Tom Obert: Log cabin retiree

Someone asked Tom Obert to get to work and organize a class reunion, now that he's retired and living in Alex. He's so grateful to the Trailboss for taking him off the hook he quickly complied with requests to supply some info for the roundup web site. His story follows. Enjoy. -- Trailboss

I'm retired. For three years now - after thirty years in the Federal bureaucracy (D.C. government, army, Department of Labor). We retired back to Alex because after having visited all 50 states (a nebulous achievement to be sure, but it was on the list) it seemed to be as good a place as any. Besides, it was home.

We always wanted to build a log home on a lake (well, actually on the shoreline of a lake) - so we did, on Lake Darling. I did the whole residence thing backasswards - spent my working career living in apartments and condominiums, and then retired to a big house with a big yard with big maintenance. It remains to be seen how long I will be willing to mow grass and shovel snow.

I have no kids but am considering cloning. My wife, Ruth, has two children, Jami and Rob, but they were both young adults at the time we met so I was able to avoid those messy diaper and hormonal stages of child rearing. Jami has a ten-year old son, Tommy, who comes up from Indiana every summer to visit his grandma and grandpa.

We have yet to become snowbirds. In winter, we shovel snow, ice skate at the hockey arena, go to plays at AAAA and concerts at the JHS gym (would all alumni please help push for a new high school?), and go to high school basketball and hockey games (the girls team went to the state tournament last year and had a little 8-grader who was so spectacular you couldn't take your eyes off her when she was on the ice). In summer, we mow grass, golf, host family and old friends from "out East," and pontoon (weather permitting, which has been seldom).

Golf has re-introduced me to some of our teachers, with whom I play in various "old man" leagues (which must make them feel good) - Dick Greengo, Bob Rader, and Gary Woodward. I try to visit Dave Dziuk in Knute Nelson whenever I can - he still loves to discuss politics. Speaking of politics, Ruthie, though a native Hoosier, has already become secretary for the Douglas County DFL party. And through party politics, we have become friends with Bill and Anne Riggs - Anne, for reasons inexplicable to me, runs marathons.

Ruth and I met while skinny dipping - in a condominium pool at two in the morning after an appropriately named "get to know your neighbors" wine (which explains the subsequent activities) and cheese party. True story. I would not, however, recommend scaling 8-foot high chain-link fences in the middle of the night when you are over 40. It was shortly thereafter that we were "adopted" by a wee kitty who found us on a late evening walk - 16 years later Woody remains a steadfast member of the household. Ruth and I married on Valentines Day, 2001 - I lasted until I was 53 (I better be careful here, Ruth is proofreading). Ruth retired from the Air Force in May, 2001 and moved to Alex (she lived with my mom who moved back to Alex in 1988) to oversee house construction; I retired and moved back in August - on 9/11 the plane hit the Pentagon, one wing over from where Ruth worked.

We have maintained contact over the years with classmates Kathy (Sherry) Skadsberg, Greg Johnson, and Tom Kiehne. And recently with Russ (and Jean (Alberg)) Bey, who has a new home on the other side of Lake Darling from us. I ran into Mike Geiser on the golf course this summer (we both survived the collision). I look forward to seeing the rest of the class next summer - are we required to diet until then?

Tom Obert