Monthly Archives: June 2025
As the men, who were in reality not much more than boys, sat in the LCVP (Landing Craft Vehicle and Personnel) looking toward the beach, they knew that they had just one objective…get to that beach and start fighting. Nevertheless, their wide eyes likely betrayed their concerns about reaching the beach. They knew that many of them would not be returning from this mission, but they also knew that they would do their duty to their country and the world. While they were waiting for their turn, they could hear the gun fire. Still, when their turn came, they quietly left the relative safety of the boat and took to the water.
Many of the men drowned under the weight of their equipment, and that might have been a kinder sort of death. Those who didn’t drown would have the harder task of dodging the hail of bullets that were coming at 
them from everywhere. There really was no way to escape the bullets, because they couldn’t return to the boats, due to the men coming off behind them. They wouldn’t have turned and run anyway. That wasn’t the way of a brave soldier. They couldn’t run either, because the water they were wading through prevented any kind of fast movement. All they could do, was to slowly plod along, hoping that the bullets would somehow miss them, or miss any vital organs, thus sparing their lives.
For the soldiers who made it to shore, the bullets didn’t stop either. In fact, the firing grew heavier, and to make matters worse, the soldiers firing on them were safely tucked in reinforced concrete pillboxes that were built along the beaches. These housed machine guns, antitank guns, and artillery ranging in size up to the large 40.6 cm naval guns. The intent was to destroy Allied landing craft before they could unload, so their range was long enough to reach well into the path of the disembarking soldiers. While we all know the outcome of this very important and necessary battle, the cost was also great. Dodging bullets, while a great idea, is no easy 
task, and most people who attempt it, ultimately fail. We are proud and thankful to the brave soldiers who fought and died that day. Approximately 4,414 Allied soldiers died during the invasion, including 2,501 American, 1,449 British, 391 Canadian, and 73 from other allied countries. Their sacrifice proved that when faced with the impossible, these men would not give up. That is courage!! That is bravery!! That is the mark of a true soldier!!
My in-laws, Walt and Joann Schulenberg had a long and happy marriage. They were married 64 years before my father-in-law’s May 5, 2013, passing. My mother-in-law lived another 5 years, passing on January 4, 2018. I always felt blessed by my in-laws, who welcomed me into their family readily and happily. Immediately I felt like I was more their daughter than just a daughter-in-law, and I always felt very blessed to have this particular set of in-laws. There are people who dislike their in-laws, I was never one of those people.
My in-laws knew each other all their lives, because their parents were friends. Their mothers especially were best friends and often spent time together. That meant the kids had many playdates before they ever thought of having actual dates. By the time Joann was born, Vina and Nettie were friends. In fact, that is how Walt and Joann “famously” slept…well napped…together when he was two and she was an infant. I think that story is sweet, but my mother-in-law was always more than a little bit embarrassed, whenever the subject came up. The fact is, that early on, my mother-in-law wasn’t sure she liked my father-in-law. I have thought about that over the years and come to the conclusion that he probably had a crush on her long before he let her know. If it was at a younger age…well, we all know how clumsy boys can be when expressing their love for a girl. She probably thought he was just being annoying. My father-in-law always was a teaser, so it makes sense that he was then too.
Nevertheless, once they got together, the rest was history. They loved each other totally and completely. They raised six children together, with Dad as the breadwinner, and Mom as the keeper of the home. Mom made their 
clothes, canned vegetables and was a great cook and baker. Dad kept the place and the vehicles in good shape. Times weren’t always easy, but they always had love. Dad worked very hard, and often long hours, to take good care of his family. They were a great match, and they were very happy. Today they both live in Heaven, and I know they are still celebrating their lives together. Happy anniversary in Heaven, Mom and Dad Schulenberg. We love you, and we miss you very much.
I haven’t always been a fan of the idea that women can do the same jobs as men. I think that for the most part, there are jobs that women just can’t keep up doing. Nevertheless, like every rule, the idea of women doing a job that is traditionally a male only job, can be broken. Of course, the reality of that idea is that it takes a specific kind of woman, with a specific kind of determination, to tough it out and prove herself in a job that most women would simply never even try to do. One such job used to be, firefighting, and more specifically, smoke jumping. Just the weight of the equipment and the rugged terrain these firefighters had to deal with is more daunting than most men, much less women, would attempt. Thankfully, however, there are people out there with “the right stuff” necessary to do such a job.
