The Life & Times of Richard Swartzendruber

1960 Graduation.
1961 Enlisted in the Army with Pat Harney. Six months later, honorable discharge from the Army with a crushed ankle.
1963 Traveled to Albany, Oregon to visit my sister Gladys. I liked the west coast so much that I got a job and stayed in Albany.
1964-1967 I worked as a police officer.
1968 I received a grant to attend the new Linn-Benton Community college in Albany,Oregon toward a degree in criminal justice. While there I helped organize a student government and in 1969 I ran for and was elected the very first student body president of LBCC.
1970 I received my AA Degree from Linn-Benton Community College. Then I also married my wonderful wife LaVonne who is from the Albany area.
1972 I received my BS Degree in criminal justice from Oregon College of Education in Monmouth, Oregon.
1975 I was hired as a Deputy Sheriff for the Washoe County Sheriff's Dept. in Reno Nevada. At this time we moved from Albany, Oregon to Reno.
1982 After a two year process, I received my State of Nevada Private Investigators License and my State of Nevada Repossession License. Both licenses were used to start a new company named Pathfinder Technology Inc. I operated this company from Reno for 21 years and then I sold the company. My wife LaVonne worked for Safeway stores Inc. in their District Office here in Reno, Nevada.
1986 We bought two and a half acres on the north hill overlooking downtown Reno. There is one other two and a half acre parcel on the west side of our lot. There is a regional park that goes all the way around both our parcels so there is no other private land near us and we have a beautiful view of downtown Reno and the mountains southwest of us. Also we have two daughters who are married and live in Reno. Our first grandchild [a daughter] was born on my birthday in 1986. We are now blessed with two grandsons and four grand daughters.
1990 We bought a Hiller Helicopter through our Pathfinder company. This helicopter would carry a pilot and two passengers. Back when we lived in Oregon in 1970 we were half owners of a hiller helicopter and I at that time had received my private helicopter license. Washoe County Sheriff's Dept. has a large search and rescue department made up of volunteers all controlled by a Sergeant and a Deputy. There are nine different groups within this body,such as ATV, Four Wheel Drives, Snowmobiles, Ski Team, Water Dive Team, Search Dogs, Man Tracker ,communications and the Air Squadron. I joined the air Squadron with the helicopter. There were about 18 airplanes and our one helicopter in the squadron at that time. Each aircraft is privately owned and is called out for a search as needed by the Deputies. All search time is a donation to the county with a motto "So Others May Live". This was very rewarding for me to be able to fly helicopter and also help people in distress in so many different ways. "Yes we do save some lives". When called out, each aircraft must have the pilot and one observer.
1992 I received my commercial helicopter license and was able to do for hire work in addition to the sheriff dept. activities. The sheriff dept. did not own a helicopter until about 1997 so I got to do a lot of police activity for about seven years.
1992-2004 Lots of work and not much else to brag about so lets get to the end of this story already.
2004 At the end of December the business was sold and I became somewhat retired. The last two weekend of December 2004 we got four foot of snow each for a total of eight feet. That was the most we have ever received at one time since we have lived in Reno.
2005 Built a 1500 square foot shop at home to keep the helicopter in but later this year we sold the helicopter. I finally had rotator cuff surgery on my left shoulder and it healed very well. LaVonne retired from Safeway after 35 years of loyal service.
2006 We went on an Alaska Cruise which was the best so far out of three. We bought a 29 foot fifth wheel Montana travel trailer which now sits inside the very nice shop. We do local camping and several trips to Oregon with the Montana.
2008 We did a Caribbean cruise which was A OK but not like Alaska.
2009 In the spring I went in to have my annual pilots license physical and was informed that I had prostate cancer. God was looking out for me because I learned that here in Reno we have a leading Institute For Cancer Center where they have the newest Tomo Therapy Radiation treatment. This is where they kill the cancer cells and leave all the good cells live. I went through eight weeks of Tomo Radiation treatments. Now my PSA numbers are going down and the Doctor says the cancer is gone. Once this was done we took a cruise up the St.Lawrence sea way and back down to Boston. Then we rented a car and drove to Niagara Falls and back to Boston to fly home from there. I have been working part time for the Sheriff's Dept. as a court security officer and I used to fly the Sheriff helicopter once in a while BUT right now I am doing nothing because on December 10,2009 I had surgery on my right shoulder to repair a large rotator cuff injury. It is now almost four weeks and I am doing well but there was more pain and longer time to heal than when I had the left side done. I guess you could say this is my reason why I cannot go on the work trip this month. I am hoping that 2010 will bring less stress and more relaxation. I will be 10-42 for now.

