Retired
Spouse: Donna
1 Child
Information update: 06/27/2022

Wow! 50 years. Where did the time go to? It seems like yesterday we were walking down the aisle at the old Duluth Armory to get our diplomas, and now we are getting ready to celebrate our 50th reunion.
I couldn't stay away from Central for long. My first job out of high school, was working during the summer of 1961, washing walls in several schools for the Board of Education. One of our biggest jobs was doing the hallways of DCHS. It was only a summer job, so in the fall it was time to find a job.

I decided to start at Lake Avenue and work my way West to see what was out there. I landed a job at the Woolworth store on the lower side of Superior Street between First and Second Avenue West. I really enjoyed retail, and eventually got into their management program. The next summer I wound up in International Falls as a 19 year old assistant manager of the store.

I lasted there until October of 1962, when I decided to join the Army. My career was very short in the Army. One month into basic training I came down with pneumonia, and spent three months in the hospital. They said I could stay in the service, but would have to have half of one of my lungs removed, or I could take a medical discharge and go home. I did the latter.

For the next couple of years I bounced to a couple different retail jobs. I was a manager and buyer at the hobby department at Wahl's Department Store. Later I sold appliances in the old downtown Montgomery Ward's store, and later managed the appliance department in their Superior WI store.

In the meantime my mother badgered me to take the civil service exam. Just to get her off my back, I took it, and even passed it. Two years later I got a notice to come to work at the Duluth Post Office. The night I started at the Post Office, I had worked an eight hour day in Superior, and took my girlfriend Donna (my wife now) to see the "New Christy Minstrels", at the Denfeld auditorium. I took her home, and then went to work at the Post Office at 11 p.m. that evening, and worked a full eight hour shift there. That was one long 24 hours. Thank God for youth!

I spent the next year working inside as a distribution clerk. I did take some stints working on a RPO (Railroad Post Office) that ran between Duluth and Minneapolis, and the HYPO (Highway Post Office) that ran between Duluth and Grand Rapids MN.

After a year of working inside, I decided to change crafts. So in January of 1967, I stepped into the bitter cold reality of delivering mail during a Minnesota winter. I liked it so much I stayed carrying until my retirement on January 3rd 2000. I was lucky to be very involved in our local union, Branch #114, National Association of Letter Carriers. I held several different offices locally, and in our State Association. I am still active in our local branches activities to this day. The union gave me many opportunities, to expand my education, and do extensive traveling around our great country. Especially to our Nations Capitol, where our National union office is located.

In 1966, I married Donna Rae Tuominen from the Clover Valley area of the North Shore. We have now been married 44 years. She certainly deserves special recognition for being with me that long. One week after our Astronauts first walked on the moon, we welcomed our daughter, Sherri Lynn into the world. She is now 41 years old, and living in Minneapolis MN, and is a teller supervisor for the Anchor Bank.

Even though I didn't work very hard for the education that I received in High School, (My marks and class ranking showed that), I must say that my involvement in athletics certainly molded me for my future. I must thank especially Jack Baldwin who first got me to go out for track and football, Coach Vucinovich who taught me how to fight and survive, and Jim Hastings who taught me strength and loyalty.

My wife retired 5 years ago, and we have done some traveling since. Two cruises, three trips to Hawaii, and several trips to Bella Vista AR for up to six weeks, either in the late fall or early spring.

That is pretty much a thumbnail look at my 50 years since we graduated. I am fortunate to see our old school several times a week, as I belong to the Owl's Club that is less than a block away from it. It is great to see the clock tower, and hear those chimes. Hurrah for the Red and White!