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Today's Featured Biography

 
Ronald Kindschi

In 1958 Bessie Johnson told me I would never amount to anything if I did not pay attention in her class. Well, I didn’t. Consequently I have spent my life on the street begging and living in a shipping crate to ensure Bessie’s prediction would not be wrong. The bad news is that I was too good at begging and became a success at it so in order to continue not amounting to anything I had to give up begging and became an electronics engineer. I figgerd dat I dnt need ta no notin abut dat dar English spekin and writn stuff wernt evn nesisary ta design dem stuff I were desinin an makin em werk fer dem guys doin da re-serch dat did pay attentn in Bessie’s clas. Not only dat but I ain’t gonna stop sayin ain’t no matr what I’m told Bessie said bout dat (I wasn’t listening).

Having dealt with Bessie’s induced handicap, I nevertheless somehow talked Donna Leister (PdS class of ‘59 struggling in the looming shadow of the preceding gifted class) into marrying me 44 years ago. We had two children, Mark and Janet. Today we have two granddaughters who are the smartest, most beautiful, talented, gifted, well mannered, (and other positive attributes) girls on the face of the earth (as determined by Nana & Papa). I worked for Nicolet Instruments in Madison for about 35 years and traveled to many countries for them as a technical support person. Donna accompanied me on many of these trips since they were being paid for by Nocolet. The later years of my career were spent designing high resolution microfocus industrial x-ray machines. Years passed until I once again found myself receiving funds without working. This time though, working folks are supplying my funds through FICA withholding. Yes, I retired. As is often the case today, the x-ray product line that I designed at Nicolet has had multiple corporate parents as companies are bought and sold. Each new company had no idea how I had designed them nor did the “tech kids” understand hardware. Tech kids today only think in software. Consequently, I have done consulting for these companies since retirement.

We had traded the shipping crate for a home in the country between Mt. Horeb and Verona, WI where we still live today. I still go out to the Kindschi farms whenever they need cheap help so the farmer boy part of me still lives on. And yes, I still have gone out to drive de-tasseling machines, although mechanized now, for those of you that remember those time. I have fond memories of you and those times in a hot dirty corn field. By the way, kids today will no longer do that job.

Now for the fun part. I became interested in flying in the early 80s and became a sail plane pilot (gliders). Because Wisconsin does not have ideal gliding conditions, I purchased a motor glider which is more practical in WI. I flew that ship for over twenty years. Last year I purchased a new light sport category aircraft that I fly today.

Believe whichever life scenario above you like. The important reality is that we have had a blessed life with few major difficulties and have enjoyed relatively good health even today in our late 60s. It is hard to comprehend the many ways in which God has gifted us. We put our trust in Him each day and look forward to whatever He has planned for us tomorrow. For we are told in Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose”.

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