by Rick Davis - This Incredible Adventure Called Life

This Incredible Adventure Called Life

by Rick Davis

Table Of Contents

NEVER GIVE UP, NEVER SURRRENDER!!!

The Blessing!

Our Ancestors - Becherer, Schaeffer, Davis And Wendaheck Families

The Dick And Dolly Davis Family

My Siblings

My Nieces And Nephews

My 6 Incredible Children

My Wonderful Grandchildren

111

My Cousins And Best Friends!

126

10. Work History Part 1

145

11. Work History Part 2

159

12. I Guess I'm Pretty Hard To Kill

173

13. Heaven's Special Children, Inc.

188

14. From My Book "Get The Most Money For Your Real Estate Investments"

199

15. Other Books That I Have Written

209

16. My Hobbies And Greatest Adventures!

216

17. The Future's So Bright You'll Have To Wear Shades

238

18. My Beautiful Lady Anne, My Lady, My Love!

258

19. To Sum It All Up!

292

CHAPTER 1 NEVER GIVE UP, NEVER SURRRENDER!!!

I am honored to have the opportunity to write this book, my autobiography. The idea came from Gina and Jacob Johnson, my incredible daughter and son-in-law. I hope you can enjoy reading about my adventures, I sure have enjoyed living them.

Life is filled with ups and downs. I'll try not to mention too many negative things in this book. Negative things happen to everybody. Fact is, I've lived my life by trying not to remember the negative things that have happened to me. Definitely a better way to live and enjoy your life. More than anything I write this book for my great, great grandchildren, better than just a tombstone. My website is AutobiobraphyOfRickDavis.com that

has a million family pictures.

Chapter one includes my bucket list and an overview of my life’s philosophies and finally my favorite quotes. As an example, from the movie Brave Heart, William Wallace says "Everyone dies but not everyone really lives". I say make sure you really live your life and if I die before you do, I'll go to heaven and wait for you. Don't forget - Life is not measured by the number of breaths that you take but by the times that life takes your breath away!

Below is a summary of things that I have done so far and the best is yet to come. Some would call it a bucket list. A long time ago I started writing down the “100 Things I Want to do Before I Die”. Note that there over 250 things on the list now. When I blew through the first 100 I just kept going, like Forest Gump said, "just keep running".

My favorite sound is recess at an elementary school My favorite smell is bread baking

"100 Things I want to do before I die" by rick davis

(X) Jump out of an airplane (X) Free-fall before pulling the rip cord

(X) Made my 10th skydive this year, 49 years between jumps, I made the highest jump in the United States at 3.4 miles high ( ) Fly to the moon or Mars with Elon (X) Visit the Wright Brothers first flight site at Kitty Hawk, NC (X) Ride a horse, chapter 13 has pictures of our therapy horses (X) Go on an overnight horseback camping trip (X) Ride a bucking bronco (and not get killed) (X) Ride a real race horse (and not get killed) ( ) Ride a bull (and not get killed) (X) Ride an elephant (X) Ride a camel (X) Go snorkeling in the Bahamas, Florida, Hawaii (X) Take scuba diving lessons (X) Dive to an old ship wreck (X) GO CAVE DIVING - Scariest thing I've ever done! (X) Dive 100 feet deep into underwater caves (X) Swing on a rope swing into the water ( ) Swim with real Dolphins (or sharks) (X) Take a ride in the Everglades on an air-boat (X) See a wild alligator up close ( ) Touch a wild alligator – bad idea (X) Go golfing (X) Go out for the high school golf team and make the team (X) Make a birdie, lots of them (X) Make an eagle (par 5, 4th hole at Needwood) ( ) Make a hole in one (X) Play golf in my bare feet on the soft warm grass (X) Play 54 holes a day, every day, all summer long (The summer 1970 with Jeff Allig and Steve Cymbalski) (X) Join the Boy Scouts (X) Make Order of the Arrow

(X) Become an Eagle Scout (X) Paddle a canoe - tip it over on purpose

(X) Take dozens of overnight canoe/camping trips (X) Go canoeing while it's snowing & don't tip over (X) Go canoeing while it's snowing & do tip over - Brrrr (X) Paddle up the wild flooded Kaskaskia River and portage our canoe over a huge dam. Water Moccasins in the water! (X) Go see & enjoy the Hoover Dam & swim in Lake Mead (X) Visit Las Vegas with Ray, Gregg and Tommy (X) See the Grand Canyon (X) Walk down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon (X) Walk back out, crawl the last mile as necessary (X) Co-Chair the Montgomery County Special Olympics (X) Receive the "Outstanding Young Men of America" Award from the Jaycees (X) Visit a real ghost town in New Mexico, middle of no where ( ) Take a ghost tour in Gettysburg - this year with Guide Jay! (X) Visit New Orleans when I was 18, took Gabriel to New Orleans when he turned 18 (X) Enjoy a Mint Julep in the French Quarter (X) Watch Mr. Bo Jangles dance on Bourbon Street (X) Visit the Alamo (X) Go to Mexico, Ciudad Juarez (X) Go to Canada (X) Go to Hong Kong, China (X) Visit the Philippines (X) Go to the Caribbean & Virgin Islands (X) Go on a fabulous 14-day Caribbean cruise to 8 islands (X) Spend a night on Sunset Boulevard in L.A. (X) Spend 5 minutes in a cell on Alcatraz (X) See a Killer Whale (X) See a whale & a shark, wild and free in the ocean (X) Go snow skiing in Vermont, New Hampshire, Canada (X) Ride a gondola to the top of a mountain and then ski down through the clouds (X) Go off of a ski jump, only 5 feet high but real cool & real

