Scott class of 1954, I think. All who went to Westside earlier than we did. You are a good man.
To the little girl that asked me to dance with her at our senior dance and I said it would not be fair to my date to do that. Please forgive me. At this age I cannot remember your name, but I feel so ashamed. I did not recognize that you did not have a date and you got all dressed up for the senior dance and came to it by yourself. Please forgive my rudeness, stupidity and for not dancing with you. I have gotten wiser with age and still feel badly about that!
Pam Newhart, the last time I saw her was the fourth reunion when her husband was not able to come. She was kind enough to seek me out and say Hi. I have good memories of talking with her, double dating with her and her friendship. May God bless her family.
Sandy Hancock Greeves, thank you for being my date in the seventh grade when I took you behind a tree at Peony Park and kissed you while my parents were waiting to take us home. Many years later, you brought Dave Greeves to meet us; I cannot remember if you were dating or married. It was when we lived in Ginger Cove and we went to dinner. I thought he was such a great guy, I felt that you would have a great life together. Its’ been at least 50 years by now and I hope life is going well for you both. We get your hand made Christmas Card each year and my wife has kept them all. Thank you for telling me I was too fat at the fourth reunion. You were right but was the only one with the guts to tell me. At that time, when we were living in Ginger Cove, we were working two companies. I was selling computer and high-speed communications devices, new and used, a software employees’ company that we leased out to any company in the U.S. And a second company in Orlando, FL where I was financing people that could not, for any reason, get a mortgage. A bitch of a job but done right was very profitable. I was too busy to think about my health. However, since retiring, I have lost over seventy pounds and have gone from a 44 waist to a 36-inch waist. Please say hi to Dave for me he is such a great man. I hope life goes well for you and your family.
Doug Dietrich, I have not seen you for years, but I saw your brother and father at a trade show several years ago. You had a date, but I do not remember who it was, and we went to a dance at peony park I think, and Todd’s drive in food service, in my jeep. My date was Nancy Campbell, who I thank for going out with me, I hope life is going well for both of you and thank you for your friendship.
Nancy Campbell thanks for going to the dance with me and for being such a nice person. Thank you for emailing me about a year ago. I mis not seeing your smile, I hope life is going well for your family.
Marcy Malone, I have not seen you for years. I enjoyed the time we had together, please say hi to your brother and your mother if she is still living.
Annette Cajacob, I have not seen you for years. It looks like you may live somewhere in Florida, I hope life is going well and you and your family are doing well. I live near Ft Myers and if you and your husband live nearby, please contact us. My wife would enjoy meeting you. You were always fun to be with.
I saw you, Ann Mc Daniels, and helped you with the fourth reunion. Your husband was such a nice guy and it looked like life was going well for the two of you. “Thank You”- to you and your husband for having a dinner at your home for all of us that worked on the fourth reunion. Your house and yard were beautiful.
Sherrill Brown, thank you for going to school with me, seeing you in my doctor’s office and again at the fourth reunion. You and your husband sat with us. He seems like such a good man and you both looked happy, I hope life is still going well for you and your family.
Rosy Vecchio, thank you for being a friend at school, I tried to get you to come to the fourth reunion, but I never saw you there. Hope life is going well for you and your family.
Ron Thorngren, I am sorry Patti is no longer living. I thank you both for being so nice to me over all those years. I hope life is going well for your family. I remember seeing you at the reunions.
Jay Clark, I remember seeing and talking with you at some of the reunions which was good.
Bob Chrisman, I have not seen you for years, thanks for running around with me and being a good friend. I think you were at the 40th reunion at my home on the lake. Hope life is going well for you and your family.
Tina Swanson, it was good seeing you at some of the reunions and I appreciate your email. It looks like you live in Hawaii and are recently married. I remember when we sat together on a bus or train going to a football game, I think it was, and we both fell asleep. I remember in junior high when you and your brother showed us all how to dance to rock and roll music. You guys were good. Thank you for being a friend.