It has been said of what it takes to become a smokejumper, “The physical training was rigorous, fighting fires in remote wilderness was dangerous, and jumping out of perfectly good airplanes in the vicinity of burning forest and brush fires may have been a tad crazy.” I’d say it would be considered too crazy for most of us, especially women, but Deanne Shulman was no ordinary woman…she was one very determined woman. For Shulman, the biggest challenge was that of going up against, or rather working with, the men who did not want her there. Of her experience, Shulman said, “From 1974, basically, through 1981, sexual harassment and a hostile work environment were a daily part of my life. There was no definition of sexual harassment. There was no definition of hostile work environment…nobody thought it was bad. It was kind of accepted that if you entered a male-dominated field, this is what you get.” Nevertheless, this was the field Shulman wanted to be in, and she wasn’t about to back down.
She was first hired by the U.S. Forest Service in 1974 on the Los Padres National Forest…one of two women, the first women hired on that forest in the firefighter position. She didn’t realize that she would be making history. She just wanted to fight fires. She had been discouraged repeatedly, being told that “no woman would 
ever serve on this crew!” Nevertheless, Shulman wasn’t going anywhere. She would fight for her place in this male-dominated world. As the seasons passed, Shulman began to prove herself with various fire crews, even being invited to serve on the very crew she was previously told she would never be on. Talk about an honor, or maybe a little bit of “watch me” if you don’t think so!! The harassment Shulman endured was rampant, but there was also quiet support along the way, mentors, advisers, and even peers whom she realized later had her back.
Parachuting in any capacity is more than I would want to do, but if I did, I would want a nice soft open field to land in. Not smokejumpers. They sometimes prefer landing in a tree, because it may be less hazardous than rocky, steep, uneven terrain that would be the alternative, and which posed injury risks. The risks were even greater during Shulman’s era, with the now nearly obsolete round parachute, which comes down so fast, jumpers must collapse their body frame to avoid breaking their ankles.
Shulman stuck it out to gain even more experience as a wildland firefighter, and then in 1979, she decided to try to jump into the elite world of the smokejumper. That was even harder to break into. She knew there would be a stringent physical fitness test required to break into this male-only field, so she worked out all winter to prepare herself for what was to come. She also knew there was a minimum weight requirement of 130 pounds, which makes no sense for a woman, because for many women, 130 would be overweight. Shulman weighed 125. She says, “I thought, ‘Well, I’ll just eat a lot of candy and cookies and cake, and I’ll get to 130.'” After driving from California up to the Pacific Northwest, Shulman underwent the physical tests and passed. It was only then that she was ordered to report to the hospital to get weighed. The result was exactly where she started…125 pounds. Shulman wanted to cry, but she would not give these men the satisfaction. She walked across the base to gather her things to leave. Some male colleagues stopped her to tell her no one they had ever heard of had been fired for being underweight. In fact, one male firefighter, nicknamed “Mouse,” weighed even less than Shulman, but he had come back from Vietnam after serving as a “tunnel rat,” climbing into the below-ground maze the enemy used to evade American troops. They told her that because of his service, “Mouse” had received a congressional waiver to be admitted to the smokejumper crew.
Shulman decided that if one person could get a waver, so could she. She wrote letters, appealed to higher-ups, appealed to their sense of logic, fair play, and the better angels of their nature. Her hard work paid off. In 1981, she became a smokejumper at McCall Smokejumper Base in Idaho. She quickly found herself having to prove her abilities again, but she was up for the task. Her intelligence, courage, stamina, strength, and knowledge of firefighting soon won them over, and Shulman was finally able to say, “By my fourth season, the McCall Smokejumpers were bragging that they had the first woman smokejumper.” Not only had she earned her place as a smokejumper, but she had also earned the respect of her fellow jumpers.