scary (X) Go to Club Med for a week (X) Water ski with my father (X) Go deep sea fishing with my father (X) Go fishing in the Chesapeake Bay with my father ( ) Go fishing anywhere and actually catch something, I am the world's worst fisherman (X) Cook Thanksgiving every year with my mother (X) Sneak off to the local tavern for “soda” with my Grandpa (X) Listen to my Grandmother Birtha whistling with her birds (X) Go cross country camping in a pop-up camper with my family (X) Sleep on the dry river bed of the Red River in Texas, pray it doesn't rain upstream (X) Sleep on top of the cliffs of Grand Junction, Colorado, you can almost touch the stars (X) Go to the top of Pikes Peak (X) Swim in the Atlantic (X) Swim in the Pacific (X) Swim in the Gulf of Mexico (X) Swim at Waikiki Beach in Hawaii (X) Visit every one of the 48 continental states (X) Visit Alaska - June of this year! (X) Visit Hawaii - one week on each of the four big islands ( ) Aprenda como hablar a espanol. (X) Design a house from scratch (X) Build the house, build dozens of custom homes (X) Build a road, real public roads, four of them (X) Drive a bull dozer, backhoe, excavator, pan, loader (X) Drive a farm tractor (X) Buy my own farm tractor, with a plow & bush hog, loader (X) Drive a big dump truck ( ) Drive and back up an 18-wheeler, I suck at backing up (X) Ride the Superman roller coaster at Six Flags ( ) Fly a para-plane slowly over the beach ( ) Fly a hang glider at Kitty Hawk, NC - planned for 2024

(X) Play high school football (X) Be on a team that wins the County Championship - 1972 (X) Go to a Major League baseball game with my Dad (X) Go to a Major League baseball game with my brothers & Dad (X) Go to a Major League baseball game with my sons (X) Sit in the first row behind the dugout ( ) Catch a home run ball (I've got to stop ducking) (X) Get Mariano Rivera and A-Rod's autographs (X) Watch my kid sister speak in front of a large audience and knock em dead! (X) Give a motivational speech in front of 2,000 people (X) Shake hands & talk to a billionaire (X) Become a multi-millionaire (X) See Mt. Rushmore (X) See the St. Louis Arch (go up to the top) (X) See the Washington Monument (ditto) (X) See Harlem, SE Washington DC, West Virginia & the streets of Manilla and Tijuana (count my blessings every day) (X) Give to homeless people (X) Talk to homeless people, try to understand, then don't do what they do (X) Jump off of Grandpa Becherer's garage roof (X) Sit by the press box (X) Sit in the bleachers (X) Learn the feeling of getting the wind knocked out of you (X) Quit my job & take a month off to drive across the entire Country with Ray Barns, Gregg Fye and Tommy Conklin, my high school buddies (8,500 miles in one month) (X) Share every day of my life with my best friends – my Mother & Father, my children, grandchildren & my beautiful Anne! (X) Go on a National Jamboree with the Boy Scouts (X) Go on long hikes over huge mountains (14 miles, 20 miles, 28 miles at a time) (X) Go on camp outs in great weather where you can see

millions of stars (X) Go on camp outs when it was 5 degrees outside Brrrr, we sat by the campfire all night, too cold to sleep (X) Do it all with my father leading and teaching every step of the way. Enjoy & pass on "The Blessing" (X) Go to Yosemite National Park and see the giant Red Woods and Angel Falls (X) Go to Yellow Stone and see Old Faithful (X) See a wild bear up close (X) Ride a motorcycle, buy one, build a chopper (X) Take a camping trip up to Skyline Drive in the fall on my big four-cylinder Honda (X) Drive my Kawasaki dirt bike on an off-track course, survive the jumps (X) Watch my son Tony pitch against Florida State, LSU and Miami while playing for college baseballs best league, the SEC (X) Have dinner with the Epicurean Club with Raymond Pouget, enjoy a 9-course meal with a real French Chef (X) Swim the mile (X) See a show at Radio City Music Hall in the Big Apple Later see my friend’s Acapella quartet in Carnegie Hall (X) See some great Broadway shows in New York with Anne. Moulin Rouge, Aladdin, Music Man, Wicked, Hamilton (X) Visit New York City at Christmas, every year (X) Visit Williamsburg at Christmas ( ) See a Yankees game at Yankee Stadium (X) Go to a World Series game - Gibson vs McLean 1968 (X) Visit the Statue of Liberty (X) Have dinner at the top of the World Trade Center in NY, You were the greatest! We just visited the new WTC! (X) See the Barnum & Bailey Circus (X) Take 10-mile, 20-mile, 50-mile bicycle rides (X) Watch a Florida State vs Miami baseball game ( ) Be in the Barnum & Bailey Circus as the Strong Man! (X) Introduce the starting lineups for a college baseball game (X) Visit the Petrified Forest

