Roger writes: “Perhaps the major changes in our lives these days are when the grandchildren grow up. In 2011, we left 35 years in Red Wing, Minn. to move closer to our two children and five grandchildren. Somehow, that seemed better than making many trips a week to see this active bunch in their performances. What has happened in the meantime is that our daughter’s older two have graduated high school.

Benjamin Heins graduated May 17, 2014 from University of Wisconsin Madison, with majors in history and English. People wondered how he expected find employment. Well, he is the typical liberal arts kind of guy – urbanized, progressive, creative, and a quick learner. It helps to be on the honors list. He sought work as a tech writer but other forces prevailed. A month to the day after graduation, Epic hired him for quality assurance. Epic is a digital records firm with about 7,000 employees. Benjamin, when not performing improv or reading, works with software developers to make sure their product performs in the ways wanted and is robust enough to sustain heavy use.

Anna-Marie Heins ’18 is a St. Olaf frosh, her first choice, and the fourth generation of the Sween family to become an Ole. Anna has her eye on being a curator, plans to major in art and art history, but also relishes theater production. She lives in a rather large room in the renovated Kildahl, which since Robert Hanson ’62 and I crowded into a room there, I thought the worst dorm on campus. Now I am astounded at the contrast. Anna LOVES StO. Much to my surprise, this very artsy child finds her favorite course to be “The Rise of Modern Russia.”

We live in Maplewood, Minn., strung along the east side of Saint Paul, Minn., on Maryland Avenue East in Ramsey County, a couple miles north of 3M on I94 and about three blocks from Oakdale, Minn. in Washington County. I never anticipated metropolitan life, thought we would retire to Northfield, Minn., but here we are.

We joined Pilgrim Lutheran Church, 20 miles and minutes away where our son and his family have been members for ten years prior to our arrival. Hannah (14) and Austin and Henry (9) are busy with technology, reading, acting, and singing. The twins are in Minnesota Boy Choir and all of them perform in competitive Irish Dance, thanks to the Dingle side of their family.

Pilgrim expects everyone to be active and we have been with various committees, forums, worship assistance, fund raising, and presentations. In the first year of membership, I realized I had done more than totaled the previous 35 years in the Red Wing congregation. Pilgrim calls such participation “shared ministry.” Currently, I committed to writing an article on Pilgrim for Wikipedia. The wiki requirements are more specific and exacting than I imagined from personal use of this constantly improving online tool.

Reading and writing (and subsequent thinking) are still my favorite activities. My general blog is rdsatlarge.wordpress.com. My lifelong aim is to finish a novel to my satisfaction and currently at my thirteenth attempt. I also have explored a couple serious works – Aristotle on Learning, Knowledge, Judging and Action, to be followed by Library Services as a Philosophical Enterprise.

Of all my past friends, many of whom died too young, I have the closest class of 1962 contact with Robert Erling Hanson. We have known one another since the third grade.”