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The Life and Times of the Keith G.\ Calkins Family\hfill\folio}}}
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Chapter 1994\hfill\folio}}}
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Happy New Year---as we ended Chapter 1993,
our boys, Theron and Jared were $3{2\over3}$
years and 8 months, respectively, Keith just started teaching
the three high school honors mathematics classes at
{\bf A}ndrews {\bf U}niverisity for the Berrien Co.\ Math & Science Center
after an exciting transfer out of the AU Computing Center,
we just purchased a 486DX 33MHz personal computer,
and Terri was staying home.
Jan.--March 1994 were primarily the same routine as the previous fall.
The pattern was broken in April and
triple booking occurred in early June with:
school still in session,
jury duty in Kalamazoo for Keith, and action on
the XDX (Keith's registered {\bf d}oing {\bf b}usiness {\bf a}s) computer contracts.
A chronological format was retained so you could fully appreciate the
overlap of various components.
\vglue 0.1in
\cl {\bf January, February, and March 1994}
Just days before Christmas, Keith received a jury duty summons to
Kalamazoo for two weeks starting January 3.
With the holidays, the fact that there
is no provision for substitute teachers in the
Math & Science Center,
and the fact that his assistants would not be back by
class-time that day, it wasn't a pretty scene.
A deferment until June was obtained, but they could not commit as to which half.
Keith started the year with a new seating plan to profoundly increase student
interaction, for better or for worse.
Cold weather and deep snow cancelled school for almost a week in mid-January,
allowing Keith time to catch up before semester tests.
We had dogs in the house again while Keith's sister Alice and her
husband went to TN to visit his comatose mother and arrange a funeral.
%\vglue 0.1in
%\cl {\bf February 1994}
%Keith turned 36 on Ground Hog's Eve.
Our friends the Wiist's had a baby by ceasarian and then moved to TX in July.
One of Terri's Mann (her maternal grandmother's family) relatives
dropped by.
Keith's niece Alisa was baptized in {\bf P}ioneer {\bf M}emorial {\bf C}hurch
by her Uncle Fred the day before her tenth birthday.
% Wiist baby dedicated same day (born 2/13?)
Keith's father came down in Keith's step-mother's
'81 Ford pickup and returned with Keith's
sister Bethany in her resurrected Bronco (almost totalled on Jan.\ 6).
We also made two gallons of maple syrup.
By Dec.\ '94 all the other trees on our side of the block
had disappeared to ``facilitate'' taller utility poles.
%\vglue 0.1in
%\cl {\bf March 1994}
Terri was elected
%(1 vote margin against the incumbant, Keith voted against her!)
public relations secretary for the local chapter of
$\Phi K\Phi$---Phi Kappa Phi---the interdisciplinary honor society.
March 7 Terri, Keith and Theron got food poisoning from sauerkraut,
with ``burps that spill over.''
Keith missed his first class this year---Sally Adkin, the coordinator of the
Math & Science Center, helded a lock-in planning session on March 11.
Spring break started with Terri's surgery to remove a 1"x3" lipoma behind
her right shoulder. Keith emptied his mailbox, graded tests, computed
grades for the third 9-weeks, and wrote important letters.
\vglue -0.1in
\cl {\bf April 1994}
Terri's parents purchased a Camry and % camper to replace their
%conversion van, so they needed a more substantial vehicle to pull it.
gave us their '86 Nova---a \$1300 value.
After repairing the worn out driver's door, we sold our '85 Chevette for \$700.
We sold our '82 Sentra Wagon for \$1---the needy mother
had a friend who could fix the rusted-out shock mount.
Keith asked for and finally got a commitment from Kalamazoo
for jury duty---the first half of June.
The one week overlap with school wouldn't be so bad,
since it would be mainly review and final tests,
and his two assistants would be out of college and able to help.
Since Keith finished his Ph.D.\ coursework in Physics at Notre Dame the
previous May and wasn't finding time for research,
he planned to checkpoint his progress by studying for and taking an oral exam
to complete an M.S.\ this summer.
For this reason, the first half of June was preferable for jury duty.
Theron turned four.
The sophomores from both Math & Science Center
sites (AU and Lakeshore Public High School)
went down to the Smokies for a field trip the last weekend in April.
Keith went as an additional male chaperone. % was recruited
They left Thursday night and returned Sunday---Keith learned Eucher,
since more than one third of the trip was spent on the bus.