(X) Visit the spot that the sun first touches the United States every day, the top of Mt Cadillac, Bar Harbor, ME (X) Watch a moon rise over the ocean from the top of Mt Cadillac, it comes up so fast! (X) Watch the sun set from the southernmost point in the US on the big island of Hawaii (X) Drive through the hottest spot in the US, Death Valley, it will melt your tires, it got two of mine (X) Take a tour of Cape Canaveral (X) Watch the launch of a space ship (X) Take a cruise with Anne from Boston to Nova Scotia down the Saint Lawrence River to Quebec and Montreal (X) Take Anne on a January two week, 8 island cruise through the Caribbean (X) We visited Puerto Rico, St Thomas, Key West, Cozumel (X) Took a week-long cruise to the Mexican Riviera (X) Spent a week with Anne, Sher, Harvey & Tana in a 3 BR penthouse. Slice of Heaven on the Mexican Riviera! (X) Visit the Florida Keys, twice (90 miles to Cuba) (X) Go to Disney World, 10 times (X) Go to Disneyland, once (X) Tour Hollywood (X) Live on the Chesapeake Bay and eat fresh caught crabs every day with my Cherry Wheat Sam Adams beer (X) Fall asleep in a canoe while floating on the bay (X) Run the electricity and phone lines down to the dock & work while sittin on the Dock on the Chesapeake Bay (X) Play Little League baseball ( ) Be good at playing baseball (X) Wrestle in High School (The Baby Owl was born) (X) Do the obstacle course at a real Army base ( ) Don't get hurt while doing it (X) Go hunting

(X) Go hunting with a real hunting dog (X) See a real fox and track him to his den (X) Try to hunt ground hogs with a bow and arrow

(X) Own a pontoon boat (X) Own a lumber yard (X) Build and live in a 10,000 sq ft mansion with 7 fire places (X) Live in Florida (X) Visit Central America – Guatemala and Mexico (X) Get my Florida General Contractor, Roofing, Real Estate, Mortgage Broker and Insurance Licenses (X) Build million-dollar homes (X) Own rental property, over 130 units (X) Own horses – Skipper my Quarter horse and Strawberry my pony (X) Build a hydroponic greenhouse w/ automated cooling fans (X) Grow organic hydroponic foods (X) Find and love the most fantastic girls in the universe!!! (X) Have a beautiful wedding right as the sunsets in the west (X) Take my beautiful lady Anne on a Honeymoon every year! (X) Honeymoon with Anne in Hawaii, one week each on the 4 big islands (X) Honeymoon with Anne in Italy (X) Honeymoon with Anne in the Mexican Riviera (X) Honeymoon with Anne in the Italian Riviera as the full moon rises in the east over the water. (X) Honeymoon overlooking the Miami skyline (X) Honeymoon at the Mayfair in Coral Gables

(X) Honeymoon with Anne in Las Vegas (X) Honeymoon with Anne in Boston

(X) Honeymoon with Anne in Nova Scotia Canada (X) Honeymoon with Anne in Quebec Canada (X) Honeymoon with Anne in Montreal Canada (X) Honeymoon with Anne in Venice Italy (X) Honeymoon with Anne in San Gimignano Italy

(X) Honeymoon with Anne in Sicily (X) Honeymoon with Anne in Rome (X) Honeymoon with Anne in Tuscany (X) Honeymoon with Anne in Florence (X) Honeymoon with Anne in Naples

(X) Honeymoon with Anne in Milan (X) Honeymoon with Anne at the tower of Pisa (X) Honeymoon with Anne in Amalfi (X) Honeymoon with Anne in Vatican City (X) Honeymoon with Anne in the Italian Alps (X) Honeymoon with Anne in Pompeii (X) Honeymoon with Anne in Key West (X) Honeymoon with Anne in St Thomas (X) Honeymoon with Anne in San Juan (X) Honeymoon with Anne in Cozumel

(X) Honeymoon with Anne in Aruba (X) Honeymoon with Anne in Alaska (X) Have children - lots of children (X) Daughters Angie, Gina & Asela

(X) Sons - Tony, Gabe and Mikey 1-2-3-4-5-6 (X) Adopt Asela and Gabriel and Michael (X) Unofficially adopt Robbie (X) See them all grow up successful, healthy & happy (X) Walk my daughter Angie down the aisle (X) Walk my daughter Gina down the aisle to Jacob ( ) Walk my daughter Asela down the aisle (X) Hold my grandchildren in my arms (Hello my sweet Cayla, TJ, Riley, Grant, Maddie, Ellie and Drew! (X) Start a Therapy Center for Handicapped Children www.HeavensSpecialChildren.org (X) See Tony throw a perfect game against a Nationally ranked HS team (X) See Tony play w/Florida Gators, started 5 games as a freshman! (X) See Tony get drafted and play Pro baseball, Twins & Blue Jays (X) See Tony pitch against Major Leaguers – spring training games (X) Take my son Tony to a World Series Game (X) Teach Gabriel how to play soccer (X) Drive cross country and teach Gabriel how to drive, we

drove over 6,000 miles (X) River raft on the Class 4 rapids of the Grand Canyon’s Colorado River (X) Rock climb at the Travertine Falls of the Grand Canyon (X) Take a helicopter ride thru the Grand Canyon (X) Tour Hover Dam (X) Visit Vegas and see a Cirque Du Soleil show (X) Go up the Vegas Eifel Tower and watch the Bellagio Fountains dance (X) Visit New Orleans when I was 19 & again Gabriel was 19 (X) Fly to Hawaii and visit all four big islands for one week each (X) Tour the Kilauea Volcano, steam still drafting into the air (X) Watch Justin dive from the cliffs at the Southern most point of the USA (X) Take a helicopter ride over the island of Kauai, Hawaii (X) Zip line down the sides of a Hawaiian mountain, 7 lines (X) Fly over the US's highest mountain Denali at 18,000 feet' (X) Skydive from 18,000' I should bring a parachute to Denali (X) Go mountain tubing through the caves of tropical Kauai (X) Enjoy the show at a Hawaiian Luau on Oahu Island (X) Snorkel at Waikiki Beach, Maui (X) Tour Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Battleship Memorial (X) Listen to Asela sing Silent Night in German to her Grandmother, Dolly Davis ( ) Teach Mikey to walk or get him some bionic legs (X) Take Anne to Hawaii, the Caribbean, Italy, Canada, Mexico ( ) Take Anne to all of the National Parks in the USA ( ) Take Anne to France, Spain, England, Greece (X) Take Anne on an Alaskan cruise & glass dome train ride across the Canadian Rockies (X) Live happily ever after with my incredible lady!

