What Fills My Hours: Right now I am restoring a 1957 Chevy Pickup Truck and I find that I used to get up at 6 am and get right to work in my pole barn shop that Ben Douglas built for me after my old one burnt down and destroyed all my motorbikes and antique vehicles. Now I find that I get up at 7 am or 10 am and get to work at Noon if I am lucky.
Family and Children: The best thing I have ever done is having my son John with Bonnie my first wife. John has two boys and a daughter. He is half owner in an engineering company they build roads and put in sewer and water lines. He has 16 employees a new Toyota Tundra and a big house. He’s an ADULT. He got a free ride at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology because of his basketball abilities-his education did not cost me one cent. I gave John a motorcycle I restored for his graduation. He and his family live in Rapid City South Dakota. My second wife Julie became a Doctor thanks to Cobb letting me restore a 64 ½ Mustang Convertible and a 1936 Dodge pickup Truck for him. Julie had two daughters who I am Proud to have been a father to and helped them on their way in life. Jodie has 4 boys they are all tall and smart- Doctors and lawyers and schoolteachers live in Waterloo. Angie has two girls and a boy, and she works for the Iowa Department of Transportation pushing papers. They have it all, but I am not too happy about their electric car…you know the kind you plug in the wall.
Recent Awards: Watching the Grateful Dead sing the National Anthem at the super bowl -they did it right no BS no fanfare just stood there and sang it like it was supposed to be sung!
After Central: I worked at a Buick Dealership in the Body shop fixing all types of vehicles damaged in accidents. After 4 years and graduating from Central in 1965 I went back to the body shop and was called an Auto Body Technician which is just a short name for: “Dumb Ass”. I never wanted to go to College my Mom had a hand full of boys and none of us when to college, so she wanted me to go- so off I went.
Phi Delta Tau Memories: I remember on Hell Night they asked us pledges to carry a cinder block back to the House after they dropped us off on the Railroad Tracks outside of town. After half an hour of taking turns carrying that heavy bitch, I was the one that came up with the idea of breaking it up so we could each carry a lighter load! That was my only major accomplishment while being a Phi Delt and attending CUI for 4-years! Thanks to John Cobb we formed a band and put on concerts and dances in Iowa as you Could not dance on Campus. The Phi Delts were the one saving grace to my college career that I didn’t want.
I had a mild stroke a year ago, but I can still play guitar as well as I used to while at Central. Fond Memories of Jamming with Rick Fairlamb, Tom Hetherington, George Smith, Rick Canfield, Ben Douglas and Ron Rinehart. All Good Boys and unlike Cobb they could carry a tune.
OK Cobb I will bring my guitar and may not use is as I doubt many there will remember Buddy Holly or the Beachboys. Looking forward to seeing everyone! Tom