Tennison Family

Barbara and I met in Annapolis, Maryland in 1972. I was six years into a Navy career, stationed at the Naval Academy, and she was a transplanted southern belle from Guntersville, Alabama.

I was raised in Alaska, loved playing in the great outdoors and would much rather go skiing than dancing. Campfires and starry skies, quiet wilderness, these were the good things in life for me. Barbara had, had enough of the country life growing up. Living on small farms, plucking chickens & picking cotton had instilled in her a great love of city lights.

I had a five year old daughter (the beautiful Christina) from an unfortunate previous marriage. I hadn t seen her in three years due to a falling out with her mother. Didn t see her again for 27 years, but that s another story. Barbara was single and loving every minute of it.

As you can see, we were made for each other so she got me drunk and married me.

We spent the first three years living in Gaeta, Italy and the nex ten years in Great Lakes, IL; Virginia Beach, VA; Seattle, WA; Mayport, FL; and San Diego, CA. Then, in 1988, I retired from the Navy and we moved to Oregon. Barbara had been working in various jobs, mostly Sears, while we moved around the country. She gave up a promising career with Sears when we moved to Italy and was more than happy to settle in to a full time career in retail again (Sears, Wal-Mart and now Bi-Mart). I began a second career as a dispatcher at the local Police Dept, from which I recently retired.

We have two sons (Aaron Jay, lives in Bremerton, WA, and Tyrel Scott, lives in Cottage Grove, OR, using his GI Bill) and of course my daughter (Christina Lynn, lives in Willow, AK), reunited and happy in her role as big sister. She loves being the boss, can t imagine where she gets that.

Now that I ve retired again, hopefully I ll have time to travel and see more of this great country. I m planning a trip up the Alaska Highway sometime next year. It ll be my first time back in 35 years.