Keith scheduled tests for that Friday for the other two
classes---the only other time he missed class all year.
%Test weren't such a good idea, since he never caught up the
%rest of the school year.
\vglue -0.1 in
\cl {\bf May 1994}
Jared turned one.
Keith and Theron repaired a hole in Bethany's wall.
Terri increased her involvement with PMC, formally generating
financial reports related to the building project.
With major remodeling and imminent occupancy scheduled for the basement of
the administration building, we finally received an indication that AU might
soon release some of Keith's computer equipment. The indication generated
\$500 worth of legal questions with Keith requesting adequate
assurances of due performance in a letter dated May 18---the second
anniversary of the original purchase contract.
Mother's Day (May 8) weekend brought the first of twelve trips Keith
and Theron made up to the Calkins Centennial Farm (40 acres near
Cadillac and purchased last summer from Aunt Ada, with Keith's
sister Alice and brother Fred to become part owners).
``Earthy Tunes,'' a tape Keith bought in TN for Theron
finally came out of the tape player.
Since the farm is only two miles north of where Keith grew up,
Bethany tagged along to visit her parents.
Because of the cold weather this last winter, the cord of apple
wood (102.86 bushels) we purchased from Hacker being delivered in
four loose-packed 18-bushel apple boxes, and dead apple
trees at the farm, Keith bought a Stihl chain saw just before Mother's Day.
He also purchased the '81 Ford pickup for \$500.
The truck was almost never empty up or back---the first trip had scrap
wood and old windows more useful for barn repair than house clutter.
The truck always seemed to be a mobile workshop.
On May 10 Keith and Theron took some apple wood up to Battle Creek for
Aunt Ada, returning with a church pew for the front porch at the
farm. There was an annular eclipse (a solar eclipse where
the moon is too far away to completely obscure the sun), with the best path
encountered en route. Theron observed it via the projection through
a hole in a card,
but the multiple reflections caused by double-paned glass
as found in truck windows worked best for Keith.
(Warning: Direct exposure to the sun can cause permanent damage.)
In March, George Plue started spending time in MI as
his mother died from recently diagnosed liver cancer.
It took George and Keith most of a night to transfer data from the tapes George
brought from AZ onto his new portable computer---software incompatibilities.
A few weeks later, George's mother broke her arm and Keith helped George build
a stretcher to minimize her discomfort during transport for follow-up treatment.
George's mother died in early May and was buried on her 80th
birthday---May 15. Keith was a pallbearer.
Memorial day weekend Keith and Theron spent at the farm.
This was the first of three loads of Sigma computer frames which are useful
as scaffolding. The lawn needed mowing already.
The end of the dead fruit wood was in sight, but the 3 acres of
60' tall Red Pine and the 1.5 acres of hardwood need management.
Keith and Theron each planted a garden here in Berrien Springs.
\vglue -0.1 in
\cl {\bf June 1994}
Two years ago, Keith assisted Dick Bender, a fellow Assistant Director
in the AU Computing Center, with the installation of a Xerox Sigma 9
mainframe computer in his basement. George Plue was also involved.
Since Dick was also being run out of the Computing Center,
% by similar techniques as used on Keith (see Chapter 1993),
he accepted a job at Florida Hospital in early June.
In a complex three-way arrangement, Keith committed to removing the
Sigma 9 from Dick's basement before August.
Keith's summer plans for finishing that M.S.\ at Notre Dame were looking bleak.
Friday, June 3, Keith
%jumped the gun he was supposed to wait until Sunday to call and
found he did not need to report
to Kalamazoo for jury duty until June 13.
Since June 10 would be the last day of school
(tests in all three classes), that was good news---although the incoming
freshmen were to be tested the evening of June 13 for algebra competency.
Sunday, June 5 Keith arrived at the old Computing Center with a truck (pickup)
to start taking delivery as promised. Keith was denied delivery of anything
and threatened with dire consequences.
Final tests were written and during the last test
(Friday, 1 pm---AU closes Fridays at noon),
Dr.\ Kootsey, then Dean of Arts and Science, now Vice President for
Academic Administration came by to say he wanted to get the arrangements for
the next school-year (starting July 1) completed before he left for the
archealogical dig in Jordon on Sunday.
Keith would still be a contract teacher, teach the Calculus
class which would be new next year, and have an additional assistant.
%Maybe I should write much sooner than Mar.\ 14 this year!