Steve Durham, Thanks for being my friend at Westside and college. I remember seeing you and your wife at the third or fourth reunion. You both looked great. I think you may have been in the service in a combat training area. I was as well and worked with the Airborne and Special Forces recruiting. I later went back through OCS and became a 2nd Lieutenant. That was a bitch getting through, the dropout rate was huge. Thank you for being my friend. Also, my wife and I meet Bill and LaDon Kallmer at Church down here in Florida. They are snowbirds who we have gotten to know well. Bill worked and retired from HDR. I hope life is going well for you and your family.
Bob Duncan, it was good being in class with you. I assume you are still flying. I remember when you use to fly over to see your girlfriend in Iowa. Thank you for being a friend at Westside.
Karen King class of 1961 and Woody Maynard (class of 1959), I know both of you and I think you got married. If I am wrong, please forgive me. Thank you both for being a friend to me. Woody and I use to ride horses together.
Sandy Jenkins, you were always so friendly to me, it is good remembering you, thank you for your kindness to me.
Denny Mc Artel, class of 1959. It was fun growing up together and being such a good friend when we were little kids and after Westside. I enjoyed meeting your wife, you met her in the hospital, I think. Please say hi to your family that is still living. Your dad was a good doctor and man. I hope life is going well for you and your wife and family.
Larry Myers class of 1958? Thank you for being such a leader of men and women. We went to high school and college together and the last time I saw you was at the JCC swimming pool in Omaha, when I had my kids there. Please say hi to your sister Sue, who was always so nice. Thank you for being a friend to me all those years.
Jim Trester, class of 1959? We were kids and neighbors about a block away. Thanks to you and your father for helping me get a job at Metropolitan Utilities District for two summers and later a job there for college students. I worked about 35 hours a week taking complaints from customers that had problems with their water and gas. It is that job that got me through college. I hope life is going well for you and your family.
Bill Encell, class of 1958, I am glad you were at Westside and a fraternity brother. You were a true friend when I was in pain. I remember going to your wedding and seeing both you and Kathy at the reception.
Dick Durban, We went to Oakdale and Westside together. I appreciated your email.
Sonny Brown, who went to Westside about two years ahead of me. You were the only black student in the school and one of the best liked by everyone. Your father was a janitor there and an extremely nice person. I hope life is going well for you and your family. You were always one of the nicest guys in the school.
Terry Campbell. thanks for your email I am glad we were in school together.
Kathy Venice, you went to Oakdale and Westside with me. You were always so nice to me. I am deeply sorry I had a date the night you called to go to a Westside dance, and I never got back to you. You were always a wonderful girl and friend to me. I hope life is going well for you and your family.
Murphy Thomas, you were always so nice to talk with and see in school. I hope life is going well for you and your family.
Sharon Church, it was such fun to see her at the reunions. We worked together on the fourth reunion and I met her husband. She was always so much fun to be with in high school.
Rusty Bendorf, was a friend. He helped me shovel snow in the winter. We cleared a lot of driveways and walks together.
Nick Nolty, class of 1958, you did not know me well, but you were always nice to me. I used to see you in football practice and on the track team in spring. We always envied all the women that use to chase you all night and you still showed up for practice. Thank you for being so nice to a younger classmate.
Claudia Ostwinkel class of 1963, I hope life is going well for you and you have found a good husband and family. You were always so nice and kind to me and I deeply appreciate your friendship. Say hi to your mother for me if she is still living. She was always such a nice gal. If my wife and I can help you somehow please call or email us.
