Biography

We were both born in Granite City, IL in the same hospital, delivered by the same doctor, in the same month, a year apart. We grew up in Edwardsville, IL and graduated from Edwardsville High School. We were high school sweet hearts and married a year after graduation.

Our two children Mark and Laura are married with their own families. Mark and Donna have a daughter Allison and a son Andrew. Laura and Clay have a son Jason and two daughters Brittany and Katie.

Ed worked for Granite City Steel for 10 years in the sales department and then in data processing. He retired after 23 years with Electronic Data Systems, starting as a programmer and ending up in marketing.

Pat taught private piano for 18 years. She then moved through several steps from photo typesetting, selling typewriters, selling graphic arts supplies and then retired from Capital Business Forms where she sold and designed business forms.

In 1987 we were allowed to take a six-month leave from our jobs to try our hand at cruising in the Bahamas. We loved the trip so much that we came back to work, planning to get things in order and retire to cruising full time. We retired in 1992 and lived aboard our sailboat the "Aura Lee" for 7 years. We sold the sailboat in July 1999 and now live aboard a 34-foot motor home that will be our home for the next several years.

When we finally grow up we may decide what we want to do with our life, but then who knows, this is so much fun we may continue forever.