After
graduating from high school, I attended St. Cloud State for one semester…then returned
to the farm to work with my father. I
drove milk truck for Millerville Creamery from 1958 to 1961. I worked with Roy Strom, driving gravel
truck, school bus and cattle truck. I bought my first truck in 1967, driving for Roy. In
1968 Kenny Schjei took over the Strom Trucking business and I worked for
him.
Soon after I started
hauling groceries for Ludke and Company out of Alexandria, with a back haul of
recycle paper and cardboard boxes for Huschke of Alex. I continued hauling groceries until
retirement in 2001, having several truckers hauling through me. I continued the bookkeeping end of the
business until the summer of 2012.
I married one
of the Strom girls in September 1964 (I think Roy got a good deal but so did I). We had children for three decades: Jay in 1969, Jeremy in 1974, Joshua in 1980
and Jacob in 1982. Weddings began in
October 2003, and continued on to September 2004, February 2005 and October
2006.
Then the
grandchildren came in groups: January
10, March 28 & 30, 2006. February 18
& 21 and April 14, 2008. February 7
& June 16, 2010. Eight grandchildren
in 4-1/2 years. They all live in the
metro area and our travels are to and from their homes to care for them
whenever needed.
In 2004, I
was asked to haul gravel and dirt for Brethorst Excavating of Brandon. I witnessed the accidental death of our young
boss on September 17, 2010 on the job site.
Later I worked for Mark Boesl of Millerville also hauling gravel and
dirt locally, which I will continue to do as he needs an extra driver.
In the early
80’s I was instrumental in organizing softball leagues in Brandon. We got some negative feedback in the local
newspaper when we cut down a grove of trees to landscape four new softball
fields.
I sang with the Gospel
Messengers, also in the early 80’s, a group from our Chippewa Lutheran Church, started
by Dave and Diann Thompson. We sang in
many churches in the area and we traveled some, mostly on Sunday’s for a
morning or evening service.
Duane Johnson, Jerry Klein, Diann & Dave
Thompson,
Marcia Larson Bolin & David Klukken
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