My family consisted of six brothers and one sister, who all preceded me in death.
Ray was the oldest of the boys and was the first to die at age 60 in early January of 1982. He died suddenly in the elevator at the University of Minnesota in Mankato where he worked. He married Helen Ernst and was a hard working father of four children.
Brother Carlyle died in September of 1991 shortly after his retirement at the age of 65. He was married to Esther Bohn and had one natural born daughter and two adopted sons. He so looked forward to retirement, but was not given that opportunity.
Quentin died in early April, 1998. Quintin was married to Goldie Fast and they had one adopted daughter. He battled cancer for 13 years and enjoyed a final visit with his extended family the weekend before he died.
One of the twins, Lowell, died June 1, 2001, at his home at Kidron Bethel Retirement home in North Newton. The majority of his working years were spent in Denver, Colorado, following his 1-W alternative service. He spent many hours at the piano of various places for appreciative audiences.
Sister Doris, the oldest of the siblings, died following a short illness in early February of 2005. She was married to Sam Kaufman and they had one son. She was a loving homemaker for her family for many years.
Brother Roy died in January, 2012, following heart surgery. He married Florence Cramolini and they never had children. He graduated from the University of Minnesota and Dunwoody Institute in Minneapolis. He was trained as a machinist and tool and die maker, and turned out many intricate, detailed things during his years as an instructor at Dunwoody.
Leslie, the other twin, passed away in 2018 following a fall and brain bleed. He married Ellen Stucky and they had two sons. He graduated from Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas, and sang at many occasions. He was a school teacher, creative writer of poetry, woodworker, and friend of many.
I have many good memories of these seven siblings who had varied abilities and talents.