(X) Planning to live forever – so far so good! (X) Rejoice every day in the words of John 3:16

To all I say - What a great journey life can be, make sure you really live it.

I REPEAT - My favorite quote is from the movie Brave Heart when William Wallace says "Everyone dies but not everyone really lives." Don't forget - Life is not measured by the number of breaths that you take but by the times that life takes your breath away!

Don’t fear death – Fear the unlived life!

Control/click on the link below: www.AutobiographyofRickDavis.com

My favorite Quotes

"It’s not the genes, it’s the commitment you make.” Cardinals Coach Tony La Russa talking about Florida Gator David Eckstein, 2006 World Series MVP

"His velo was up and he attacked, We're going to have to have him late in games if we want to make any kind of run." Twins Coach Ray Smith talking about Elizabethton Twins reliever Tony Davis who had just retired eight consecutive Cardinal batters.

"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to

succeed is to always try one more time." Thomas A. Edison

You'll never know what you might accomplish until you try! That truth is so simple that some people completely overlook it. Rich DeVos "Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get." Dale Carnegie One of the most powerful forces in the world is the will of men and women who believe in themselves, who dare to hope and aim high, who go confidently after the things they want from life. Rich DeVos Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other. Abraham Lincoln, 1809-65 Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it. (Chinese Proverb) One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation. (Arthur Ashe) Success is the sum of small efforts--repeated day in and day out. (Robert Collier) To be successful you have to be a little selfish, or else you never achieve. Once you get to your highest level, then you have to be very unselfish. Stay reachable. Stay in touch. Don't isolate. (Michael Jordan) The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle. There is no substitute for hard work. (Thomas A. Edison)

If it is to be, then it's up to me. (Robert H. Schuller)

Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world (George Bernard Shaw) Before anything else, getting ready is the secret of success. (Henry Ford) Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there. (Will Rogers)

Nurture your mind with great thoughts. (Benjamin Disraeli)

As it is written, the just shall live by faith. Romans 1:17

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP!!! (Winston Churchill)

Reach for the stars! Every minute that you are not practicing just remember somebody, somewhere is practicing and when you meet them, they will win. Don't let that happen - get up - get busy! (Tony D) Every morning in Africa a lion wakes up, it knows that it must run faster than the slowest Gazelle or it will starve to death. Every morning in Africa a gazelle wakes up, it knows that it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be eaten. It doesn't matter if you are a lion or a gazelle, when the sun comes up, you better be running! I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it. (Thomas Jefferson) Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly. (Robert Kennedy) Some men see things as they are and say why? I dream things that never were and say "Why not?" (Robert Kennedy)

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. (Martin Luther King, Jr.) There's nothing remarkable about it. All one has to do is hit the right keys at the right time and the instrument plays itself. (Johann Sebastian Bach)

If you think education is expensive, try ignorance. (Derek Bok)

Too many people are thinking of security instead of opportunity. They seem more afraid of life than death. (James F. Byrnes)

If you can imagine it, You can achieve it. If you can dream it, You can become it. (William Arthur Ward)

Boldness be my friend. (William Shakespeare)

All right everyone, line up alphabetically according to your height. (Casey Stengel)

Practice is the best of all instructors. (Publilius Syrus)

Fortune favors the brave. (Terence)

Be true to your work, your word, and your friends. (Henry David Thoreau)

Dreams are the touchstones of our character. (Henry David Thoreau)

If you want to be happy, be. (Leo Tolstoy)

It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit. (Harry S. Truman) The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them. (Mark Twain) Always do right- this will gratify some and astonish the rest. (Mark Twain) Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain -- and most fools do. (Dale Carnegie)

History will be kind to me for I intend to write it. (Winston Churchill)

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. (Winston Churchill) Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth. (Mohammed Ali) Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs. (Henry Ford) Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right. (Henry Ford)

Well done is better than well said. (Benjamin Franklin)

Diligence is the mother of good luck. (Benjamin Franklin)

I took the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. (Robert Frost)

Live as if your were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. (Mahatma Gandhi) Don't be afraid to take a big step. You can't cross a chasm in two small jumps. (David Lloyd George)

Plunge boldly into the thick of life! (Goethe)

Never mistake motion for action. (Ernest Hemingway)

No one ever gets far unless he accomplishes the impossible at least once a day. (Elbert Hubbard) We can do anything we want to if we stick to it long enough. (Helen Keller) Lack of will power has caused more failure than lack of intelligence or ability. (Flower A. Newhouse) Every day I get up and look through the Forbes list of the richest people in America. If I'm not there, I go to work. (Robert Orben)

If a man does his best, what else is there? (General Patton)

The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing. (John Powell) The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. (Eleanor Roosevelt)

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. (Franklin Delano Roosevelt)

With self-discipline most anything is possible.

