LEN'S LINES -- A Little Religion On A Positive Note By Len Granger

A Life Of Blessings

This column is a little different as it tells about the the life of this writer whom turned 82 years young this week. My children, grands, and greats gathered to give me a birthday party and they wanted a story about my life. Also as a new member of Toastmasters, this also became my first talk introducing my life. It has been an interesting time of adventure and travel which I was able to share with my wife before she went home.

I was not expected to live as a newborn baby, according to my mother. The doctors told her I had medical problems including a heart murmur and was not gaining weight as a normal baby. My parents prayed for the Lords help and He answered their prayers. So I was born on Sep 27, 1932, in the bad depression year. in Waterloo, Iowa. My full name is Leonard Allen Granger but go now by Len.

As a child I recall people asking my mother why don't you feed Len, he looks so pale and thin. During high school I played in the band and my brother was a standout football star . The girls wanted to go out on dates with me just to talk about my brother, so I had few dates.

After high school, I graduated from Gates Business College and worked at Rath Packing Co, training in management. Most of the co-workers were ex Army Air Force so I joined the AF and headed for California. Here I met my wife, a great dancer, at a USO high school dance, I was able to talk to her for about a half hour and told her I had gone to business college, and did not smoke, drink or dance. Then she asked if I would like to go home with her and meet her parents. What a surprise for a country pumpkin like me from Iowa, fast California gals.?

I never learned to dance, but we were engaged in 3 months and married at 6 months when she finished high school. I was 20 and she was 17 so our parents signed for us to get married I was a 1 strip GI and she was the daughter of the superintendent of the General Motors assembly plant in San Leandro, CA , so we had many adjustments in our life style. I learned to duck when cans of beans were thrown at me and that stopped when they went through a glass window. I was kicked out of bed and broke 2 ribs the second week of marriage. But I learned how to tame her down and we did our own dance having 6 children in our 55 years of marriage.

I stayed in the Air Force for 23 years and we traveled to all the states except AK and HI, serving at bases in many of them. Spent 4 years in Greece, with the 7206 Support Group, assigned to the Athens Airport and attached to the American Embassy . There the Lord protected me and took me off a flight out of Naples, Italy before it crashed and all on board were killed. I was also an OSI ,Office Of Special Investigations Agent mole, so was sent all over Europe and the states. My last assignment was at Beale AFB, CA and retired there in 1973. Graduated from Yuba College and soon had five businesses with 17 employees and two houses, In 1983, sold everything and moved back to the farm and home we built in 1960 while stationed at Travis AFB, CA.

I have always put my faith in Lord and He has blessed me over and over, Today I write a newspaper column for the local paper, called Lens Lines. Have been in the wholesale fishing tackle industry for past 43 years as a wagon jobber to stores and marinas. I try to give back from the farm the produce and meat from the beef cattle to help those in need .

Over the years, I have tried to do a little better than what my name initials indicate. It has taken me all my life, with help from above, to be were I am today. But I am still Leonard Allen Granger, yes it is L.A.G. when I print my initials.

LEN'S LINES -- A Little Religion On A Positive Note By Len Granger

A Life Of Blessings

This column is a little different as it tells about the the life of this writer whom turned 82 years young this week. My children, grands, and greats gathered to give me a birthday party and they wanted a story about my life. Also as a new member of Toastmasters, this also became my first talk introducing my life. It has been an interesting time of adventure and travel which I was able to share with my wife before she went home.

I was not expected to live as a newborn baby, according to my mother. The doctors told her I had medical problems including a heart murmur and was not gaining weight as a normal baby. My parents prayed for the Lords help and He answered their prayers. So I was born on Sep 27, 1932, in the bad depression year. in Waterloo, Iowa. My full name is Leonard Allen Granger but go now by Len.

As a child I recall people asking my mother why don't you feed Len, he looks so pale and thin. During high school I played in the band and my brother was a standout football star . The girls wanted to go out on dates with me just to talk about my brother, so I had few dates.

After high school, I graduated from Gates Business College and worked at Rath Packing Co, training in management. Most of the co-workers were ex Army Air Force so I joined the AF and headed for California. Here I met my wife, a great dancer, at a USO high school dance, I was able to talk to her for about a half hour and told her I had gone to business college, and did not smoke, drink or dance. Then she asked if I would like to go home with her and meet her parents. What a surprise for a country pumpkin like me from Iowa, fast California gals.?

I never learned to dance, but we were engaged in 3 months and married at 6 months when she finished high school. I was 20 and she was 17 so our parents signed for us to get married I was a 1 strip GI and she was the daughter of the superintendent of the General Motors assembly plant in San Leandro, CA , so we had many adjustments in our life style. I learned to duck when cans of beans were thrown at me and that stopped when they went through a glass window. I was kicked out of bed and broke 2 ribs the second week of marriage. But I learned how to tame her down and we did our own dance having 6 children in our 55 years of marriage.

I stayed in the Air Force for 23 years and we traveled to all the states except AK and HI, serving at bases in many of them. Spent 4 years in Greece, with the 7206 Support Group, assigned to the Athens Airport and attached to the American Embassy . There the Lord protected me and took me off a flight out of Naples, Italy before it crashed and all on board were killed. I was also an OSI ,Office Of Special Investigations Agent mole, so was sent all over Europe and the states. My last assignment was at Beale AFB, CA and retired there in 1973. Graduated from Yuba College and soon had five businesses with 17 employees and two houses, In 1983, sold everything and moved back to the farm and home we built in 1960 while stationed at Travis AFB, CA.

I have always put my faith in Lord and He has blessed me over and over, Today I write a newspaper column for the local paper, called Lens Lines. Have been in the wholesale fishing tackle industry for past 43 years as a wagon jobber to stores and marinas. I try to give back from the farm the produce and meat from the beef cattle to help those in need .

Over the years, I have tried to do a little better than what my name initials indicate. It has taken me all my life, with help from above, to be were I am today. But I am still Leonard Allen Granger, yes it is L.A.G. when I print my initials.