The year Dave turned 40 (1991) was also the year several other men on our small cul-de-sac neighborhood in Carmel, Indiana were hitting that milestone.  
To mark this momentous occasion,  the wives decided to throw a large surprise party for all of them. We obtained a banquet room at a restaurant and invited many friends and family. 
The absolute highlight was a hilarious "report" from a "private investigator" (a volunteer neighbor)  that detailed what these aging desperados had been up to. They were roasted to a fine crisp to the delight of all.
Dave had figured out that something was up just as we were getting to the restaurant and was really appreciative of the thought and effort in his honor.

Dave was very loved and pampered as a baby.  He was not a "good" baby.  He had colic and digestion problems.  Born at 6 lb. 1 oz. after a fairly short labor.  He was an only child for 12 years before his brothers and sister arrived.  We lived on Timon Street in Buffalo at the time.

Since I was an only child and Dave was my only child for many years, he received lots of attention. Two or three Easter baskets each year and lots of Christmas presents from Grandpa Charles Mergler and Grandma Helen Mergler and also Hilda Mueller and Mildred Mueller as well as the Lippert relatives.

He started school at Cleveland Hill Elementary School for kindergarten.  He attended Mother of Divine Grace Catholic school for grades 1-6th grade and finished grade school at St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic School after we moved to Lancaster.  Ron Rutkowski moved to Lancaster at the same time and they became lifelong friends.  High school was at St. Mary's High School (class of 1969).  Dave was on the golf team at St. Mary's and had lots of friends.

He made his First Communion at Mother of Divine Grace Catholic Church and his Confirmation at St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church.