While people my age and beyond, know the name Amelia Earhart for a number of reasons, the main one being her mysterious disappearance while on a flight around the world, when it is presumed that her plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean, the younger generation might not know of her. Earhart was a pioneer aeronautics, at least when it came to women pilots. She developed a passion for adventure at a young age, steadily gaining flying experience from her twenties. In 1928, she became a celebrity after becoming the first female passenger to cross the Atlantic by airplane. Never content to be the passenger, she became the first woman to make a nonstop solo transatlantic flight in 1932 and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for her achievement.
Amelia Mary Earhart was born on July 24, 1897, in Atchison, Kansas. She was the daughter of Samuel “Edwin” Stanton Earhart (1867–1930) and Amelia “Amy” (née Otis; 1869–1962). Amelia was born in the home of her maternal grandfather Alfred Gideon Otis (1827–1912), who was a former judge in Kansas, the president of Atchison Savings Bank, and a leading resident of the town. Amelia was the second child of the marriage, following a stillbirth in August 1896. She was of part-German descent.
While her great aviation accomplishments led to her fame, there were a number of smaller achievements, and just plain fun types of flying that she did too. The Kansas aviatrix with a penchant for “first-time things” and a love of “shining adventure,” as she called it, flew an autogiro across the country in June 1931. Her trip took her to Wyoming, where she made stops in Cheyenne, Laramie, Parco (now named Sinclair), Rock Springs, and Le Roy, Wyoming (west of Fort Bridger). She wanted to set a transcontinental record in the awkward-looking plane, if it could be called that. It resembled a fixed-wing propeller plane with an engine on the front, but it was also equipped with four long rotor blades that spun at 100 revolutions per minute. That was much slower than the 400 revolutions per minute of modern light helicopters. The blades were above the open cockpit. The autogiro had a 52-gallon fuel tank, and it had been dubbed the “flying windmill” by the press. The small tank made frequent stops necessary. While many would have considered the frequent stops annoying, Amelia used the stops to make time to visit with local dignitaries and give flight demonstrations. Because of her quick thinking, Amelia charmed the crowds who greeted her on the ground. Amelia didn’t set the record as the first to make the transcontinental trip, being beaten out by pilot Johnny Miller. Nevertheless, undaunted, she started the return trip, but crashed the autogiro on June 12, 1931, in Abilene, Texas. Thankfully, she had managed to aim the aircraft away from the onlookers and no one was hurt. Soon a replacement autogiro was sent.
Amelia had fallen in love with George Putnam, who was a promoter of women in aviation. After he and his first wife divorced, following 20 years of marriage, Putnam and Amelia married in a simple ceremony at his mother’s home in Noank, Connecticut, on Feb. 7, 1931. That day, Amelia presented him with a blunt, rather businesslike letter outlining her wishes that the marriage not be too confining for either of them. If they found they weren’t happy after a year, then she wanted the marriage to end. Nevertheless, they remained married until her passing. Earhart and Putnam filed a mining claim and commissioned the construction of a small log cabin for 
them near the Wood River and at the base of Mount Sniffer about a mile from the old mining town of Kirwin. The contractor Jim Dunrud remembers that his mother told him that Earhart “didn’t like the limelight much.” Richard kept the correspondence between his father and George Putnam with instructions on how their vacation cabin should be built. Amelia and Putnam loved Wyoming. Following her death, in her hometown of Atchison, Kansas, an annual festival is held in late July in honor of her birthday and to celebrate the accomplishments of the aviatrix. In Wyoming, the Meeteetse Museum sponsors a trek to the old mining town of Kirwin each August, which includes a hike to the cabin site that Putnam and Earhart chose before she disappeared.
Thor Heyerdahl was a Norwegian adventurer and ethnographer with a background in biology. He specialized in zoology, botany, and geography. While he had great qualifications, Heyerdahl was most remembered for his Kon-Tiki expedition in 1947, in which he drifted 5,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean in a primitive hand-built raft from South America to the Tuamotu Islands. There was a reason for his trip, and it was not accidental or done as a form or self-rescue. The expedition was supposed to prove that the legendary sun-worshiping red-haired, bearded, and white-skinned “Tiki people” from South America drifted and colonized Polynesia first, before actual Polynesian peoples. Heyerdahl’s hyper-diffusionist ideas on ancient cultures were, for the most part, widely rejected by the scientific community, even before his famous expedition.
