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Today's Featured Biography

Gerald Schmelter

Life started in Hobart Indiana on April 1, 1942. Yes, April Fool’s Day! As the oldest of twelve (4 boys & 8 girls) I started
my career delivering Sunday newspapers, after my fulltime profession as an altar boy. I moved on at 10 to working for
Bill Walker (a neighbor to my grandparents) at his Standard Gas Station. So learning to sweep driveways of sand and
snow, clean toilets, change oil, and fix flats was on my resume when I entered Noll after diligently saving for my tuition.
At the end of my sophomore year I went to work as a stock boy at Wilson's Pharmacy in Hobart. It was later sold
in towards the end of my senior year, and became Browns Pharmacy. My freshman year at Noll I went out for football. I
can still remember the well worn equipment, and locker room dungeon below the gym. Our first practice consisted of
the running backs taking kick off's individually and returning them against the 11 men on defense. I lasted up until our
first game. Commuting everyday from Hobart starting at 4:30 am with my Dad, to waiting on him to 6:00 pm after
school, and football practice left me little time for study when I got home. So I quit football. So freshman and
sophomore years were insignificant at Noll. Things started taking shape junior year after I got my driver’s license. So
running errands for the nuns got me a few perks the last two years as did being a hall monitor. Some of the fun things
were passing out Feenamint laxative gum in Chicklet's boxes to the moochers. Tossing Jujubes in the antique light
fixtures in English class on the second floor of the old building. How about World's Finest Chocolate instead of
typewriter ribbon. But, graduation week was probably the most fun.
Upon graduation I decided to try Indiana Univ. NW and study Bus. Admin. While there I went to work at Youngstown
Sheet & Tube, but the money was so good I drifted away from school and out into the real world. From there I took a job
with Western & Southern Life Insurance, married in 1965, and had two sons: Michael 43 who graduated from Purdue,
and is currently a project engineer with a web design company, and who just took the Indiana Bar. He is married and has
two daughters: Eleanor & Abigail. John 42 a lineman with NIPSCO, is married and has 4 daughters: Julie, Laura, Gabrella,
& Isabella. Both make their homes in Valparaiso.
In 1967 I went to work for Texaco Credit in Chicago, and later transferred to Houston in 1969 with Texaco when it closed
its Chicago office. In 1969 I also finished my six years of service in the US Marine Corp Reserve with an Honorable
Discharge. In 1970 divorced, and remarried and had one daughter Renee 39 who graduated from the Univ. of Texas
with a degree in Kinesiology, and is now runs a business with her husband Richard called Crow Ink, (Photography &
Printing). They reside in Lake Tawakoni, Texas.
I did a brief tour with Texaco in Richmond Virginia, but missed Houston so much I left there in '74. When I got back to
Houston I went to work for the City of Houston Tax Department (Ad Valorem Taxes). In 1979 I divorced, and remarried.
That marriage ended in divorce in 1995 with no children. In 1987 I went to work at HGB&W a law firm that had the
cities collection program for delinquent taxes. I left there in 1994, and over the next 10 years I worked for: Federated
Department Stores, Verizon, GE Capital, Petroleum Wholesale, and finally Fleetcor before retiring in '2004.
I spent some time traveling the Northeast, East, Southeast, Mid-West, and Southwest of the US. Barbados, Canada,
Puerto Rico, Cozumel, Matazlan, Belize, and Australia. Presently I am in a committed relationship with Shelly a very
lovely and delightful Barbadian I met two years ago on Match.com. I now reside between Barbados and Houston,
enjoying my leisure time playing golf, tennis, and travelling. I journey back each year to the region for Labor Day and our
family's annual cookout, and usually ND's first game.

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