Have you lived in other places besides Lynden?
Sure, I was born in Mountain Lake, Minnesota, in Cottonwood County. Lived there until I was 11 years old, and that’s when my family moved out to Blaine. I’ve lived in Washington ever since. Washington is much better than Minnesota — it’s so hot in the summer there, and so cold in the winter. Otherwise, Minnesota is fine; we had all our relatives who lived there.
What was your first job?
Working at Alaska Packers in Blaine, keeping the can lines stocked with empty cans. They were known for canning lots of salmon.
What other types of work did you do before retiring?
Oh, let’s see. I worked in a dry-cleaning place for less than a year — worst job I’ve ever had! If I would’ve stayed there, I don’t know what would have happened to me. Then, I hardly had a day in between, I got a job in Ferndale at a grocery store called Farmer’s Market. I was in charge of the produce department. Then, I went to Walton Beverage and drove a delivery truck all over the place. I went from Ferndale to Lynden to Birch Bay to around Lake Whatcom.
What was your favorite thing about the work you did?
My favorite thing was the people I interacted with. Along the Lake Whatcom route, I had stops delivering pop at all kinds of mom-and-pop shops, and they were the best people. I stayed at Walton Beverage for 32 years, retiring in 1999. Pop consumption kept going up and up and up. It went from glass bottles to cans, and then they started making non-returnable bottles. People didn’t like those as much because the taste wasn’t as good as a glass bottle.
What is one thing that you have been most proud of in your life?
I told the Lord the night of our 64th anniversary, “You couldn’t have given me a better woman. She’s the best thing to ever happen to me.” Some people drift apart when their kids leave the house and so on, but not us! If anything, we’re even closer.
What is the hardest thing that you’ve lived through, and how did you get through it?
Well, I could say this one thing, and that was our first year of marriage. What made it so hard was our first born was on June 24, 1959, and we were married on June 27, 1958. Our son still makes a joke out of that — says he was born before we were even married! Anyway, Mary went into labor for several hours and all of a sudden, it stopped. His head was stuck on her pelvic bone, so Mary had to get a caesarian. The doctor said the chances were not good; our baby had jaundice and pressure on his head. But Roger was born and held overnight for observation.
This was on a Wednesday night, when churches were still holding hours during the evening. Someone called the church, and a lot of people prayed that night. Dr. James came to see us the next morning and said, “Is this the same child I saw last night?” The nurse said, “Yes.” “I can’t believe how much that child has improved!” A lot of prayers were answered, and he was a normal child. So, that night was the hardest thing I’ve lived through. It still makes me teary.
What was your favorite decade to live in, and why?
My favorite decade was the ’70s and ’80s. I did a lot of hiking. I had a good friend, and we would always hike together (which I recommend; don’t go into the woods alone!). We went in the Mt. Baker area, and sometimes my son-in-law would tag along. We loved going to Foss River, too, which is off Highway 2, just before going into Stevens Pass.
Who is your favorite author or musician?
Well, me and my wife love gospel music, so I’d say my favorite musician is Bill and Gloria Gather. My favorite author is Max Lucado.
Do you have a favorite song, inspirational quote or Bible verse?
Probably be Matthew 6:33: “But seek you first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.”
What is one life lesson that you learned from your parents?
Especially from my dad, I learned to live a very honest life. He was known as Honest Abe. When he did something, he did it well. He did it good the first time, so he didn’t have to go back around again. My dad also taught me how to find a job: ask for an application and check in once a week until they get tired of you!
What is one piece of advice that you would give a 16-year-old person?
16-year-olds are getting ready to spread their wings and exercise their freedom. That’s the age we lose a lot of young people — we don’t have enough church classes, so they drop out of the church and go their wild ways. You’ve got to keep your life clean and stay in touch with the church and read God’s Word, because that’s the map for life.
What is one thing most people don’t know about you, but you wish they did?
I’m a photographer. I took over 11,000 slides back in my day. I would take pictures of beautiful scenery and of the outdoors and flowers.
What is one thing that you like about living at CHCC?
One thing: the care is absolutely excellent. The activities are very enjoyable, and I’m glad there are so many activities available to us.