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Love of a Bug.

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Linda's Dad bought a new 1962 bug for his family of five in California. He was always sort of a "nutty professor" and he loved that car. Linda inherited it and I learned to love Volkswagens and bought a 1968 Bug while in the Navy. We were a 2 Bug family. It was a sad day when I posted this ad on the Sperry's (Navy ship I was on) bulletin board. FYI....Linda and I owned 4 Bugs, 1 Fastback, 2 Buses, 1 Rabbit in days gone by.

A Story of WW2, by Paul Sell. Friend and relative.

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  One Day in My Life-A Story of WWII, by Paul & Lowell Sell By  Karen  in  Sell ,  Train Wreck at Valery-en-Caux ,  Veterans Day ,  World War II Today, on the eve of Veterans Day, I am pleased to share this WWII story about a local WWII soldier, Sgt. Lowell Sell. A big thank you to Dr. Jerry and Connie Sell for sharing this story that involved Jerry’s uncle Lowell Sell in January 1945, shortly after Lowell arrived in France to begin his service in the war. Lowell Sell told the story to his brother Paul and Paul wrote the narrative in 1999. Four Sell brothers grew up on 707 south of Rockford. Three of the Sell brothers, Lowell, Paul, and Carl, and their cousin Otis “Leroy” Sell, all served in WWII. In addition to Lowell Sell’s story, their cousin Leroy’s father, Charles Dillon Sell, wrote a poem about sixteen Rockford-area men who served in WWII. His poem,  The Otterbein Sixteen , appears here, after Lowell’s story. Otterbein United Brethren in Christ Church, aka Stringtown United B

It's a buckeye.

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We were at the Cleveland Clinic a few weeks ago. I stopped at McDonalds for a couple senior coffees for the road. Two old black guys were behind me, waiting for their order. I noticed the one guy had an Ohio State hat. I turned around and asked him if he was a Buckeye fan? He was hesitant, we were in a black area of Cleveland......I was the only white person in the whole place. He responded that indeed....he was a fan. I reached in my pocket and handed him a buckeye nut. I told him I always carried one for luck and wanted him to have it. You would have thought I had given him a hundred bucks. “I have never seen a buckeye” he said, and gave me a heartfelt thanks. I told him the buckeyes always brought me luck and I hoped it did the same for him, I keep spares at home. We parted ways friends.

Nora Peterson Rodenbeck

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Congratulations Chuck. 30 May 2023 Your daughter Rachel and her husband Mycal have produced your first grandchild, a beautiful baby girl.  She is perfect, has two wonderful parents and is destined for a great life.  I am so happy...but jealous. We met Rachel last week and took Nora in her first long stroller ride around Parkview Hospital.  Linda and I were so glad Rachel  thought of us. We should have celebrated your 71st birthday this year but your name lives on in Nora Peterson Rodenbeck.  You can be proud.

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

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  The Sunshine Skyway, Florida.  I crossed this bridge driving a large truck about once a week for 30 years. I once had a truck break down at the top. The wrecker had to leave from St. Petersburg, drive south across the bridge, turn around and cross the bridge going north (picking my truck up on the way). We moved to Florida in 1982, two years before a freighter hit the old bridge in a bad fog, killing 35 people.  The fog was so bad no one recognized the bridge had collapsed and cars and buses kept driving into the bay. The old bridge stood for years with one side gone. Mangled steel hanging....a reminder of the Greyhound bus that went over the side. My Mom always closed her eyes for the entire trip across. There is a telephone at the top  for suicide jumpers to make one last call. I talked a friend down at the top one night about 2am. Funny, he had a gun and was going to shoot himself before jumping? I told him to give me the gun...the fall alone was sufficient.

William Henry Harrison 9th President

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  William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison, an American military officer and politician, was the ninth President of the United States (1841), the oldest President to be elected at the time. On his 32nd day, he became the first to die in office, serving the shortest tenure in U.S. Presidential history. William Harrison was an aide to Mad Anthony Wayne, for who Fort Wayne, Indiana is named. My great great grandfather, Rev. David McMichael's second wife (Maria Harrison) was a 2nd cousin of President Harrison. Their child, Mary Caroline McMichael was the mother of Laura Boice....my mother's mother.

A visit with the Lintons.

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                             A little history. I just rescued this old picture of my grandmother's family. Taken in 1928 in Midland Michigan. It's a great picture but has one caveat. One person, the baby in the picture, Irene Macklin Weaver is alive and well in Geneva, Indiana. My grandfather took some wonderful pictures with that Brownie Camera.

Shopping at Kroger.