June 13 Keith went to Kalamazoo and was among the 30 potential jurors
interviewed for the drug case against a ``farmer''.
They required extensive self-disclosure regarding interactions
with the legal process and convicted relatives.
% Terri's rape, Carolyn Salisbury's murder, XDX vs AU; Milton's pedofile
Keith was not selected and though technically on call the rest
of the week, was told it was unlikely he would have to return.
After administering the algebra test that evening, Keith
sat on the couch and relaxed in anticipation of summer vacation.
Vacation ended at noon June 14 when we were informed that Keith
could remove some (a pickup load of) documentation and
other paper effects which had been scrambled from his old office.
We were also informed that his equipment would be packed onto a semi-trailer
the next day, but not released to him---would he please disconnect it?
Several 18 hour days followed as Keith did a significant part of what
AU was to do---disassemble and pack the computer equipment.
The first semi-trailer was filled Wed.\ June 15.
The second one took several days and was even delayed
over Father's Day due to other campus work.
Meanwhile, Dave Wilber, the Director of the Physical Plant, and Keith's
contact person, informed him they wanted the 40 tons of computers out of
the old Essex building by Aug.\ 1, make that July 1---the building had
been sold (again). %When it rains, it pours.
Letters to Lesher were finally answered on June 28 with a meeting and letter
stating: ``all materials related to the contract of May 18, 1992, are
available for immediate delivery to XDX, either in part or in whole $\dots$.''
That was easy enough for a lame-duck president to say---Lesher retired on
June 30---we are still waiting for critical items in 1995.
Keith and Theron went up to the farm again over Father's Day.
This trip started the pattern of leaving after Keith took
Jared to Sabbath School---a pattern Terri preferred,
since Jared won't eat for her.
Theron does very well, but the high
points were definitely jaunts over to Grandma Ruthie's
to watch ``Yellowstone'' and to have tractor rides with Grandpa.
Trip four occurred in conjunction with Grandpa Otto's
(Ruthie's father) funeral: Fri., June 24.
%Keith saw him the afternoon of Father's Day June 19 and he died after midnight.
Fred came up to Berrien Springs from KY and
he and Terri went up to the farm on Thursday with the pickup.
Fred's wife Bonny brought Bethany from PA, where she had just
started graduate school. (Didn't I mention her graduation June 5?)
Keith came up Friday with the boys. Bethany and
Terri sang a duet and Keith again was a pallbearer. Jared climbed everywhere.
Keith had cut enough Red Pine previously so he could throw a load
on the pickup in the rain before returning to Berrien Springs.
(The farm leasor cut the hay that week.)
Since Keith's father and Ruthie were taking Bethany back to PA, Galahad,
formerly our black dog, came back to Berrien Springs with Keith.
The third day back, he snapped at and nipped Theron.
He then immediately lunged and snapped at a neighbor girl.
When Keith returned home that afternoon, Theron informed him
that Galahad had bitten him and that Galahad died.
As usual, Theron was right.
\eject
\vglue -0.35 in
\cl {\bf July 1994}
Terri's good friend Via was here over the 4th and on our return
from the Dairy Queen we filled our containers with black raspberries
growing in poison ivy. The adults carefully washed afterward.
After two 40 yd$^3$ dumpsters of scrap metal and five pickup loads of
aluminum and copper scrap,
everything was out of the Essex building---Keith now had until
Aug.\ 1 to get it out of the parking lot.
Keith and Theron went up to the farm Wed., July 6. for family reunion
Although the weather was touch and go, we
reroofed the garage (north half on Thu.,
south half on Fri.) and then another important building: the outhouse.
Saturday night it was definitely raining when Keith took Terri out
to see a particular White Birch tree. After turning down the wrong lane
between the pine trees, Keith went the long way around and encountered
a wet spot he got the tractor stuck in 19 years ago.
He gunned it to be sure to get through, but, turning sharply, hung up on
a tree top remaining after Grandpa had removed a saw log this spring.
Terri was dubious of Keith's ability to free the truck and
walked $1\over2$ mile back to the house for help.
Keith marshalled his come-along, rope, jack, sledge hammer, and firewood,
and met the rescue party, including a rather disappointed Terri, halfway.
On July 11 Jared broke out with poison ivy, make that chicken pox!
Since this occurred after family reunion, he infected his
cousin Jephthae, who in turn infected her three siblings.
Those cousins went out to the pathfinder camporee in
CO during the infectious, but not yet showing, stage.
