Jim Mann
I will attempt a biography for you. It is rather doubtful I will be able to attend this reunion. Please pass on my regards and best wishes to all. Rest assured I am laying plans to attend in 2014.
After we graduated from High School, I enrolled in Adrian College. In very short order, the college and I agreed I had no business being there at that time in my life. I then found employment in a factory in Wauseon and was there for several months when it became apparent the US Government would very likely be seeking my services. I decided I would get that phase of my life over with by enlisting in the US Navy Reserves and spent the next two years of my life first in Chicago for training and then aboard a Light Cruiser home ported in San Diego, California.
I then returned to the Wauseon Factory for seven more years. During that time, we started farming and would continue that for nearly 20 years, sometimes with full time employment off the farm and sometimes with part-time employment. At one time, we owned farm land adjacent to a spot just outside of Lyons that I have been told was known by some as "Tree in the Meadow."
The US Government then assisted in another change in my life course. A Government program known as "Reaganomics" coupled with a few bad decisions on our part would bring an end to the farming career. The auction we had took place in February of 1986, I turned 40 in April of that year and life assuredly started over. One of the part time jobs I had taken was managing the Recycling Center in Wauseon. It would work into a full time position and I spent over 10 years employed there.
The Lord had claimed my life and He would call me to serve as Pastor of a small Congregational Church in Horton, Michigan, about 50 miles northwest of Lyons. I continued working at the Recycling Center and commuted to Horton on weekends for 2 years before we relocated to Horton. I served that Church as Pastor for over 14 years. In August of 2007, I was called to serve as Pastor of The Little Brown Church in the Vale, located outside of Nashua, Iowa.
We are in the middle of Iowa cornfields in the Northeast corner of the state about 80 miles West of the Iowa/Wisconsin border and 40 miles South of the Iowa/Minnesota border. The hymn, "The Church in the Wildwood" (often known as "The Little Brown Church in the Vale") was written about this Church before construction began. The author had no prior knowledge a Church would be built on the spot he envisioned, the Church members had no knowledge of the hymn being written when construction began.
The hymn has seen much popularity over the years since it was written in 1857. In our more modern times it has been recorded by artists like Jim Nabors, The Browns, The Statler Brothers, Dolly Parton, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Andy Griffith and numerous others. This has been a popular site for weddings over the years, the last wedding of April 2009 was the 72,875th wedding in this church. We currently are having about 250 weddings a year and draw visitors from all over the world.
We have had visitors from more than twenty foreign countries during this 18 months we have been here and have actually visited with folks from all of the 50 states except Delaware, they were here and signed the register, but we didn't have the opportunity to actually meet with them. Being 550 miles from downtown Lyons does present some disappointments at times, but we are anticipating being here for some time.
The day after the class reunion, Vicky & I will have been married for 43 years. We have four children. Our oldest, Melissa and her husband Jon Detwiler live near Fremont Ohio. Jon is the Middle School Principle at the Clyde-Green Springs School District where Melissa is currently teaching High School Spanish, but will become Head Librarian for the district next year. Or as I call her, the Head Shush Lady. They have two sons, David and Sam, who are 13 and 11. David is currently making preparations to serve with Teen Missions International at an orphanage in Nepal this summer.
Our daughter Melinda and her husband, Dan Bowden reside in Bluffton, Ohio where Dan is in charge of the city wastewater facility and is the Fire Chief. Melinda owns a business named Promo-Hits which sells advertising materials. Their son Matthew is 10.
Our son Martin and his wife Meglynn live in Jackson, Michigan where he is employed as an Engineer with Eaton. Meglynn is teaching an alternative school for the Napoleon, Michigan School District. They have a daughter, Natalie who had her first birthday this past March and are expecting a second child in July.
Our son Micah is living near Los Angeles, California. His current project is to establish a nonprofit organization named "Blood for Missions." The intent of that project is to promote blood drives for hospitals, those hospitals would then contribute to support a mission project. He has his Miss Ashley who we are hoping he will marry in the near future.
I must agree with Jean, Summer School 62 was one incredible experience for the 6 of us. In looking back at that time, I have often wondered just how many parents and teachers were absolutely shocked to learn that George and I "wanted" to attend Summer School. Close behind those memories are field trips in Hershberger’s Chevy.
God Bless, Jim Mann http://www.littlebrownchurch.org/
|
YONS HIGH SCHOOL - CLASS OF 1964 - 2009 MEMORY BOOK PAGE 54.