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We were almost involved in a three cart pileup in aisle 14 at Dupont Kroger yesterday. Linda was upset that there was no diet cranberry juice left so she pulled into traffic, almost t-boned a guy racing to the toilet paper aisle with one of those small, sleek grocery carts.  After apologies we headed to the produce department for romaine lettuce…..too late. Racing back to the egg cooler, we snagged one of the last three dozens, snatching the eggs from the hesitant old lady who was deciding if she would go organic. Damn…..they are out of coffee creamer again. Headed for the self checkout, carefully sanitizing the touch screen.  Searching for UPC labels we scanned, paid and bagged our groceries.  We failed to load all the coupons from the web site but still thanked the mysterious talking lady inside the checkout for her service.   Walking out we complained to the Bagging Guard that we didn’t get an invite to the Kroger company picnic.   The parking lot was packed, we dodged frantic shopp

Paradise Lakes Nudist Colony

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  There are three or four Nudist Colonies north of Tampa, about 15 miles, near Land of Lakes. The largest one, Paradise Lakes was a customer of mine when we lived in Florida.  They had condos, mobile home park, apartments and RV camping. I supplied them with mattresses. The property manager had contacted me about 1995 and I went to talk to him about deliveries.  He insisted that price was important but he was more concerned about my delivery men.  He was adamant about their behavior and wanted them to be discreet, make the delivery, no gawking....and get out. I agreed that I, personally, would make all deliveries with one helper.   I got the job. I scheduled most of our deliveries on the day they had their Tennis Tournaments. I have a hundred stories...... but my favorite is this one: We had a delivery for the Condos, queen set....upstairs.   My oldest driver was with me, the residents put some clothes on and we soon discovered the box spring would not go up the stairs.  Our plan was t

Boices and Fort Amsterdam.

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Karl Otto Moreland Wittwer

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  John Peterson   GreatGreatGreatGrandson of Karl Otto Moreland Wittwer J u l y   3 0 ,   2 0 2 2     Tomorrow, we, the descendants of Karl Otto Moreland Wittwer will gather in the Swiss community of Berne, Indiana, to celebrate our Swiss heritage amongst fellow relatives. Karl's story: Karl, 39 and his wife Barbara, 38 departed LeHavre, France aboard the sailing ship "Germania". They had traveled from their home in Switzerland, probably by oxcart, 500 miles to reach the port in France. They had 4 children with them, ages 12, 9, 5, and 1. Barbara gave birth to another child 11 days after they arrived in New York. This is what I imagine to be Karl and Barbara's trip to be like: The Emigrant Travels to Le Havre Karl and his family likely booked their passage on a relatively small (197 passengers) sailing ship. Most passengers are listed as "Farmer" (many were probably landless day laborers) and the majority came from Prussia, although there were also trave

The Bluebirds of Happiness,

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I have always loved bluebirds but wherever we lived, my bluebird houses were always full of English Sparrows. Some believe the bluebird is a symbol of joy and hope, others that they bring happiness. We have been here now for two years, living next to a 180 acre farm/park/nature preserve. Salomon Park is a bluebird magnet! Hundreds of them, everywhere. A few weeks ago Linda and I saw about 25, joyously singing and flashing their brilliant blue around us. They congregate around our feeders and join me on my morning walk. I am not the only one who has noticed the blue birds. The adjacent Lutheran Church is going to construct a “Buebird Trail”. Dozens of houses will line the park and provide homes for the birds. Now, that’s a blessing I can approve.  

A Gift from George Wallace

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I was reading the newspaper one morning in 1992 and was intrigued with an article about George Wallace, former governor of Alabama and presidential candidate in 1968.  I was not a fan of George or his populist, segregationist view.  What I admired about most about him was his lifelong support for blue-collar workers, and common folk. George Wallace was shot and permanently paralyzed below the waist in an assignation attempt on May 15, 1972.  At the time he was a Democrat presidential candidate.  Most people did not know that George Wallace renounced his segregationist ideology in the 1980's.  He was reelected governor of Alabama in 1982 with substantial support of black voters.   He retired in 1987 and spent the remaining  years of his life raising money to send young people (both black and white) to his wife Lurleen's alma mater, Troy State University, in Troy Alabama. My daughter, Lisa, was in her first year of college at St. Petersburg Junior College.  I told her about the a

My Earl List.

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Yesterday we were on our daily afternoon walk.  It was Sunday. I was in front of Crash and Linda by about 15 feet, as usual. A young girl, perhaps in her thirties, was taking down her outdoor Christmas decorations.  She lived in the condos at the entrance to our addition.  We walk this route three or four times a week. I stopped, remarked to her that we enjoyed her decorations and that she had done a great job.  Her display was a delight to see and we always looked forward to it. At first,  I got the usual reaction when I go up to complete strangers, especially women, and start a  random conversation.  She shied away at first.....then......she got the biggest smile as both Linda and I talked to her.  We made a friend. This brings me back to my "Earl List".  I'm not going into detail about it.  I make a list every day of things I want to do.  Being nice to someone, every day, is important to me.   I told Linda that most people cannot recall any memory of trips to Disney, a

Tampa Florida has a beautiful smell.

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I first experienced Tampa, Florida in 1969. I was in the Navy and sent to Tampa to catch a destroyer going out on maneuvers in the Gulf of Mexico. I arrived early....rented a motel room on Bayshore Blvd in Tampa, about two blocks from the famous Henry Plant Hotel/Museum. I spent two days walking the city before reporting for duty. I had never been to Florida and was eager to drink in as much of it as I could. Thirteen years later, 1982, Linda, Lisa and I packed up and moved from Indiana to the Tampa Bay Area. I bought a small trucking company and usually delivered to Tampa a couple times a week. There is no city, that I have experienced, that has the smells of Tampa. The smell of Cuban coffee on Adamo Drive going into Tampa in the morning. The smell of the Florida State Fair...pronto pups and cotton candy. Cuban bread baking at the bakeries in Ybor City or Holsum Bakery on Hillsborough Avenue. Orange blossoms driving down Armenia Avenue when there were groves on both sides of t