(Theodore Roosevelt)

Seven days without laughter makes one weak. (Mort Walker)

Do, or do not. There is no 'try'. (Yoda)

All that you accomplish or fail to accomplish with your life is the direct results of your thoughts. (James Allen) How much of your talent is being wasted for want of a little boldness? (Drs. Rusk & Read) Without goals and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination. (Dr. F. Dodson) No matter how careful you plan your goals they will never be more than pipe dreams unless you pursue them with gusto. (W. Clement Stone) Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy. (Dr. Wayne W. Dyer) The quality of your work, in the long run, is the deciding factor on how much your services are valued by the world. (Orison Sweet Marden)

Living on Earth is

expensive, but it does include a free trip around the sun every year! Birthdays are good for you, the more you have, the longer you live.

Quotes added on 11/18/01 b n 11/18/01 by Grandpa Dick Davis

Ever notice that the people who are late are often much jollier than the people who have to wait for them?

Most of us go to our grave with our music still inside of us

You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.

Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened.

A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

CHAPTER 2 The Blessing!

This chapter will concentrate on my mother and father. Richard E. Davis, my father, my leader, my friend and Bertina Louise Davis, my mother, my guide, my friend.

Together they were known as Dick and Dolly! Love it!

Dad was a pussy cat Mom was a tiger

Dad’s career path was with the Air Force and ATT. Mom worked for the Montgomery County Public Schools and then worked with Vitro, building nuclear submarines.

Dad was born in the Bronx and grew up in Danbury, CT. He was an only child living in the woods right across from Lake Candlewood. He told me that in the winter the lake would freeze and he would jump across the melted area by the shoreline to get out on the ice. The only pet that dad ever talked about to me was his pet crow named Jet, he used to follow him everywhere! Dad told me he started as a line man for AT&T, climbing telephone poles. I know he eventually worked his way up to become the President of his local union in St. Louis, Missouri. He was an active member of the Toastmasters which taught him how master the art of speaking in public. Again, he worked his way up to become President, this time of the Belleville Toastmasters Club. He got his college degree by studying nights and weekends at Southern Illinois University. There were no online classes back then so he had to drive to school. He was promoted into a management position in the Belleville office where he traveled a lot during his job. He was employed by the Long Lines division of AT&T and worked with the military at Scott Air Force Base and with NORAD deep under the mountains of Colorado. His division’s duty was to keep military and government communications alive in the event of World War Three. With mom we spent our summers at the Officers Club pool at Scott AFB and about once a month we had a fancy dinner at the officer’s club where we drank Shirley Temples. In 1969 Dad was transferred to AT&T’s Washington DC office on L St, not far from the White House. He carpooled to work

every day, the Metro subway wasn’t even built yet, Metro opened in the late 70’s. 1969 was a life changing period for me, it was great! I have an entire chapter later in the book that is just about 1969 and everything that changed for me. In 1984 Ma Bell was divided into seven “Baby Bells” Dad assumed new responsibilities and moved into building construction and management as a facilities site director of AT&T’s data centers. Memories from my youngest brother, Jeff: “Not sure what year it was but dad was responsible for the retrofit of an office building he turned into a data center in Vienna VA on Chainbridge Rd. and the migration from the Washington DC site to the new site in Vienna. I later worked at this location which is where Cris and I met and she fell in love with me. He later started a data center in Silver Spring MD which is where he and I worked in the same building for about 18 months. This was his last location before retiring in 87. Dad was well respected by other managers and the union workers I talked to and all thought he was a good manager, friendly and “extremely fair”. I truly enjoyed visiting with him in his big office every so often when I would get off work at 0800. He was always encouraging and gently pushing me to work hard, get along and learn the latest technology so could advance. He opened the door for me at ATT when we was just 19 looking for a summer job but I stayed there 15 years, they paid for my degree, I met my wife there and the data center business became my career. I can’t begin to express my gratitude. I’m so proud I became a facilities site director like my dad and brother.

Comments about dad’s career from my little sister Sherrie:

“I remember dad being President of Toastmasters. He would supply me with books to read when I was in HS and a box of Earl Nightingale quotes on cards. He was responsible for me becoming comfortable in public speaking which took me to speaking engagements from Michigan to Texas. Small audiences to an audience of 8000. (also learned to stop talking before they stop listening. I have a wall of books and wish I had more time to re-read most of them. Dad had an old real to real tape recorder that he used to play motivational speeches and lessons.” Mom worked several positions as she raised the four of us. She worked at a clothing store in Belleville called Smalls. She always spoke highly of the owners and loved working there. Later, after Jeff went off to school mom started working for Vitro Corp., a Rockville, MD defense contractor that designed nuclear submarines. Vitro had 2,200 employees and once again mom loved her job. Mom had three brothers, Clete, Norm and Ardie Becherer. I have an entire chapter on the Becherer family. Dad was an only child. He joined the Air Force at the age of 17, he had to get his parents approval signature because he was too young to enlist. He served during the period of the Korean conflict but they kept him stationed at Scott Air Force Base for his entire five-year tour of duty. He left the service with 4 stripes as a Staff Sargent. In the summer of 1952, he met Bertina Louise Becherer at the Belleville swimming pool, the rest is history. Mom graduated from Notre Dame High School in June of 1952 and then on October 8, 1952 Dick and Dolly were married.

Dad was out of the service and went directly to AT&T where he would work his entire career. They lived behind Grandma and Grandpa (Bapa) in a converted one-bedroom former garage. The “little house” as we all called it was the starter home for seven different Becherer families as they started out in their newly wed lives. How romantic! Every one of the Becherer brothers built their own house including Dick and Dolly at 215 Clearview Drive. Nice three bedroom with an unfinished basement that we eventually finished off. No central air conditioning. What I remember the most was the big backyard with a swing set and huge sandbox. We walked to a Catholic school, Queen of Peace. It was about one mile each way and to me it always felt like it was downhill both ways. Great place to grow up, safe and peaceful with lots of activities. I got involved in and loved the Boy Scouts. The road to Eagle Scout was a fantastic journey. Fun, challenging, filled with adventure. A time of learning!

