Roland was the last of the children born at our family's dairy farm in Elgin, Illinois.  His youngest brother David was born at the hospital.  

He started school at St. Johns in Elgin in first grade where I was attending at 5th grade.  Four years later I moved on to River Forest and Roland joined me there 4 years after that.  There was always 4 years between me and Roland and 3 years between Roland and our youngest brother David.

Many winters we spend ice skating and skiing at Lord's Park in Elgin.  Many winter mornings Orlyn, Roland and David would be in the care of their older sister Wilma and we did not make her job easy. 

Roland came very close to death when he was 7 years old and his appendix burst.  He had lengthy stay in the hospital recovering and the nurses would give him a quarter if he didn't cry when he got a shot.  Amoung the nurses caring for Roland was his older sister Erna.  He missed over 2 months of school and was skinny as a rail when he finally got out.

We worked out in the fields most summers.  We younger kids would ride and direct the horse while the older boys would handle the cultivator.  We also spent a lot of time picking weeds, milking cows and doing many of the other chores the farm required. It was tough work and we would count the days until we could go back to school and get some relief.

We did enjoy threshing time because of the festive nature.  Many different people would come together to share the work and share meals.  A large steam engine powered the threshing machine and everyone could hear the noise and see the machine work.  Roland enjoyed this a lot and the machinery.

Our farm had several dogs over the years.  Roland's favorite dog was "Jumbo". (Picture)

For many years we three younger brothers were known as "Big Schlie", "Middle Schlie" and "Little Schlie" until first Roland and later David both grew taller than me and made the title "Big Schlie" a little misleading. (Picture)

For several years we both played in the band, Roland on the Claranet and I played the Trombone.  Sometimes we toured with the band on a bus in Michigan, Wisconsin, Misouri, Ohio, Indiana, Iowa and other parts of the midwest. (Picture)

Many Sundays we would hitchhike the 30 miles back to Elgin from River Forest for Church and a home-cooked supper, with our laundry bags on our backs.

The years I missed Roland the most were the years I was at River Forest and Roland was still at St. Johns.  Even though we were in different grades we still saw each other regularly when we were at the same school.

In 1943 I graduated college from Concordia Teachers College at River Forest and Roland graduated from River Forest high school. (Picture)  

Roland joined the US Navy and I began my teaching career in Misouri.  Roland began engineering school at George Williams College in Chicago and later moved to Duke University.  Then I moved to New Albany, Indiana to teach at my first call and met my future wife, Dorothy.

While I was teaching in New Albany, Roland surprised me by showing up unexpectedly at my door.  He was hitch hiking back to Elgin from Duke on break and his route took him through Louisville.  The people around thought I was a little cuckoo because of my exited reaction upon seeing my brother out of the blue.  It was easy for guys in Navy uniforms to get a ride during the war.  (Picture)

My sister Wilma and I were able join Roland for his graduation from Duke in May of 1946. (Picture)