Heyerdahl was fascinated by various patterns he noticed between the ancient cultures. He thought that common traditions seemed like more a coincidence than a reality. So, the Norwegian adventurer decided to build a simple raft that might have been the kind used by ancient peoples, to prove that ancient cultures could have interacted with each other across oceans. In 1947, Heyerdahl sailed his raft 4,300 miles from Peru to French Polynesia. He called the raft Kon-Tiki. It was made of balsa logs and hemp rope. He was not alone in the raft, because he assumed that anyone who would have made that trip would have done so in a group setting. Finally, after 101 long days, he and his small crew arrived successfully at their destination. In Heyerdahl’s mind, the trip proved that ancient people could have made that same trip.
He liked making these unprecedented and very primitive voyages and made two more similar voyages during his life. In the Ra II expedition of 1970, Heyerdahl sailed 4,000 miles from Morocco to Barbados in a simple reed boat. And in 1977, he sailed down the Tigris River, down the Persian Gulf, and across the Arabian Sea before being forced to end his journey in the Red Sea due to local turmoil. Heyerdahl made these other voyages to demonstrate the possibility of contact between widely separated ancient peoples. But despite these trips, he couldn’t prove anything definitive. Heyerdahl had always felt like he had proved his point, but unfortunately, that didn’t mean that the scientific community was willing to accept his opinion.
Heyerdahl was married three times…first to Liv Coucheron-Torp (1936 – 1947), then to, Yvonne Dedekan-Simonson (1949 – 1969), and finally to Jacqueline Beer 1991. He had 5 children. He died on April 18, 2002, in Colla Micheri, Italy, while he was visiting close family members. The Norwegian government gave him a state funeral in Oslo Cathedral on April 26, 2002.
In life, there are things you never expected to live through, and your younger sister going to Heaven before you, is one of those things. Nevertheless, that is what happened on April 23, 2025, when my sister, Alena Stevens went home to Heaven. I know where my sister is, because she was a strong spirit-filled believer, who knew Jesus as her Lord and Savior, but for those of us left behind, every day is a challenge, with memories of her, texts we don’t get from her now, the sister dinners without her, the holiday parties now one short, the sister prayer warriors and the sister birthday greetings, also now one short. And her family now must go forward without wife, mother, and grandmother. It is so very sad for us, but for Alena, life goes infinitely forward, and it is amazing…a life we can only imagine.
Alena was a cute little girly girl, and we always knew that she would have a flare for the beautiful. She loved cutting hair, especially her own. Mom was not always a fan of that, because it meant fixing Alena’s “new do” that was invariably very short. Alena’s hair was fine, so shorter cuts worked on her, and really helped to thicken it, but since all the rest of us had long hair, Alena’s short haired look was a sure sign that she had managed to get a hold of the scissors again. While her personal cuts were a trial for our mom, Collene Spencer, Alena was also Mom’s personal hair stylist, cutting her hair and always making Mom’s hair look beautiful for her. Alena never went to cosmetology school, but rather she became an amazing educational support member. Instead, she passed that hair talent, on to her youngest child, daughter, Lacey Killinger, who did go to cosmetology school and now owns her own salon. I know that was a proud moment for my sister. Lacey’s marriage to Chris, also brought Alena two treasured grandchildren, Brooklyn and Jaxon. She loved them very much.
Alena always had a flair for decorating too. Her home is beautiful, and her style always shines through. I never thought of her as an artist, but I think she was to a great degree. Some of the ideas she used on things were stunning. She just knew what colors would look well together and she could mix design styles and have it come out beautifully. I always thought Alena’s daughter, Michelle Miller got her artistic ability from our mom, but when I think about it now, I can see that it was from her mom. Michelle went on to college and got her degree 
in art and education. I know her mom was very proud of her. When Michelle married her middle school sweetheart, Matt, it was such a happy day for Alena. She always knew they were perfect for each other.