The best part of Boy Scouts was that my father came with us on almost every campout, hike and canoe trip. It truly was a blessing to spend so much time with him, incredible memories!

Below is Dad, Tony and Gabriel in the handicapped accessible Pirate Ship Tree House that I designed and built for our therapy center, Heaven's Special Children, Inc.

CHAPTER 3 Our Ancestors - Becherer, Schaeffer, Davis and Wendaheck Families This chapter will focus on our Grand Parents.

Becherer's Tavern, the Ridge Prairie Saloon

From the right, Grandma Dot, Grandpa Richard and Dad

My Uncle Norn, Uncle Ardie, Grandpa (Bappa), Birtha, my Mother Bertina (Dolly) & Uncle Cletus

Grandpa and Grandma Becherer's Wedding Day!

Grandpa and Grandma Becherer's 50t r's 50th Anniversary!!

Masters family Strong Man in the Circus, he looks like me!

Great Grandparents Anthony & Geneva Davis in 1945 s in 1945

Uncle Norm, Uncle Art, Father Ken, Dad with Sherrie.

Grandma and Grandpa Becherer, Danny and Mrs. Franke

Mom loved to host fabulous holiday dinners! 31

Bertina (mom), Uncle Ardie and Uncle Clet just back from serving in Europe under General George Patton in WWII n in WWII

Anne's father John was a WWII A s a WWII Army Air Corps B-17 Bombardier shot down over Germany and spent two years in a

German prisoner of war camp, tough man. My father Richard served during the Korean Conflict stationed at Scott Air Force Base then later with AT&T at NORAD

No idea who these people are but I love this picture!

CHAPTER 4 The Dick and Dolly Davis Family

Relaxing at the Bay House!

Mom and Dad at their 50t ir 50th Anniversary Celebration!

LETTERS BELOW ARE FOR MY 60t R MY 60th BIRTHDAY

Above from my sister Sherrie

Scott below

Jeff

My 7 Grandchildren - (see chapter 8) Cayla, TJ, Riley, Grant, Maddie, Ellie and Drew

My Kids - (see chapter 7) Angie my poet!

Tony above on my 60th birthday and the next page was on Father's Day. Below warming up with Mauer!

Nieces and Nephews - (see chapter 6)

Sherrie's Kids Christine Brent Candace Scott's Kids Devon Blake

Jeff's Kids Rickey

Alec John Maria Jesse

Grandpa with the Great Grandchildren!

Grandpa with his boys!

Anne's note to celebrate my 60th birthday!

CHAPTER 5 My Siblings

Scott, Rick, Cousin Dan, Sherrie, Jeff

Sherrie

Nina, Sherrie, Candace and Christine

In Sherrie's Own Words I, Sherrie Lynn, am the only daughter to my mom, Bertina, and my dad Richard. Although I always wished for a sister, I was given three of the most amazing brothers any girl could have. They each have their strengths and talents. They humble me. I appreciate their heart, compassion, and love of family more than anything. Our mom and dad were very young parents. I was born just 12 months and 14 days after my older brother, Rick. Mom was just shy of 21 years of age. Dad was not yet 25. I think they decided to slow the pace after two babies in less than two years, so waited 5 years before my brother Scott was born. Jeff was everyone's favorite being the baby was born 10 years after me. Rick and I being so close in age were best friends from the time we were toddlers through our high school years. He has always been there for me. And will be the first one to pick up the phone to call me just to see how I am doing. He is much more adventurous than myself. Wish I had more of that characteristic but it was probably easier for mom and dad not to have two of us to worry about riding motorcycles or jumping out of planes. I was the easy one, not wanting to do anything to upset or disappoint my parents. Sounds boring, doesn't it? Don't worry, Rick would take me with him to skip school to go skiing or bowling, or to IHop for breakfast and yes we would get caught everytime by mom and dad. I loved watching the bond between Scott and Jeff as we were growing up. They were always building something in the backyard to later blow up or playing ball. And yes, I got a laugh out of the traps that they would set in the house, when my bedroom door was tied shut or something would fall from the sky or water would leak from a dixie cup with a hole in the bottom. One time when I was in high school and my date for a dance arrived to pick me up and my brother Scott met him at

the doorway dressed in his football helmet, shoulder pads and jersey crouched in a tackle position daring my date to enter. Our childhood was filled with trips to visit our cousins, aunts and uncles. Or spend time with grandparents. There were 16 of us grandkids all together and boy did we have fun together. Every holiday we were together rotating whose house we would gather at. I remember one time we were all on the queen size bed in the spare bedroom at grandma and grandpa's house and we broke the bed frame. It never crossed our mind that their house was small. We just enjoyed the meals, the togetherness, and the laughter. Grandma Becherer would always make sure we walked to church early so we could "pick our seat". Spending the night at their house would include a game of canasta, watching wrestling on a tv that was probably 12 -18 inches big, saying the rosary on our knees , followed by Grandma bribing us with a nickel for the first one to fall asleep. Bappa always had bags of m&m's for us to enjoy as we sat on their front porch playing the game of counting cars of different colors. Loved it when Grandma and Bappa would start talking in German to each other and laughing. They obviously didn't want us to know what they were saying. But they did teach us a German prayer to pray with them at night. Growing up with family was the best part of my life. We moved to Maryland the day after I graduated from 8th grade from Our Lady Queen of Peace. New chapter. Wasn't easy. But thank goodness we had each other. My favorite family memories surrounded our family camping trips throughout the US. Ozarks, Vero Beach, Smoky Mountains, Grand Canyon, Cape Cod just to name a few. Taught us the beauty of the United States of America. The absolute best part of my adulthood years are my three children. They are my blessings and my purpose. I love and