My experiences after High School are in “MY STORY”. My service time with the Army Airborne and Special Forces- Green Berets is in “MY STORY”. I went on to college and moved to California and invested in Real Estate. I became a Chemical and Pharmaceutical Purchasing Agent. Before I married my wife, one girl took me away from the girl I was going to marry. She had sex totally different than any other women I had ever been with. The Urologic Medical Doctor I saw for pain was screaming at me that I needed to get away from her immediately because I needed surgery from overuse. This story is in “MY STORY”. I finally came to my senses and Alice and I were married in 1969 in CA. We were soon called back to Omaha because my family needed me to take over the Halloween plant for my parents. After 5 years I sold it and went into sales of Data Entry, Data Processing, Computers, High Speed Communications - (modems & much faster). Through those years, we stayed in Real estate investments, moved to FL, and eventually bought a property that involved Mercantile Bank. We lost because Mercantile was involved in fraudulent dealings when we signed our loan agreement with them. We were unaware of what was going on and what would eventually change our financial future. Mercantile bank had about 130 banks in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina that were caught for fraud, and was trying to take about three-four $ Million dollars from us.
“VERY, VERY SERIOUSLY” – If any of you know of a Very Well-Connected Attorney that has handled the FDIC which is the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and he has Washington DC, connections. I have a $Multi- Million-dollar bone to pick with them. I have been to over 150 attorneys and only three of them had done it. All three have told me that unless I have 4 Million dollars up front and spendable, in other words, kiss it goodbye and still be happy with life, they would try the case, but it had to go all the way to the Supreme Court, and it would have taken that much to do it. The FDIC knows it and it has a two-year window to sue if you have a claim or were damaged in the actions they took. After seeing this past year how some attorneys can take a guilty person out of jail that has been convicted of a crime and sent to jail and another attorney can get him set free. I had given up before, but now I see that with the right connections, anything is possible. I have documentation and it is on the internet where American Bank out of Saint Paul, Minnesota and two smaller banks, sued Mercantile Bank from Jacksonville, Florida for about $45 Million for fraud and the FDIC got involved. We were injured in the last large deal we were doing because Mercantile was our lender. Mercantile defrauded both the banks plus the FDIC. So, some of them went to prison for their actions. The attorney is going to make some serious money with this deal if he has the right knowledge and connections to get through all the obstacles the FDIC can throw at them. He can contact me or if you have a name and location- I will run him down.
Thanks to all the Westside girls that held my hand and let me kiss you at the door good night. It is mainly after Westside and all the women before marriage and after. No, I do not cheat, but I have been asked to a lot. There is so much that comes your way if you are on the road and my audience was always Vice President or President and their chief technical advisor. Somehow all the Vice Presidents and President have the best-looking secretaries. I do not know why that is, but it seemed to be that way in most all companies. All these guys I called on for many years were in the Midwest and if you dress well, have confidence, and drive a nice car you are a target for some woman to look at you and say if I were with him, I would not have to work! What they did not know was my wife ran the inside of the companies, handled all the paperwork, answered the telephone, and had a bookkeeper to manage beside managing the family, getting the meals ready and cleaning up after we ate. She was working her butt off all day while I was out seeing customers. She is wonderful and I thank God for her every day. We have been married 52 years.
If any one of you have a good, reliable, safe, and effective way to correct erectile dysfunction-ED, I would like to know of it. My doctor has recommended some shot I can give myself, but they are $120 a shot. That would be $600 a day and Medicare will not cover it for that activity. My wife hopes No One has a recommendation, she is tired! ☹
Hi to everyone that went to the 50th Reunion. I went to all the rest of them except the 50th. I was fighting Mercantile Bank at that time and could not come. Thanks to all you guys, you have been great.
