Have you lived in other places besides Lynden?
Yes, I was born in South Dakota and grew up on a dairy farm on the Pole Road in Lynden. I lived in Montana for a while and Everson, too.
What industry did you retire from?
I worked at Alcoa Intalco Works in Ferndale for 37 1/2 years. It was awesome. I was the 120th person to be hired there; I started out as low as you can get and worked my way up. I was a millwright, a foreman and later a master mechanic. It wasn’t that I knew all that much, I just knew people who did. I liked the job though; I had a lot of responsibility.
What was your favorite thing about the work you did?
Well, I got to go to France and Germany for a few weeks for my job at Intalco. A co-worker and I were sent there to see how things were operated overseas. I was a maintenance mechanic at the time; it was fun.
What is one thing that you have been most proud of in your life?
My children and how successful they are. I have two boys and three girls. I am thankful for them.
What kind of hobbies did you used to have?
I raised tropical fish! One day I read about how to raise angel fish in a magazine, so I decided to try it. I raised tropical birds, too. They were native to Australia. I did it just for the curiosity of it.
I also did woodworking in a shop that I had at my place. I used the shop to work on cars as well. I had a ’56 Ford pickup. I learned how to do certain projects on cars by reading magazines.
What kind of hobbies do you have now?
I do artwork now. I tried watercolor painting in the recreation room here for the first time with some other ladies and guys, and now I have my own art station in my room. I do watercolor painting and colored pencil drawings quite often.
What is one life lesson that you learned from your parents?
Find a good mate and stay with them. My parents were together for 70-some years. My wife Helen and I have been together since 1962.
What is one piece of advice that you would give a 16-year-old person?
Stay out of trouble. Get a good job and stick with it.
What is a challenge you have overcome in your life?
I would say being raised on a farm was a great challenge, because it was hard work.
What is a favorite memory that you have?
My parents drove from Montana to Lynden to start a farm when I was young. They moved because of the depression. My dad drove a truck during that move, and there was a goat in the back of it. When my brother or I were hungry, he would pull over to the side of the road and my mom would milk it and give us the milk to drink.
What is one thing that you like about living at CHCC?
I like the consistent care that we get here.