I was born in the family of Norwegian emigrants in the farming culture of North Central Minnesota. I viewed myself as being very normal. However, as I grew older, I realized what a unique childhood I had. My father was born in Norway and emigrated to Minnesota with his mother and two siblings. He was only one and a half at the time. His father was a valet to a Norwegian upper class gentlemen. All of my uncles, aunts, and grandparents spoke Norwegian as a first language. My mother and...
I was born in the family of Norwegian emigrants in the farming culture of North Central Minnesota. I viewed myself as being very normal. However, as I grew older, I realized what a unique childhood I had. My father was born in Norway and emigrated to Minnesota with his mother and two siblings. He was only one and a half at the time. His father was a valet to a Norwegian upper class gentlemen. All of my uncles, aunts, and grandparents spoke Norwegian as a first language. My mother and father spoke Norwegian to each other as I grew up. At the time I was embarrassed by their Norwegian dialect and customs, soon I learned how unique my culture was to the rest of the nation.
I was the second of my extended family to graduate from college. I was quite proud of that. My father's family was very musical so that influenced me very much. I played piano and trombone in school and majored in Music and History in college. My first teaching position in North Dakota was teaching both Music and History. Subsequently, I taught only Music. After I had taught nine years, my wife and two children moved to Belgium where I taught five years in the Dept of Defense Dependent Schools. We returned to the US where I retired after twenty eight years of teaching.
I subsequently was a house painting contractor and a lay minister in a Presbyterian Church. My hobbies are reading, sports, playing my trombone, teaching in church, and photography. I have three children and four grandchildren and I am currently married to my wife Judy.
I have read and studied history my whole life and keep abreast of the current news by reading newspapers, magazines, and watching news broadcasts. My favorite reading books are historical books, historical novels and autobiographies of historical figures. My favorite book is "Undaunted Courage" by Stephen Ambrose an autobiography about Lewis and Clark.
I have taught beginners band for twenty eight years as well as high school, junior high and beginner's band. Part of my teach
