My Portfolio

Why Legacy Talks came into being: A survey of Baby Boomers and their parents, conducted by the Allianz American Legacy Study, were asked to rank their priorities when it comes to passing down an inheritance. Despite the perceived importance these generations place on leaving a legacy, only a small fraction has...

On the road… again! Afghanistan to Zambia Chronicles of a Footloose Forester By Dick Pellek   The Titanic Was Only 2 ½ Miles Away   Who would say such a thing, unless they were on the ocean, in a ship?  After all, the Titanic still lies silently at a depth of...

VISITNG ANGELS HOME CARE PARTNERS WITH LEGACY STORIES TO LAUNCH LEGACY TALKS, REMINISCING WITH PURPOSE Visiting Angels, one of the largest home care franchisers in the United States, has launched a new photo reminiscing service called, “Legacy Talks.” Developed by the team at Legacy Stories, Legacy Talks helps seniors take a...

    Here lie the remains of the ring that at one time brought memories of my grandmother and great-grandmother!  No longer a ring but only worn out gems—a golden band destroyed of its original form and beauty.  The dastardly culprit I can still see in my mind’s eye with a smug...

                  Thanksgiving celebrating means different things to different people even within the same family!  My husband Tom grew up in the South and my young years were spread all over the country thanks to Dad’s Air Force career.  I’ll begin with my experiences and relate how they fit...

      My Certificate of Baptism shows that I was baptized in the Holy Family Catholic Church in Lisbon Falls, Maine on July 20, 1941.  That made me 3 ½ months old as I was born April 8th of that year.  My God Parents were my Uncle Joseph Frederick Witham, my...

     At the stroke of midnight my husband held me in his arms and expressed his love for me.  We had been reflecting all day on the wonder of this millennium year with the help of ABC News coverage of world-wide celebrations.  He let a few minutes elapse then handed me...

This is my grandparents Elmer and Ethel (St. Germain) Pierre. They were married on 15 October 1935. This was taken at the Como Park Conservatory in St. Paul, Minnesota.

              I have seemed to find answers to life’s perplexities by walking in “Godly places”.  Just where do we find such places?  They are all around us!  As a child I enjoyed walking down streams of water that flowed from concrete drains that were used to keep the streets from flooding...

On the road…again! Afghanistan to Zambia Chronicles of a Footloose Forester By Dick Pellek   Encroachers vs. Squatters   In American style football, the penalty for offsides is 5 yards.  An infraction of the neutral zone also carries a 5-yard penalty.  When the referee blows the whistle for encroachment, the offending...

 Adelbert Ross Crosby, Jr. was the first child and only son of an impatient and cantankerous man whose main virtues were to teach “Bert” a lifelong love of mechanical equipment and of guns for their deer hunting expeditions. Bert openly expressed love for his mother and respect for his father.     ...

             Writing this story hopefully will help me to finally overcome the injury to my inner “creative child”.  Who would have thought that a casual comment could have caused so much pain!  This happened in 1958—my senior year at Sacred Heart Academy.  The teacher was Sister Mary Columba, a nun...

     Neldon and Diane Jensen were raised in Salem, moved away, and now they are back. Diane is the daughter of Howard and Lois Roper.  She was born in the same house she grew up in on 500 East. She had three brothers and two sisters, and she was second to...

It all started when we were faced with making room for my son and his family to visit for Thanksgiving. My husband brought out four boxes of unsorted photos and said, “This is your job.” Yikes! I knew better than to start the sorting process with company coming, but cleaning up...

My fourth great grandfather Alexander MacLean, Sr. was born in 1709 on the Isle of Mull. His mother died the night he was born. His father left Mull bringing young Alexander to County Antrim, Ireland, where his father remarried. Sometime between 1725 and 1730 young Alexander sailed from County Antrim to...

On the road…again! Afghanistan to Zambia Chronicles of a Footloose Forester By Dick Pellek   Poor Communication, Poor Coordination   The petulant side of the Footloose Forester once again emerged in a dream of days gone by.  In the vein of a storyteller, he realized that by stringing together enough examples...

My Life Story Chapter 1: Looking Back My life has been something like a card game. I did the best with the cards I was dealt. While married, I worked as an Electrician. My department manager inspired me to pursue an Engineering Degree. Knowing that college and my job would keep...

On the road… again! Afghanistan to Zambia Chronicles of a Footloose Forester By Dick Pellek   Some Things You Can Make Up   People get bored quite easily. To counter that, many a youngster with an active mind tries to attract attention with their own personality traits that shout out, “I’m...

On the road…again! Afghanistan to Zambia C hronicles of a Footloose Forester By Dick Pellek   Cap And Gown Are Not For Me   "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind? [Luke: 7:24].  But what did you go to see?  A man...

Teenagers and their grandparent’s generation have more in common than most believe, and they have mutual gifts to offer one another. Creating an intergenerational legacy is among the most rewarding and memorable projects they can share. In an online article entitled Understanding the Elderly, Dr. Beverly Block, a staff psychotherapist with...