Ernie and Leola, plus all five of their living children, are NAVVF members. Ernie is a charter member who supported the founding of NAVVF and served on the initial board of directors. Son Rick was elected to the board in 2000 and son and daughter-in-law, Rodney and Julie, will host the 2002 NAVVF Reunion in Chattanooga, TN. It is good news that the "next generation" is taking active roles in our national family and thus assuring continuation of NAVVF as a vital and growing organization for future generations.

Leola and Ernie are retired from careers in social work and science. They raised their family of six children in the Ann Arbor, MI area where Leola worked in mental health and Ernie was involved with research and development of space experiments for NASA. Ernie's major task was engineering manager for the APOLLO Lunar Surface Experiments. (Yes, all that equipment, deployed by the astronauts in the six trips to the moon, is still up there.)

After the work with NASA was finished they moved to Pennsylvania. Leola continued social work with various age groups-children, youth and the elderly. She retired from the Bucks County Children and Youth Agency as social work supervisor in 1987. Ernie worked for the Leeds & Northrop Co. in charge of its research and development contracts from 1973 until retirement in 1987. They continue to live in beautiful Bucks County, PA where they are involved with church and community programs during the winter and spend their summers at their lake cottage in Michigan.