I went on to Ball State after graduation but was invited not to return after a hard year of partying too much. I worked at Stone Container for a summer and got a good dose of reality. I moved back in with my parents (they had moved to Texas) at the end of 73 and decided to go back to school in 75. I got my degree in architectural technology 2 years later and spent the next 10 years designing commercial and residential projects in the Corpus Christi area. I found my future wife (Danell) in 1983 while designing grocery stores for HEB. We had 3 kids by May of 1987. Jennifer, Douglass, and Michael. The building business went flat in 1987 in this area so I ended up with McCoy's building supply and ended up a store manager for them in Jasper Texas in 1990. A Lowes opened up in Jasper in 2003 and McCoy's quickly decided to close the store there. My kids were popular and doing well in school so I jumped ship and went to work at Lowe's. An opportunity became available with Lowe's at a new store under construction in Corpus so back I went to Corpus as the new Sales manager. I retired from there 20 years later. I drove home (to Jasper) every time I had 2 days or more off in a row since my youngest was still in school there and my wife and Michael stayed there. Corpus was an easy choice since my younger brother Doug was struggling with substance abuse (his daughter had just died of cancer) and mom wasn't getting any younger. The rest of the family joined me in 2004. I really enjoyed Jasper. I was there during the James Byrd incident and got to meet Jesse Jackson. He was pretty cool. I was also a lieutenant with the Jasper VFD and was a search leader when the shuttle Columbia went down. Corpus has been a mixed blessing filled with death. My brother died, as did his wife and his other children. Mom passed in 2014 and worst of all my son Douglas died in a motorcycle accident in 2015. I have never gotten over it. My younger son, Mike went on to be a Navy SEAL for 10 years. I actually work for him now (in my retirement) behind the scenes for Arken Optis USA.

I was a wall flower. Not very outgoing. I was on the swim team for 4 years and ran for student council president my senior year but that was about it.

Edison