A series of pictures will follow in another posting.

Wishing you a very blessed New Year.

We are looking forward to reading about the mission trip to Ecuador. I trust the Troyer's will do their fine job of reporting via their blog. We were tempted but this just was not the year for us to go along. It will be an experience of a lifetime. Savor, enjoy and thank God for opportunities to share yourselves.

We will be leaving soon for South Texas, which means the blogging will begin again. So if you want to catch up on what is going on with the Litwillers, just check out Litwiller Travels Blog.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

VELDA AND JIM CHAPMAN

Mission Trip to Ecuador

As of November 22, six class members have decided to join the group. A total of 12 people have joined the team from around the country. We are still talking with several others and hope to have a group of 14 to 16 people.

Several class members have either sent or have promised to send financial support for the supplies. A big "thank you" to this group!

Anna Hochstedler has recently written a comment to the posting of Martha which I will re-print below:

Jim and I officially committed ourselves to going on the mission trip to Ecuador. I have always dreamed of going to some place where there is an orphanage and now I have the chance. We are so excited to go and know God has something special for all of us. Come on some of you others, lets make a dent in our class list for January work project. Anna

The ecouragement from Anna is very direct. There is still time for any of you who have had second thoughts to join the group.

Where is everyone?

What's happening to all the bloggers? We were on a roll but seems like we have resorted to email. Is that because some folks don't like to blog?

Mission Trip to the Blue Fields of Nicaragua

Thought I would add a few lines on by recent Mission trip to Nicaragua. We left Paradise at 3 pm on July 8th and returned at 1 am July 22. It was arranged through the Quiet Hour of Southern Ca. There was 25 from Paradise, 12 from West Virginia, 3 from Washington State, 1 from Atlanta and 3 from Michigan.
We went to build a Church, do Medical work, and in the evening we would have Vacation Bible school, and Evangelistic series. For an example the vacation Bible school had 25 the first night and by the 3rd night there were over 125.
My main job was to help with the building of the Church, which became difficult, because it rained 6 to 8 inches a day. Many Miracles happened. One was when we were laying the foundation, we really couldn't work in the rain. And as a big black cloud approached, we prayed it would pass. It separated and poured rain on both sides, and we only got a few sprinkles. Praise God. Also many miracles in the medical work, where they seen over a thousand patients.
It's very humbling to see how Happy people seem to be, and with smiles on there faces, with little or nothing. And we in America, who have way to much Stuff, seem to be always complaining. I could go on but for now I will say so long. Dennis
Read: James 2:5 and as Winston Churchill said "We are stripped bare by the curse of plenty."

If you haven't been on a Mission trip, I highly recommend. I've been on 5 and you never return with out being a changed person, and thanking God you have been Blessed, to live in the USA.

We had a delicious dinner tonight in a lovely Italian Restaurant
with Nelson and Margaret Gingerich.

We spent the day in Anchorage. We went to the Mennonite church this morning and then to the downtown market this afternoon with our friends, the Martins. Late afternoon we enjoyed a visit in the home of Nelson and Margaret. We saw fabulous artwork in many forms in their home. Margaret has made marvelous picture quilt wall hangings and she also shared a lovely slide presentation of a recent trip to Tennessee. Nelson has been making beautiful vases out of wood. It was so good to reconnect with them.

We also drove down 4th street in downtown Anchorage, where the Iditarod Sled Race begins every March. Yes, Wilbur had goose bumps.