admire them so deeply. I can't talk much about my personal accomplishments as an adult because I have more failures than successes in my own world. So I will skip that part and keep this upbeat. But I can talk about the incredible children I have. And I am so proud of them and their compassion for life and family. Christine Tucker Goodloe, is my oldest and has the attributes of the oldest child. Strong willed, determined, peace maker. She is a top notch fitness instructor and personal trainer. Degreed in Kinesiology As well as a source of healthy living remedies. She has been written up in an Eastern Shore magazine more than once as being the best personal trainer on the Eastern Shore. She met in college her hardworking and dedicated husband, Colby Goodloe, an aspiring engineer with NASA even during their college years. Colby has a Masters in Electrical Engineering. He has multiple satellites in space and has been lead system engineer for shuttles to Jupiter etc. Now working on a project to Venus. He's out of this world. They have two children, Leilani Davis Goodloe and Rhys Wildehack Goodloe. Lei and Rhys were my first two grandchildren. They excel in academics, swimming, soccer, running or any sport they try. But most of all they like boating with mom and dad or sitting on the dock enjoying the Bay and all the nature that goes with it. So loving and always makes me feel special to be with them. Brent Austin is my only son, sandwiched between two sisters. He is the quietest of my children. He does more thinking than talking. He also has a wonderful sense of humor. He found his path in life by not being afraid to explore different options. Graduated with an Economics degree and minor in astronomy. Endured a shoulder injury for a torn labrum that led him to the area of Orthopedics. That is where he met his sweet and fun wife, my daughter-in-law Nina. Nina majored in Criminology but has found her creative side with her cookie and cake creations. Brent is an Orthopedic PA with a specialty in spinal surgery. But does not think twice about helping a patient live a better life by replacing a knee or

hip etc. He is also a licensed Trauma PA working the midnight shift in a trauma hospital. Brent and Nina have three adorable children. Harper Elizabeth, Wyatt Alexander, and Amelia Sydney Tucker.. They are full of life, love and action. They love their pony Nugget, fishing in their pond, reading, watching their favorite shows, sports, using their imagination, or just being together. Love when they run down the hall to get one more hug or kiss before I leave. My youngest is Candace Lynn Young. My more serious one of the three. Yet she will be the first one to get the crowd out on the dance floor with a beautiful smile and carefree joy. She taught ballet, modern, tap and jazz for over 15 years. Candace majored in dance at the UMD then went on to obtain her Masters in Occupational Therapy. She has a specialty in pediatric OT and is also certified in Brain Trauma treatment. Candace met and married the love of her life in 2022, Adam Young. They, like my other children, are a perfect team together. Adam has a background with the government, army and firefighter. He balances all three yet makes sure he gives his family priority time and attention. Adam has two children from his first marriage, so I got two bonus grandchildren when they wed. Brayden Lyle and Harper Grace Young. They love games, sports, reading, and exploring. My eight grandchild was born to Candace and Adam in March of 2023. Sweet and precious miracle baby girl, Paisley Lynn Young. I was given the nickname of SheShe from my oldest grandchild, Leilani. It has several variations that the grandsons have introduced. Sometimes I am Shesha-besha or Sheesh-ba-deesh. Or as Christine calls me "Oh Sheesh". Just blessed to have these beautiful children in my life. Leilani, Brayden, Rhys, Harper G, Harper Elizabeth, Wyatt, Amelia and Paisley. God bless you Rick for your creative side and writing this book. I love you always! Your Sis.

Scott and Laura

Bill and Sharon

In Scott's Own Words Scott was born on February 23rd, 1960 in Belleville, Illinois. He was the third child in the Davis family, following older brother Rick (1953) and older sister Sherrie (1955) and would be eventually joined by a younger brother Jeff (1965). Due to the 5 year gap in age on either side of him, he often described his childhood like being an only child in a family of four. He was never in the same school as his siblings with the singular exception of 6th grade when he was in the same elementary school as 1st grader Jeff. Most of my childhood memories of living in Belleville centered around my grandparents and my cousins. The closest cousins in age to me were Mike, Dale & Laurie, so I knew them best and played with them the most. I always had great times when I was allowed to sleep over at Mike’s or Dale’s. Each of them had a pool table, which we did not have so I was always interested in playing pool. I bought my first pool table in 1989 and have owned one since. You would think I would be better at the game. My memories of my grandparents were that were strict, but kind. I loved playing cards (canasta) with them and others at the kitchen table. I still have memories of her rhubarb pie, homemade lemonade and root beer floats. I can remember they liked to say the Rosary in the evening and we would all find a chair to kneel in front and pray together. My grandmother always had a cage of song birds she would whistle and sing to. They had a vegetable garden in the back and I enjoyed spending time with them tending the garden. I still grow a garden and have done so for years and I often think of them when spending time there and wish they could see what I’m growing. We spent many hours sitting out on the front porch, talking and watching cars. I remember when we slept there that my grandparents piled heavy green, woolen blankets on us that were apparently “army” blankets. The attic was off limits, so I snuck up there as often as I could to explore!

