Get to Know Me!


Once our kids were out of college, we decided to do something completely different, so; I became a flatbed truck driver for 'Central Oregon Truck Company' operating out of Redmond Oregon.  Our thought, "Let's travel and see the country, while getting paid for it."  Well, after a year, my wife Jackie said, "I've seen enough!"   So, we moved to Bloomington Nebraska five years ago to start work on our retirement home, "The Old Bloomington Methodist Church'. 


Why Bloomington?  Well, my wife's family originally was from here.  Her dad, (Robert Hogeland), was born one mile north on the old Hogeland, place now owned by the Kahrs. Jackie's Great Granddad was also one of Bloomington's first businessmen who owned 'The Peterson's Bakery', which was located across from the courthouse, (now the city park), from the eighteen eighties until sometime in the early nineteen hundreds.  And Jackie, being part of the Hogeland clan from Alma, has family all over the area.


​My wife, Jackie, and I have been married for 35 years and we have two terrific daughters. Both our daughters attended and graduated from a private Christian School in Oregon.  Molly is a graphic designer who is married to a terrific young man, Paapa hMensa, from Ghana, Africa. He is an awesome musician with a business/finance degree and is one of the smartest young men I know.  Megan is an airline pilot for Alaska Airlines. She is career focused, loves just about all outdoor activities, and her true loves are her two dogs, River and Smokie.


I am currently serving as the Adjutant for the Bloomington American Legion Post #145. Our mission is to serve the needs of the community as well as veterans. We are a small post; however, it's our mission to continue the tradition of members who served before us. I for one believe it's our duty to honor all those who served in the military and pay our respects to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the service of our country. I also believe it's important to promote leadership within our communities of young men and women. If you served in the military, I strongly encourage you to get involved.

Previous Careers:
NCRA - McPherson Kansas (10 Years)
     Boiler Fireman
     Pipefitter
Self Employed Contractor / Internet Marketer - (3 Years)
     Hays Kansas,
     Home Improvement Contractor
     Internet Marketing Consultant / Lead Generation
Self Employed Contractor / Internet Marketer (7 Years)
     Central Oregon,
     Internet Marketing Consultant / Lead Generation
     Day Trader / Currency Future Trading
Janitorial Sales - Eastern Oregon (7 Years)
     All of Oregon east of the cascade mountain range.
     Serviced Schools, Hospitals, Colleges and Businesses
Flatbed Truck Driver - (8 Years)
     Over 1 million miles over the road without a ticket or accident.
     TSA Fast Track, Canada Fast Pass, TWIC, Bonded, Security & ICAN Clearance
     Endorsements: Doubles, Triples, Tanker, Hazmat, Passenger Bus, School Bus

Education:
Canton-Galva High School - Canton, Kansas
Bethany College - Lindsborg, Kansas
Kansas University - Lawrence, Kansas
Hutchinson Community College - Hutchinson, Kansas
San Diego Community College - San Diego, California
Olympic College - Bremerton, Washington
Western Baptist University - Salem, Oregon​

Military Service:
I served eight years in the US Navy. I finished my first enlistment tour as an Interior Communications Electrician (IC2) on board the aircraft carrier USS Ranger. I was the Petty Officer in charge of AFT IC as a Petty Officer 2nd class and was responsible for all onboard navigational, propulsion and security alarm systems. I then cross rated to become an (MN2), Mineman 2nd Class Petty Officer and became proficient in Mine Warfare for both land and sea Mines, Weapons and Ordinance.  I finished by Naval career In Hutchinson Kansas in the Mine Warfare Naval Reserve unit. 

