Today's Featured Biography

 
Danny Stark

Abridged because of lack of memory(mine).
Names omitted to protect the innocent.

After graduation, I worked at IGA in Paducah and attended PJC. Grades were not so good, and I blame it on my choice of major: "Dating every girl in Western Kentucky".

Early 1962 until Christmas, worked for Kroger in produce dept. at the Government Employs Mart. If not the first, one of the first big box stores. GEM was everything under the same roof and you had to have a card to get in.

1963 started with my return to Metropolis, PJC and worked at the hospital in the office in the evening. So I was home for the train trip to Champaign and the Trojans appearance in the state tournament. The Assembly Hall was new and this was the first high school tournament held in the hall. Gary Quint scored the first field goal in the hall(GO! Trojans) but the rest is history. On the trip home, someone kept turning off the lights in the train car(I don't know who, honest).

Joined the Air Force in Aug.63. Got some pretty good medical training as a surgical tech and spent five years in a foreign culture. Carswell AFB, Ft. Worth, TX. After some time, I did learn to wear boots, chew tobacco, and use the term "fixin'" in a sentence. The fifth year was in reserves and I went to TCU.

In 1968 I was hired by 3M-Riker Labs as a Professional Rep. on the north shore of Chicago. 1970, the company expanded to East Central IL, they thought I should be the one because "I talked like they do." So I relocated to Champaign and began to cover 19 counties. I just didn't like all the driving. Some areas only had one-two doctors and you drove two hours to get there. The romance ended!

1972 found me in Springfield, IL. hired by Kroger as an asst. store manager. Met my wife Sandy and we were married on a bright sunny Saturday afternoon in late October. Sunny when we went in, but when we came out of the church, it had clouded over. Omen?

1973 brought a letter from the VA informing me I only had a couple of years left to use or lose my GI bill. Back to the classroom. Sandy was the newspaper librarian for the State Historical Library. Salary, GI bill and my stipend from the hospital and we got by, even though we were blessed with another mouth to feed, our daughter in July of '74.

1976 I was graduated from Lincoln Land Comm. College, passed my boards, got my state lic. and was hired by St. Johns Hospital as a registered Nuclear Medicine Technologist.

2010 I retired to a part time job and and the end came in May 2011. Sandy retired as
Asst.Director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. Our Daughter, Amy, came back after her husband deserted the family, so we are heavily involved with our three grandchildren. We don't have a lot of free time.

Sandy is a prolific reader and does some craft work. I follow the St. Louis Cardinals and the Fighting Illini. My passion is studying scripture. I do some teaching and speak at various home groups. I love writing with fountain pens and have a large collection of vintage pens that I have restored. I spend much time, warmer days, in the car, top down, taking pictures. I like old barns, bridges, wild life.

Aren't you glad this is abridged? I really believe we grew up in the best of times. Although it didn't seem like it, it was a simpler time. People didn't drift so far apart. Would love to hear from any and all. I pray GODs blessings on all, as HE has certainly been generous with me.

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