We moved to Rockville, MD before I started 4th grade. It was a fantastic neighborhood full of kids, Cockrills, Gaskins, Caswells, Neils, Leimbachs, Gross’s, Latchaws, Reids. My days were spent outside playing whiffleball, football and basketball and my love of sports is rooted in this time period. Our house on Brad drive was at the top of a steep hill which was the perfect sledding street since not much traffic. Dozens of sledders would be out if we had snow. I was an average sized, average speed kid up through 6th grade. Barely made the 4-man relay team in my 6th grade class of 30 kids. But something crazy happened when I was in 7th grade. I matured early and grew 6”. I was suddenly bigger and faster than most of the same kids I grew up with and by 8th grade I was unbeatable in a foot race. I was 5’8” and thought I was going to be over 6’ by HS, but alas, I never grew another inch. By 10th grade I was average size again, but still top 4 or 5 in speed. My Junior HS had cross country and track teams which I always did and loved. Went to Peary High School in Rockville. It's now closed. I continued my love of sports and played football, baseball and wrestled. I loved basketball too but started too late in life and just did not have the skills to compete at that level. I really enjoyed HS and did not realize at the time that it would be one of the best times of my life. I still have a close-knit group of friends who still get together. Mark, Rob and Len I met in elementary school and Al, John and Donnie I met in Jr High. We all had a common love of sports and after college we reunited to play rec league softball, football and basketball. We played softball for so many years, our wives all knew each other and our young kids too. We still take an annual golfing trip together. Jeff comes too.

I received a BS degree in electrical engineering from the U of

Maryland. It was a brutal curriculum that I struggled to get through despite always being a top student in HS. Part of the struggle was I was a commuter and always working while going to school. After 5 long years, including a few summer courses, I managed to get my degree and took a job at Singer Link Simulation Systems Division, where I was a Systems Engineer I. I was better at work than I was at school. I liked the practicality of designing and building something. We built simulators for the US military including some flight simulators which I was lucky enough to try out one time. After 5 years I decided I needed a change and was fortunate enough to land a job at a place called Com-Site International, which focused on designing computer rooms and data centers for companies. This would start my long career in the Data Center field. I would eventually have eight (8) jobs: 5 years – Singer 2.5 years - Com-site International

1 year - Sverdrup in Rosslyn 1 year - Meta Engineers in DC 3 years - CS Technology 1 year - CCG Facilities Integration 8 years - AOL 12 years - DuPont Fabros Technology (DFT)

My time at AOL was filled with cutting edge, innovative stuff. We designed and built the first internet-scale data center, many times larger than anything previous done. My career culminated at DFT where I was hired in late 2005 to head up Operations. Eventually as the company grew and expanded my title grew to Executive VP and Chief Technology Officer. I was in charge of design and operation of our data centers and also oversaw the IT department and Security. In late 2017 our company was bought out by Digital Realty and this event allowed be to retire at the end of 2017. I was 57 years old and burnt out from the relentless demands of my job. I had the option to stay on and continue

working, but there was nothing really left for me to accomplish. I had done everything I set out do and accomplished more than I could have imagined. I had considerable good fortune along the way, including working with my brother Jeff for several years while at AOL. An interesting thing about my career choices is the last 5 jobs I took, I wasn’t looking for a job. Someone sought me out to tell me about an opportunity and I took it. I don’t regret a single move even though they were often difficult to make. None more so than going to work for AOL since they were headquartered in Virginia and it would be the impetus of us leaving Maryland and taking up residence in Virginia. A move that looking back was great for me and a great place for us to raise our family. I was fortunate to have a career that required me to travel. As I traveled to various locations including Europe and East Asia, I got the bug to see other parts of the world. Here is a sample of the places I’ve been too, many with Laura and the kids: · 44 or 50 states (excludes, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, ND, SD and Alaska) · Tokyo Japan, Seoul Korea and Shanghai China · Cazamel, Cancun and Queretero Mexico · Montreal and Toronto, Canada · Amsterdam, London, Monaco · Osterode, Berlin, Munich, and Frankfurt Germany · Austria and Switzerland · Paris and Cannes, France · Athens, Mykonos and Santorini Greece · Rome, Tuscany, Venice, Naples, Positano, Amalfi, & Milan Italy o Stood in the Sistine Chapel, St Peters square, the Roman Colosseum, ridden a gondola and marveled at Michelangelo’s Pieta and David. · Madrid, Seville, Toledo, Salamanca, & Granada Spain · Portugal and Morocco

Retirement I am still learning how to be retired. I don’t miss work. I do miss the people. Retirement has been interesting from the standpoint that it started out great with Laura and I getting the chance to travel to Europe in both 2018 and 2019. At the end of 2019 I needed a hip replacement, which sidelined me for a couple months, but as soon as I was back up to speed, the pandemic hit and put a halt to our travel ambitions. I continued to play tennis through the pandemic. I deemed it to be low risk and it kept me sane. I still play 3 times a week and have played in over 700 sanctioned USTA matches. You would think I would be better at the game. In early 2022, I was experiencing shoulder pain and eventually had to stop exercising and playing tennis. I suffered 2 significant rotator cuff tendon tears and severed my bicep tendon. All of which had to be surgically repaired in April of 2022. The recovery was death! Long and arduous with slow gains and lots of pain along the way. While the shoulder is better again, I still fight through the daily pain of an arthritic knee which has been operated on twice including an ACL rebuild. I have no tattoos although I would like to get some but I do have 9 scars from accidents and surgeries. So, two major surgeries and a pandemic have hampered my retirement, but I am patched back together and ready to pick up the pace again with more plans. Still lots more places to travel and see and hopefully lots more time spent with family and friends.

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