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.
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