Bill Welter:
CLASS OF 1968
Memorial High SchoolClass of 1968
Tulsa, OK
Clay High SchoolClass of 1968
South bend, IN
Benilde-St. Margarets High SchoolClass of 1968
St. louis park, MN
Edina-Morningside High SchoolClass of 1968
Edina, MN
Saint Theresa SchoolClass of 1964
Des moines, IA
Bill's Story
Life
Wow! Where to start. After four elementary schools, four high schools, three colleges, and a tour of duty in the Navy, I settled in South Florida where I leased four convenience stores with my dad and started what turned out to be a very nice little business. We grew the business into 17 convenience stores, propane distribution, and a One Hour Photo Lab(my favorite hobby). We owned and operated all the locations. I married my wife, Michele, in Nov., 1977 and promptly started pumping out rug rats every couple of years for the first five years of our marriage. The kids are all grown now and all have successful careers of their own. Michele and I are very proud of them. I retired three years ago and even though Michele still works, we find time to travel extensively. We take monthly junkets(sponsored by Harrahs) to Tunica or Biloxi, MS. Since Michele is from Philadelphia, we also travel often to Atlantic City. We have a vacation home in South Lake Tahoe, CA so we spend about three weeks a year up there.
We recently bought some property in Kingston, TN on Watts Bar Lake to build our retirement home. Kingston is about 20minutes west of Knoxville. Since Michele isn't ready to retire (she sees how bored I get), I'll probably go up to Kingston periodacally and start building the house. I have no experience but I guess I'm going to get some!
School
Isn't it funny how you can remember the girls you liked all the way back to your first years in school! I mean, I went to a lot of schools and I still remember their names and what they looked like. St. Bernadette was Marcia Nestric, Ten Mile was Dawn Peterson(I actually got into a fight with some guy over her)(yes, I won), St. Theresa was Mary Jane Shield, Edina was Allison Wanner, Memorial was probably my very favorite. I think or thought I was in love with Linda Weber. I had to make sure so I broke up with her to date Sheila Onsgard. I really liked Sheila too, but I just can't remember why it didn't work out except I think it was because I just couldn't leave Linda at the time. Then we moved to Indiana. I went to Clay High School there for my senior year. Patty Thomas was my crush there. Guess that was the biggest learning experience of my life! Linda came up for my graduation from Tulsa, stayed at my house and talked about marriage. All the while, I was thinking of Patty.
What a jerk I was!!I think for about two years of my life, I had turned into something I can't even describe here but I know I didn't even like myself. Anyway, I recovered and I pray that Linda did too! I didn't meet my wife, Michele, of thirty years, until after I had graduated from Western Michigan University and moved to Florid...Expand for more
a.
College
Yea, yea, I know. I went to three oolleges too. Unfortunately it wasn't because my dad got transfered. I started at Indiana State University the summer of '68 because I needed to get my grades up for football. Unfortunately, we got a little tipsy one evening and had a panty raid on one of the girls dorms(they were seperate at that time). I found a football in a room on the fourteenth floor and threw a bullit pass into the courtyard hitting the dorm director in the head and knocking him out. The following week I was working full time back in my hometown. So the next semester, I transfered to a Junior College in Illinois because I didn't have a football scholorship anymore. It was the College of DuPage. Due to my transfer, something happened to my Draft Status and I received a letter from Uncle Sam inviting me to party with them in the Army. Well, I could still read and every time I picked up the paper, I noticed that the names of most of the dead veterans from Vietnam were from the Army. Thank God my dad new a retired Admiral working part time for the Navy in Chicago. He arranged a meeting for me and soon I was singing "Anchors Away". After the Navy, I decided to get serious about my education. I was accepted into Western Michigan University where I majored in Petroleum Marketing and Distribution. During my first year, I joined the Phi Sigma Kappa Fraternity and the WMU Veterans Association. The Fraternity really didn't get much of my attention other than the parties and meetings. I was older than all of the Brothers and didn't fit in real well. I declined to hold office because I was extremely active with the Veterans Assoc. This was a social club of Vietnam Era Vets although any Vet was welcome to join. I was the social chairman for two years and trust me, this was a daily job with over 100 crazy vets wanting to party all the time starting at noon every day except Saturday and that started at 9am since the football game was at 1pm. Each year the Vets and local cops sponsored the Annual Charity Pig Bowl where we played each other in tackle football at the school stadium and sold tickets to the game and after party with proceeds going to Cystic Fibrosis. Win or lose, the after parties were the best! I was chairman of the event one year and we raised a little over $5,000. Every year we had an annual pig roast, canoe trip, and numerous weddings. I guess I did have one crush in college. One of my "Little Sisters" to the fraternity, Dee Dee. She probably would have been perfect for me but for some reason, I was too shy to pursue her. She married one of my Fraternity Brothers, Kim Rhodes. Hopefully they're still together, I liked them both!
Register for Free to view all details!
Yearbooks
Register for Free to view all yearbooks!
Reunions
Register for Free to view all events!
Photos