Degrees and Certifications:
US Navy Certifications:
     Basic Electricity and Electronics
     IC Class A School
     FZ Security Alarm Systems
     Propulsion Alarm Systems​
     Mine Warfare Ordinance Training
Welding Certification - Hesston Corporation
Heavy Equipment Certification - Kansas
Industrial Fire Training and Rescue - Texas A&M
Industrial Hazmat - NCRA
EMT Responder - Certified Kansas Course
Contractor’s License - Kansas & Oregon
CDL Truck Driving Certification - IITR Redmond Oregon
Bachelor’s Degree - Political Science / Personal Communications 


Community Services

Adair Cristian School Board

Oregon Forrest and Public Parks Board Member

Eastern Oregon Land Management & Recreation Trustee

Deschutes County Rifle Range Board


Frame Off Restoration Hobby:
I have always enjoyed working on cars as a hobby.  In time and through word of mouth, what started out being a simple passion, became a full frame off restoration part time business.  I only took on one project at a time but over the years I have completely restored the following vehicles.
     - 1953 Mercury (2 door) Coupe
     - 1966 Ford (short bed) pickup
     - 1949 Lincoln (4 door) Sedan
     - 1960 Chevy Apache pickup
     - 1953 Packard Convertible
     - 1979 International Scout II

150-Year-Old Bloomington Historical Building

Originally, we were going to build in Bloomington; however, we decided to save and restore one of the oldest structures in Bloomington known as the “Old Methodist Church”.  And, here is what we’ve learned so far about this old building the during the renovation process.

When the original Methodist Episcopal Church burned down on February 2nd, 1936, they purchased this building from the Baptist.  At that time, there was a single door and two windows on the west side of the building and one back door on the east side of the building.  There were no windows on the north or the south side, there was no basement, the siding was simple one inch board siding and there was no exterior chimney, but rather, and inside chimney leading to a pot belly stove.

The Methodist Congregation built the basement, added the outside chimney to accommodate the coal furnace, installed the double door on the front and added the windows you now see on the north and south side of the building.  In addition, they also replaced the old siding with cedar siding, replaced the inside shiplap walls with plaster and lathe and added electricity for lighting.
 

On February 2nd, 1948, fire struck again, and a substantial remodel took place again.  This time they replaced the old coal furnace to a more modern heating system, added plumbing for a toilet and dug a simple cistern on the south side of building. The only additional improvements we know about after that date, is, they added a third layer of roofing and a second layer of siding in the early 1990's.

According to letters and historical documents we were able to locate at the franklin county museum as well as the courthouse, here is what our research has uncovered thus far.  Prior to the Methodist purchasing this building, (the property the building currently resides on), was purchased from Louise Kern by Baptist Church trustees Joel Butler and Loyde Williams in 1878.  At that time, Church services were being held in member's homes while raising money to build a Church. 

In 1880 they decided to purchase an existing building located in the school district section, just west of town.  This building was being used as storage by the newly built school and was referred to in letters as the old Waterloo School House.  So far, we have no other documentation confirming this to be true; so, if anyone has any old family letters, deeds or documents to fact check this, we would truly appreciate your input!  If this, truly is the "Old Waterloo School House", we could tie it to documentation stating that the first worship services in Bloomington were held by Reverend Townsend in the "Old Waterloo School House", which would make this one of the oldest standing buildings in Bloomington as well as Franklin County. 

After purchasing this building, they moved it to its current location of 900 Nebraska Ave.  The exact date of when it was moved is unclear; however, we know it was here in 1901 from old photographs.  Also, during this same time period the property was transferred to the First Baptist Convention Corporation, and we know this because the Methodist purchased it from the First Baptist Convention Corporation in 1936.

During the time the Baptist Church used this building, it had a pot belly stove with an inside chimney on the east side of the church.  On the west side, there was a single door with a window on each side, as well as a back door on the east side. There was no running water or sewer.  They used oil lamps for lighting and without windows on either the north or south side, it truly had to be a cold and dark dreary place.   An account from a letter to the First Baptist Convention, states, "Our membership continues to fall due to members joining more up to date Churches in the community and we fear that we will have to close our doors if we do not make improvements to our Church Building."

For those interested, all the lumber in this building is rough cut milled lumber. After having test run on multiple samples, we know much of the lumber is cotton wood, along with pine, walnut, bur-oak and elm.  All the lumber is true dimensional, however, we don't know for sure if the lumber was cut and milled locally or if it was shipped in.  In addition, the square nails used are pre 1890 according to the collector I sent samples to.

It's our hope to preserve this building to allow future generations of our community to enjoy it for years to come.  Whatever capacity this old building may be used for in the future, we count it a privilege to have contributed to its restoration.  ​​