While Alena was never a welder, and like her sisters, would have no clue how to begin, her son Garrett followed in the footsteps of our dad, Allen Spencer, and became an excellent welder. I know that was a proud moment for Alena. She thought it was very cool that Garrett took to welding just like Dad. Garrett has not only excelled in welding but is now a trained inspector too. Alena was so proud the day he passed that really tough test. When Garrett and his wife, Kayla began having children, Alena graduated to the rank of “Grandma” and she was delighted beyond words. The time she spent with Elliott and Maya was absolutely wonderful for her, and she gloried in it.
While Alena was mom and grandma, and treasured both roles, it was the life she and Mike created that was absolutely blissful. Alena and Mike were perfect for each other from the very start. Anyone who knew them could easily see how much they loved each other. Theirs was a marriage made in Heaven, and a love that will last forever. The love and kindness they showed each other was the glue that sustained them through more that 40 years of marriage. Their Christian faith flourished through the years too, and they brought their children up to love the Lord too. That is an accomplishment to be very proud of. The last few months that Alena was with us, were the hardest we have ever faced, but Mike carried the heaviest load. Since they were both retired, Mike was home with her, and he was her main support. My sisters and I were so pleased and impressed with the care that Mike gave her. Of course, I’m sure Mike would just say something like, “of course I did, I love her,” but we have all been caregivers, and we know what it entails. No matter how much a caregiver loves their patient or loved one, caregiving is not easy. Mike didn’t care about how hard it was. Alena was the love of his life, his world, and he gave her the very best care, love, and attention we have ever seen. For that we are both proud of Mike and thankful to him. We couldn’t have asked for a better brother-in-law.
Today marks Alena’s 64 birthday, and the first one in Heaven. None of us can believe this is real, but we are 
slowly facing the finality of it. The entire Stevens family is in my thoughts and prayers today, as they face the first of many of her birthdays without Alena. Happy first birthday in Heaven, Alena. I know the party there will be way better than any we could put on here, but we sure wish you were here anyway. We love and miss you very much.
When your child is young, you sometimes see traits that carry into their future, and you can almost see their lives mapped out from the very start. Other children seem to show their true selves a little bit at a time, sometimes over a few years, and other times changing over their whole lives. My younger daughter, Amy Royce is a blend of these things. From a very young age, Amy did not want to be the same as her older sister, Corrie Petersen. It wasn’t that she didn’t like who Corrie was, but rather that Amy didn’t want to be a carbon copy. She wanted to be her own person. I get that, and I got it when she was young, because it just made sense. Amy was a different person, and she wanted to make sure that her own style and ideas for her life came out.
While Amy’s own style and tastes were always allowed to flourish, she also showed some typical kid 
characteristics, like a cluttered room and definite preference not to “waste time” cleaning the room any more than absolutely necessary. While she was growing up, I figured she would be the “clutter queen” child, because Corrie was always the clean freak. I just knew Amy would not be the “Susie Homemaker” type. Boy was I wrong!! As Amy grew up and got her own place, her “Susie Homemaker” side suddenly arrived. She loved having a cozy home that was well decorated and much of that decor was of her own style and much of it created by Amy, who’s artistic side appeared and so flourished as she got older. Who knew there was an artist in there?
While Amy’s house became a showplace, her yard became even more a showcase, especially the back yard. Amy has a great flair for gardening, and her beautiful gardens show that prowess very well. Is there such a 
thing as “Susie Gardener” by chance, because if there is, Amy is that person. She is always picking out unusual flowers to add to the uniqueness of her garden and her yard. Of course, her husband, Travis helps with the yard and the beauty therein too, but not the flowers. That is Amy’s department. Nevertheless, their place is beautiful, and so relaxing. They have added a covered lanai that attaches to their rec room-tavern, and their home has become the place where everyone wants to hang out. I never would have guessed that Amy would be the crafty, gardener type, but she has found and shown off that side of herself over the years quite nicely. I’m very proud of the woman she has become. Today is Amy’s birthday. Happy birthday Amy!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
