Steinar Andersen:
CLASS OF 1981
Irving Crown High SchoolClass of 1981
Carpentersville, IL
Steinar's Story
I was in the US Marine Corps after High School (from September 1981 to June 1988).
- San Diego MCRD - 09/1981 to 11/1981
- Oceanside, California / Camp Pendleton - 12/1981 to 08/1984
(Was stationed with the 1st Force Service Support Group and the Joint Public Affairs Office)
- Okinawa, Japan (2 months during 1982 working on pre-positioned ships docked at Naha port)
- Okinawa, Japan - 09/1984 to 09/1985
(Misc. trips including South Korea for a military excercise during my Okinawa excursion)
I re-enlisted in 1985.
Met my first wife in Okinawa, got married when I came back to the States.
- San Clemente, California - 09/1985 to 06/1988
(Was stationed with the School Of Infantry)
My 2 children were born in California (Brandie in Mission Viejo and Shane in Carlsbad).
I was honorably discharged (and luckily, saw no action during my almost 7 years in...... and only went to the funerals of 2 fellow Marines killed in non combat situations so I was very lucky).
Moved back to Algonquin, Ill. and joined the family limo service (Nordic Limo) - 06/1988
Marriage fell apart after that (did I mention she was a former "Woman Marine"?) and my ex moved back to Seattle with the children. I tried to salvage Marriage by dropping everything (ex's ruse for me to establish residency there for 30 days). She kicked me out, filed for Public Aid, and I came back to Algonquin, Ill. only to see my parents marriage fall apart along with the family business. I met my 2nd wife during this period (fellow Crown Alum Penny Ruppert - Class of '82).
The ex then filed for divorce in Seattle (ensuring my financial doom for the following 23 years... which continues to date).
I went to work at Metlife in Group LTD claims as an analyst (and married Penny in 1991 afte...Expand for more
r my divorce was final). Inherited responsibility for 2 children in the process (one specifically a special needs child who still to this day makes me glad I am alive). Penny was injured at work 3 months into the marriage and the employer (JJ Finnigans at Springhill Mall) didn't have Workers Comp causing financial / medical strife for the next 7 years. We survived on my creating side work assembling/configuring computers, fixing cars, having many garage/yard sales. Spent 1991 to 1999 living in Elgin in a ratty apartment complex while ex was draining blood from our financial stone (my family and I drove cross country twice a year for summer visitation... long story).
Changed vocations and started doing I.T. work (and worked for Metlife, Motorola, Entex/Siemens).
Penny was shot in 2001 (at JB's pub) and it was touch and go for a while.
Note: She was having surgery on her left arm the morning of 9/11. I watched the towers go down on TV while worrying about her surviving anesthesia and the operation.... and had to tell her the world changed while she was under. After over 2 years of physical therapy, she has the ability to use her left hand again, but remains on disability (she is a trooper and is the love of my life).
We have been married for 20 years now and are doing great. We bought our first house in 2005 and are still hanging in there keeping up on the payments. All 4 children have Graduated High School (with Travis being in a special needs program until Age 21).
We now have a grandson also (Konnor Reid Andersen - born 12/02/2007 to our daughter Brandie) and a Grandaughter (Camryn Andersen) just born a couple of months ago.
I am a Systems Admin Director at my present company.
**I will edit / add more as I go along.**
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