(Keith bought Theron Your Story Hour tapes, album 6 for the reunion.
A week later, ``Yankee Woman'' came out of the tape player.)
Keith went up again on Sun., July 17 to attend the Calkins family reunion,
stablize the barn, and pour a concrete floor.
The south part (36'x36') of the barn was constructed
in 1917 after the US entered WWI.
(The quoted price of \$20 per thousand
board foot of hemlock was jacked up to \$60 per as a result.)
The north part (24'x36') was built in the
1880's with large stones as footings for the timbers.
The stone in the NW corner had settled almost 16", and
the base timbers on the north/east rotted away.
However, the stone inside near the middle of the barn was unaffected.
To releave this stress, the barn
pulled apart more than 5" at the eaves pulling the tenons out of the
mortises---and had little reason not to continue its spread at an
accelerating rate.
After removing the old threshing floor and associated timbers,
Keith leveled the areas and prepared forms to stablize
the sagging corner by adding a yard of concrete around
the footing stone down to well below the frost line when the floor was poured.
Forms were prepared to entomb three other footing stones.
Cables were also stretched above the eave timbers.
It poured on Sunday, complete with tornado warning,
while Theron finger-painted in the barn.
Monday night, Theron got his wish of sleeping in the tent but then
it stormed, so Keith was out
praying and ditching in the dark to avert certain catastrophe.
(Calculating the cost of 4" of concrete over a 24'x24' and 12'x36' area at
\$50/yd$^3$ soon joined similar practical questions such as the length of a
330' wide 10 acre corn field on Keith's Geometry tests.)
By noon Tuesday the floor was as level and clean as it was going to get,
the rebar and wire mesh were in place,
so Keith went over to his father's to confirm the 4 pm order.
Then George Plue's power trowel was repaired.
Since the barn is 60' long, the cement truck chute only extends
12', and Keith obviously didn't know what he was doing,
about 3 pm a representative came for an inspection.
About 4 pm the first truck arrived with the second arriving
soon after, each with 8 yd$^3$ of that magic substance.
Grandpa and Grandma Ruthie cared for Theron
a lot that evening as Keith discovered
how much work a power trowel was---especially before the concrete is ready.
Wednesday morning sore Keith inspected the basically level,
but not very smooth, floor.
Meanwhile, August was coming fast and Dick wanted to replace his
kitchen floor and show an empty basement at an open house.
Extensive uncabling, removal of small items, and final removal of large
items with a chain hoist followed on July 26. The AU Custodial
truck with the computer may have just squeaked by the 7-ton limit
on the Berrien Springs Ferry St.\ bridge.
While unloading memory into the Plue barn, the lift hiccupped
and the 1200 pound, 16Mb unit fell flat on the floor.
It was the first piece to come off the truck.
It was getting dark. The truck was to be returned by 5 pm.
Mark and Keith managed to upright the memory with levers and finish unloading.
Two days later, while Keith removed the 3/0 Cu wire servicing Dick's 200A
computer service panel, the full impact of the stress marks
on the insulation suddenly sank in when the cable hit him on
the chin. Keith called Terri and informed her he would be late while
he received 2, make that 3, stitches.
\vglue 0.1 in
\cl {\bf August 1994}
% workbooks off/tie on
Before the summer was overbooked, Keith accepted the responsibility of
teaching an intensive algebra course, particularly geared for
the Center's incoming freshmen who show weakness.
This two week course (Aug.\ 1--12) met for 3 hours a day (8--11 am).
Keith missed the Anderson reunion (Keith's paternal grandmother's
mother's family) to prepare material and the classroom.
(Remember that pickup load of documentation? Guess where it was!)
The weekend following, Keith and Theron went up to the farm
and the Fox-Bullen reunion (Keith's paternal grandmother's father's family).
Keith lobbied for years to bring that reunion back to the Cadillac area
and was rewarded last summer with the secretarial responsibility.
He increased the mailing list by about 33\%
(20), primarily with Cadillac area addresses.
Several relatives who had never before attended showed up and were
rewarded with stacks of letters written by, and pictures of, their ancestors.
Theron started to raise the first (of three) Monarch catapillers. %two Labor Day
Sunday Keith also built a ramp in the barn with last summer's well derrick,
2x6's from Dick's basement raised floor, and new barn siding;
and recruited help for Monday while
Grandpa scraped the area in front of the barn.
