Brian Anderson:  

Life Dr. Victor H. Smith was there at Copley Hospital in Aurora, IL to start things off for me back in the Eisenhower era. I liked Ike. And Vic. Who does not remember their first grade teacher? Our Mrs. Lottie Tesdal set the tone for a solid elementary and high school education. My parents showed and taught me love and the appreciation of hard work, and saw to it that I knew of the love of God. Lots of fine friends, family, classmates and neighbors surrounded me for which I am thankful and would have liked to have shown my appreciation much more than I did. If you are one of the surrounders, thanks! I attended Graceland College in Iowa, married a Gracelander in 1972, changed colleges, and once we both graduated from Southern Illinois University, we moved to California. Janis was an RN, working in ICU/CCU for most all of her long career, while I was locked up in a juvenile detention facility. I have worked for the Butte County Probation Department for nearly 36 years, all in the aforementioned institution. I hung around just long enough that they had no choice but to throw me into the Superintendent's office. I elected to permanently extend my weekends to include Monday through Friday, so I escaped in November 2012. Janis died of cancer in May 2003. My heart continues to swell with great joy for the marvelous loving kindness she shared with me. Her life continues in another realm. Blessings continue. In late 2005, I became engaged to a wonderful woman, Kim, a speech therapist who lived just six short hours away. Loved those 740 mile round trips! We were married in July 2006 in a wonderful outdoor ceremony in the State Capitol complex in Carson City, Nevada, halfway between our two homes, with friends and family in attendan...Expand for more