I served active duty in the U.S. Army from 1957 to 1959 as a cryptographer at ENT AFB Colorado Springs with the U.S. Army Air Defense Command. When I left active duty, I continued with the U.S. Army Reserves for four more years in Charleston, West Virginia.

I helped form a credit union at my employer in 1963 and was the treasurer/manager until 1972. During that time, I was vice president and president of our local credit union chapter. I became employed with CUNA Mutual Group in 1972 and worked as a sales representative for 28 years in West Virginia. During that time, I belonged to four different credit unions. After I retired from CUNA Mutual Group, I served in several positions with Universal Federal Credit Union and finally became the president/board chair. I also ran and was elected as the West Virginia Credit Union League (WVCUL) director for my area and have served in several capacities. I am currently the WVCUL treasurer.

Growing up in the 1940s during World War II, I saw many uncles and cousins go off to war with the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy. We even played “war” as kids and helped gather scrap iron, bandages, milkweed pods, and aluminum foil through school and scouting for the war effort. Another childhood friend and I “guarded” a P-51 Mustang that crashed on a farm in our hometown for three days.

When I was assigned to be the chair of the WVCUL Resolutions Committee in 2003, I began writing, introducing, and reading a patriotic and/or military resolution every year at the WVCUL annual meeting that is met with applause and a standing ovation.

I am currently 86 years young and serve as the board chair at Universal Federal Credit Union; the vice president of the Huntington, West Virginia Chapter of credit unions; and the treasurer of the WVCUL. I have 57 years of voluntary credit union service and belong to two credit unions.

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