Monday, a semi-load of scrap computer % driver was Offenbeck
equipment arrived and was unloaded in two hours.
The next day, the six 4'x8' sheets of barn siding
were put on the barn and painted.
The fourth 40 yd$^3$ dumpster of scrap metal was hauled away from Essex
(the paperwork for \#3 surfaced in Oct.).
That only leaves one semi-trailer and two barns full for processing.
The best aluminum was hauled to Dowagiac---the
pickup grossing 5650 pounds with driver.
The bridge's new weight limit was 3 tons. Days later, with minimal warning,
the bridge was closed---Ferry St., the main drag in Berrien Springs
dead ended!
Soon they closed Snow Rd.\ and Snyder Rd.\
for resurfacing! How do you get to Berrien Springs?
The three mile trip to Grandpa and Grandma Fivash became twelve miles.
Keith was finally able to take a pickup load of low-grade (\$3/pound) precious
metal (Au, Ag) bearing scrap down to the refinery near Chicago.
We upgraded our PC with a 400Mb disk drive for \$219.
When others heard the price, we bought and sold three more.
Computers always need more memory, so we doubled it on our PC
to 8Mb. Now, if we only had a Soundblaster, modem/fax, $\ldots$.
Keith's work computer was upgraded to a 486DX2 66MHz with CD-ROM
and he hopes yet to explore OS-2. Occasional work for Bill Garber
popped up all year. % He bought The Journal Era in Dec. 1994.
Although our vehicle fleet had a complete turnover since last year, the '81
pickup was here enough to learn that July was the time to develop
shifting problems. After collecting lots of free advice, and spending more time
than he could justify, Keith took the pickup to a local repair shop.
They confirmed that it was the column shifter tube, but could not locate one.
Keith asked about replacing it with a floor shifter and got a very enthusiastic
response, complete with price estimate (\$39.95), source, and
assurances they could install it---if Keith picked it up.
Well, Keith called, was quoted a much higher price (\$89.95) and balked.
He went up to get it anyway and came home with a \$29.95 floor shifter.
Somewhere on the way home, genes passed down from Keith's Scottish ancestors
were expressed. Keith let the repair shop know he was going to install it
himself, and was delighted to learn they weren't charging anything for their
diagnosis! Four hours later, the truck was shifting again.
Then the '86 Cavalier door quit latching, and one day Keith
had to work on all three vehicles.
Keith took Theron to the fair.
At the end of August, Theron wanted to go to school.
Since he only turned four in April, we would like to wait awhile.
Early in January he learned to spell m-e-n-u, to activate the
computer's main menu and then push F9 to bring up his game menu.
By Nov., instead of pushing the correct function key in his game menu,
he was typing c-h-e-s-s to activate a game he has learned to enjoy
more than making the kings hop (in solitaire) or saving the
lemmings---unless Daddy promotes a pawn so he has a queen too.
(Keith's sophomore class formed a chess club.)
By year-end, Theron progressed to 108-piece Where's Waldo puzzles
and learned to read, learning new words almost every day.
Theron always wants more computer games, even
enjoying those with an educational flavor.
Keith now has three ``graduate'' {\bf T}eaching {\bf A}ssistants.
Since Lorie, an assistant from last year, was doing her student teaching this
fall, but Gwen was returning, he had to find two more.
Marvin was an obvious choose, having been selected late last school-year.
He is a senior Math, Physics, and German triple major.
The other assistant is Helen, a junior Math--French double major.
She was almost out of the country for the school-year when
Keith finally called mid-August.
Gwen assisted in the Summer Algebra.
The primary function of the assistants is in-class help, placing an
emphasis on classroom learning and providing quick feedback so
that mistakes are corrected as they happen.
However, with the increased number of students and decreased access to the
Math Center (a help center for University students), help sessions
were increased to two nights per week (Tue.\ and Wed.\ 7--9 pm).
Keith has 93 students:
30 freshmen, 27 sophomores (1 new, 4 dropped from last year), % Orrin Jodi/Keysha/Dan/Joe
18 juniors (1 new, 1 dropped from last year), and 18 seniors %Kevin Amy
(1 is really taking the college Calculus course,
3 dropped from last year)
The upperclassmen are decidedly more studious than Keith expected
based on last year---the lowerclassmen decidedly less.
Keith is using the same textbooks and course outlines as last year,
but running 5\% ahead in content.
Four of the freshmen have already taken Geometry,
but are in the Geometry classroom during that time.