Paul Pickrel; Dan Olson; Chuck Peterson; Robert Reigle; Malcolm MacFarlane; George W. Schabloske, Jr.; Craig Zamzow; Bob Saffer; Bill Marquardt, Ron Thorngren; Donald B. Francis; Woody Earl; Larry McChesney; Linda Siert Johnson; Felix Meyer; Ed Reitan; Stephen W. Mellor, Murph Thomas Levy; Jane Reichmann Olson; Kathy Vanice Baron; Carol Thomsen McChesney; Ann McDaniel Stinson; Sheri Humphrey Dodd; Billie Poulson Lenz; Elizabeth Ruck Ward; Diane Finley Sipieter; Sharron Newstrom Mathieu, Tony Blieberger; Larry Hammer; Bob Lewis; Bruce R. Lauritzen; David Baxter; Terry Campbell; Bill Loren Drum Ron Jessen, Gary Hannibal; Cherie Brown Tingelhoff; Suzie Falk Ahlstrand; Roger D. Ball; Tom Burton; Bob Chrisman; John A. Leary; Bill Kovar; Jim Forehead; Linda Peterson Rogers; Bid Taylor; Curt Abdouch, Krystie Field Wallace; Joanna Poulson Baxter; Connie Marie Fleming Colvin; Jana Doxon Knudsen; Nancy Campbell Janike; Gayle Fiala Saffer; Barbara Falkenroth Stout; Andrea Dale Sanders; Rosemary Kuncl Northwall; Mary Hackbarth Hert
Hi to everyone at the 40th Reunion. It was so good to see you all again.
Craig Zamzow, Bill Marquardt, Cliff Peppers, Steve Redick, Al Mackiewicz, Ron Jessen, Steve Mellor, Dick Treakle, Tom Burton, Tom Austin, Terry Rusthoven, Dan Olson, Don Magdanz, Steve Durham, Jim Forehead, Sally Sheppard Thomas, Kathleen Pedersen Vosik, Krystie Field Wallace, Cheryl Brown Tingelhoff, Linda Peterson Rogers, Gayle Fiala Saffer, Bob Saffer, Ann McDaniel Stinson, Ed Reitan, Bob Lewis, Terry Busskohl, Felix Meyer, George Papineau, Rosemary Kuncl Northwall, Linda Kaul Reese, Connie Fleming Colvin, Marie Norem Stephens, Mary Hackbarth Hert, Carol Deadman Lockwood, Barbara Torpy Von Tersch, Linda Utiger, Andrea Dale Sanders, Sharon Church Anderson, Gary Hannibal, Larry Hammer, Loren Drum, Dennis Hopkins, Suzie Falk Ahlstrand, George Schabloske, John Bucholz, Bob Chrisman, Tony Blieberger, Ralph Perkins, Paul Pickrel, Chuck Mumma, Doug Wells, Sandy Hancock Greaves, Jane Reichmann Olson, Patty O'Laughlin Thorngren, Dave Baxter, Bid Taylor, Larry McChesney, J Clark, Ron Thorngren, Dan Corcoran, Dick Watson, Linda Kimmel Downing, Pam Neuharth Siegfried, Marilyn Allgaier Walker, Elaine Schaap Gendron, Jo Poulson Baxter, Carol Kolash, Jana Doxon Knudsen, Sharron Newstrom Mathieu, Barbara Falkenroth Stout, Linda Siert Johnson, Billie Poulson Lenz, Judy Williams Chapman, Carol Thomsen McChesney, Phyllis Thompson Arledge.
Thank all of you guys for being so kind and friendly to me. Westside school is a wonderful school and still seems to be growing stronger. If I can help any of you guys in some way, please let me know. I genuinely love you all. It sounds like they are looking at another reunion in October of this year.
I would like to make the 60th if possible, but there are many things to consider. I hope you all consider this 60th reunion and make it a special one. I would like to see you all there. If we need to connect thru Zoom, that will be better than nothing.
The last ten years are fading out, but the Westside years are still there. I hope I can see you all. I have an idea to let the reunion go as planned but put some virtual cameras in each event so many of us could see and talk with each other. I am sure Westside has some kids that could set this up for us and we would have the largest reunion in the history of the school. It would also be helpful for those who are not able to come.
I am writing the story of my life with all the ups and downs, but it is completely ADULT rated. If anyone wants to read it just send me an email and I will send you a copy when it is finished. It is not for public publication. My wife and I hope to see you all at the reunion.
Very Sincerely,
Tom Austin gsf1377@gmail.com
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