Although Keith's first experience with Calculus was challenging, after his
Physics, he considers it an old friend---teaching it, however,
is a new experience. Students in all grades are participating
in state and national math contests this year.
By August, research revealed why June is a poor time to cut Red Pine.
The sound of hundreds of Metallic Wood-Boring [Pine] Beetle larvae
reducing firewood to sawdust prompted research which indicated no threat to
dead wood (like cedar house siding) and prior infestation in Berrien Co.
\vglue .1 in
\cl {\bf September, October, and November 1994}
Labor Day and three weeks later were trips eight and nine to the farm
with Keith cutting Black Cherry to season for next year.
Keith and Theron flew a kite.
The mess from reroofing the garage got cleaned up,
and the windows on the house recaulked.
The barn was pulled together and raised with cement blocks added
above the NW cornerstone.
Some barn siding was screwed back into place.
Plans for next summer's reunion and the repair of the barn
roof started to formulate. The lawn was mowed one last time.
Grandpa felled the huge cottonwood ``stump'' by the house.
Keith and Theron also played many games of Sir Topham Hatt
(non-competitive, memory/old maid combination) in the barn.
All of Keith's siblings, except Florence, gathered on
Sep.\ 11 for a family conference in the Berrien Springs library.
Keith (finally) took Theron and Jared to the beach.
Gwen got sicker and dropped out for fall quarter.
Keith tried to find another assistant, but couldn't
find the right knowledge/schedule match.
The lowerclassmen suffered the most, as in-class help decreased.
Jared was promoted to cradle roll at Sabbath School.
%\vglue .1 in
%\cl {\bf October 1994 }
When the empty semi returned in August, AU filled it
with more computer equipment located elsewhere on campus.
On Oct. 17 Keith crammed the
contents into a 20' Ryder and hauled it to the farm on
Oct.\ 18, instead of attending the county-wide professional development.
Bonny was up with her son Zadok, so Keith had more
company than just Theron on this fatiguing/sleep-deprived day.
%\vglue .1 in
%\cl {\bf November 1994}
Now that the Math & Science Center has all four grades,
with students from all over the county spending half their school day there,
it celebrated it's grand opening
Nov.\ 1 with many politicians giving speeches.
Nov.\ 5 Keith and Theron took seven free barrels and twelve buckets of
nuts, bolts, {\sl etc.\ }up to the farm and on Sunday
finished this summer's planting of Black Walnut, Northern Red Oak, Black Locust,
Osage Orange, Eastern White Cedar, Redbud, White Birch,
Norway Spruce, and Weeping Willow.
The weather was miserable, so the trip back was empty.
The first 9-week marking period was over and parent-teacher conferences
transpired.
The local library director resigned to pursue other interests,
so Terri, a board member, spent much time finding a replacement.
At least seven of Keith's students were in the local high school
play (The King and I), so Keith went to see it.
Thanksgiving gave the first real break. Keith raked the lawn.
Bethany met her new friend David from IL at our house for the first time.
Keith and Theron made their twelfth trip north on the weekend,
this time taking Jared and staying with the grandparents
(with heat and indoor plumbing!).
Fully 10\% of 1994 was spent in transit, or at the Centennial Farm.
Now that the pines on the field edge have almost all been groomed,
Keith started cutting a road toward the lanes inside.
\vglue-0.1 in
\cl {\bf December 1994}
Gwen was to return after Thanksgiving, but couldn't.
The leak in the hot water heater wouldn't wait until Christmas, so Keith
replaced it one Saturday night.
The Nova's clutch started acting up in July, but Keith adjusted the
free-play so that it worked until Dec. Then, Keith had to start it in gear
to drive it to the repair shop. \$170 later they've replaced the slave
cylinder and rebuilt the master cylinder. Ten miles and two days later,
Keith drove it to the repair shop again, in gear.
This time they replaced the master cylinder.
Dec.\ continued with a bad case of citrus-induced diaper rash for Jared.
Jared is also into everything.
To get out of the house, Terri has also kept rather involved with the PMC
Sabbath School secretary duties and the church building and steering committees.
Her scissors (remember last chapter's 6000 pair?) have been moving slowly,
but steadily.
Terri thought she would be handed PMC's ``3000'' member membership
database when the church clerk retired at year-end, but no.
Terri's database will likely still continue to be more accurate.
The admission last year of insignificant genealogical progress prompted
Keith to reorder his maternal grandmother's maternal
grandfather's (James Franklin Hall) civil war military and pension
records. This time the correct ones were received!
Although Keith had already narrowed down his search to three OH counties just
southeast of Ft.\ Wayne based on military recruiting, these new records revealed
that James was born and married (Apr.\ 1866) in Mercer Co.\ and lived at Dublin
from his discharge (Jan.\ 1866) until he moved to MI in Aug.\ 1867.
This information festered until Keith made a trip to Ft.\ Wayne,
one of the largest genealogical libraries.
Although Keith was unsuccessful in locating further information on James's
parents, he hit a bonanza with James's wife Cath{\bf a}rine Fisher! After tracing
her father through 3 counties in two states (two wives and 16 children),
he found him buried just 35 miles to the south!
Although Keith found a recent county history for Mercer Co.\
(1978), since it had no index, he glanced at it occasionally all day.
Finally, just minutes before closing he found THE page giving a biography
for John Fisher.
It even added substantially to what he had pieced together all day!
On Sun., Dec.\ 11, he called relatives in the area and
located the local family historian--Marilyn Helmer. Since her phone number
was unlisted, she was
surprised, but delighted to hear from her third cousin, once removed.
Keith quickly altered his Mon., Dec.\ 19 itinerary for the trip to Fred's
to include a visit near Rockford, OH.
Although, little significant progress was made this year toward
further organization of the genealogical information Keith has,
Terri is following up on the reference to Fivash,
her very uncommon name, in a recent Newsweek.
% Other skeletons revealed this year include the fact that
% Eva was mulatto, sufficated, and the father
%``never left town and was never seen again'' (Daddy via Bethany last June)
After tests and Christmas parties, Keith cleaned and
adjusted the furnace and brought in lots of wood.
He and Theron then packed for the trip.
Monday, Keith and Theron quickly located John Fisher's gravestone.
Unfortunately, Marilyn's mother's funeral was that day, so the
visit must be rescheduled. Keith did peek into her barn to see his
great$^3$-grandmother's broken tombstone.
They continue on to KY where replacing the back door and attempting to fix
computers headed the agenda. % 8086--ship to Bruce; 286 Wyse setup mode?
They returned the 500 miles Christmas Eve, in time for dinner
and the usual Sabbath afternoon walk with Alice and the dogs.
Terri had to take Jared to Sabbath School for the second time ever.
Oh yes, Keith did manage time somewhere to work on the house.
Let's see, sometime this spring he tore down the back porch.
In July, he installed a birch log as a newel post at the top
of our two-story circular stairway, as well as the railing.
(Did we tell you the story about Theron's ``good idea that wasn't
such a good idea''? While playing with his tools upstairs,
he decided to take all the bark off Daddy's birch tree. $\ldots$)
In Feb.\ Keith and Fred did some plumbing and in August a toilet was
installed in the upstairs bathroom---no more night diapers for Theron.
Computer stuff is all over the house and yard (which room {\bf is}
the computer room?), awaiting the basement.
Keith hauled more dirt out of the basement, now filling a neighbor's cistern.
After three more concrete pours in the basement %last two being thanksgiving Friday
% and Dec. 29---in front of furnace
Keith assured Terri there was only one more pour in the foreseeable future.
One Friday, after Terri had dusted the house, Keith redusted the house
with several month's worth of dust when a vacuum cleaner bag broke.
After Christmas, Keith installed outside 500 Wt peak lights, installed
the back upstair door deadbolt, and got the telephone cord out of the hall.
Terri also kept ``apprentice'' Jared away enough so that
Keith even made progress on the kitchen ceiling!
Terri painted some woodwork and while Keith was still asking if she wanted the
stair railing painted or stained,
she had it stained---before it was properly filled or glued!
%We found out our farm leasor was auctioning off his dairy herd.
The year ended with Theron's promotion to kindergarten at Sabbath School
and the boys forming ``the club'' in Theron's room.
Theron is still singing Christmas songs with the Chipmunks.
Jared knows what his potty chair is for, but has never yet had the
luck of using it---just sitting on it before every bath.
Jared also has learned all the first person singular pronouns!
No caving occurred in 1994 and the next caving trip is yet unscheduled.
We gratefully acknowledge the help of our family
and friends in our accomplishments this year.
Thank-you for your cards and letters---especially those with
genealogical content.
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\hfill /s~{~The $Ke^{i\theta}$~Calkins~Family}
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