Christmas 2001

David lives in Seabrook, TX, near NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Houston, where he designs/tests robots for construction/ maintenance of the International Space Station. He also researches ways to control advanced life support systems to be used for Lunar and Martian colonies. His private company -- Texas Robotics and Automation Center – works on government contracts. This year he co-founded a second company -- Technobotics Inc. -- that has begun working with Gene-Cell, Inc. (a Houston genetics company) to study the automation of gene therapy techniques. Several patents are being applied for in this area by Technobotics. David was very busy again traveling, giving talks & workshops, and consulting on artificial intelligence and robotics -- Mountain View, CA; Los Angeles; San Luis Obispo; Seattle; Washington, DC; Bozeman, MT; Minneapolis; Pittsburgh; Langley, VA; Paris; and Linköpings U., Sweden. He was scheduled to give workshops in October in Amsterdam, and in Saarbrücken, Germany, but they were cancelled due to government travel restrictions after Sept. 11. In Bozeman, David stayed at the Big Sky Resort and got in some skiing. While in Seattle he made a side trip by ferry to Victoria, Canada. On September 11, David was scheduled to fly out of Pittsburgh. When an airliner crashed just east of Pittsburgh that day, there was some concern about David’s safety. It was later learned that the flight originated in Newark, NJ. However, David was grounded in Pittsburgh from Tuesday until Friday. When in DC, David would get together with Steve, Jane, Oliver, and Katy. In April he went to Boston to watch Katy and Jane run the Marathon, and help Steve babysit Oliver. This year again David used his wine expertise and provided all the wine for family reunions at Thanksgiving and Christmas. All the wine at Christmas came from the Wollersheim Winery, Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin.

Suzie, Jerry, Kaitlyn (7) & Michael/”Micha” (2½) live in Middleton, WI (north side of Madison). Jerry and Suzie were busy managing their one-year-old business -- Skyline Steel, Inc. (structural steel fabrication). Jerry has a degree in architectural steel drafting; Suzie has a law degree in corporate tax and is a CPA. This December, the office workers moved into a new 5000 sq/ft addition to the fabrication plant. Suzie and Jerry have also formed a second company, a real estate company – LLC – which owns the plant and office building and rents to Skyline Steel. This year Skyline Steel finished a 12-story building in downtown Madison; and also went international -- fabricating steel for a building in Japan. Kaitlyn, first grade, loves reading, math and art (she wants to be an artist). She is in Brownies, and takes gymnastics and swimming. This May she learned to swim without a float during the family reunion vacation at the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Micha enjoys playing with cars and trucks, swimming, dancing to all kinds of music, and gymnastics, The family went on their first camping trip Labor Day weekend to Wyalusing State Park, high on bluffs overlooking the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers. They were joined by Peter, Tony, Betsy, Sarah, and their father. The camping trip was a Father’s Day gift to their father, who always wanted to camp at Wyalusing since moving to Wisconsin. Suzie enjoys baking, sewing and exercising. She ran the Madison Half Marathon in May (PR of 1:53:14) with Sarah, Betsy, Peter, and Tony. Suzie and Jerry hosted the Kortenkamp Thanksgiving this year. David and Katy flew in. We all stayed at Suzie and Jerry’s house (Jerry left after Thanksgiving dinner to have another dinner with his parents, and to go deer hunting for a few days with his dad and brothers).

Steve, Jane & Oliver (2) moved from Columbia, MD, to Tucson, AZ, so Jane could start her new job with the Steward Observatory, U. of Arizona. She works with a team of astronomers building the Multiband Imaging Photometer for launch next year on the Space InfraRed Telescope Facility (the next of NASA's space observatories). Steve, the ever-loyal husband, followed Jane’s career path to Tucson. He is a research astronomer with the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, U. of Arizona, and with the private non-profit Planetary Science Institute. Jane made a trip in May to the La Palma Observatory in the Canary Islands, off the coast of Africa, to do star mapping for the new Guide Star Catalog (998 million stars). Information in the catalog is used to guide space telescopes such as the Hubble for observations. Steve researches theories about the formation of Earth-like planets, asteroids, and the extra-solar planets recently discovered. He published an article in Science (August 10, 2001) about his new theory of planet formation in binary star systems. He also made presentations at conferences in Houston (staying at David’s house) and New Orleans. Steve didn’t run the Boston Marathon this year (although he qualified) – it was Jane’s turn after she qualified last year in the Twin Cities Marathon. Jane and Katy ran the marathon together (chip time: 3:56:42) while Steve cheered them on and babysat Oliver, with help from David. Steve, Jane and Oliver moved into a new house in Tucson. They now have plenty of room for their second child due to arrive in February. With Oliver’s help, they have already begun home improvement projects, landscaping, etc.

Nancy, Matt, Simon/”Sam” (1½) & Lance (1 mo.) live in Houston, TX, where Nancy is Head Audiologist at the Rosewood Medical Center. She also does consulting work for Shell oil company evaluating the hearing of employees who are retiring. Matt has a degree in aviation maintenance, but is now a “house husband” and taking night classes to become a science teacher. Nancy gave birth to Lance William on November 18, 7 weeks premature (4 lbs. 6 oz., 16½ inches). He was named after Lance Armstrong (3-time Tour de France winner and cancer survivor) because Nancy and Matt knew he would have to fight to stay alive (the “William” is for Matt’s grandfather). Lance spent several days on a respirator, and almost a month in the hospital; but is home now and doing well. Sam celebrated his first birthday this July. Uncle David was able to make the party. Matt has a son from a previous marriage, Trevor (8) who often comes for visits. Nancy, Matt, and Sam moved from an apartment to a house, so Sam now has a backyard for playing.

Peter & Julie. Peter is a fourth-year graduate student in astronomy at the U. of Iowa, Iowa City. He passed his PhD comprehensive exams in August, and has published an article in the journal of the American Astronomical Society about his research on radioastronomical measurements of solar wind flow speed. Julie finished her internship in music therapy at the Hospice of Palm Beach County, Florida, and received her master’s degree in Music Therapy from the U. of Iowa in May. She now works as a music therapist at the Hospice. She also works nights and weekends as Resident Manager of Quantum House in West Palm Beach – a home for families while their children are being treated for a serious medical condition. Peter was able to make the family reunion held this May on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We all rented a 6-bedroom beach house with heated pool, 2 hot tubs, sand volleyball court, etc. Everyone came – all 9 of our children, Steve’s wife Jane, and grandchildren Kaitlyn, Micha, Oliver and Sam. We swam, surfed, built sand castles, went beach combing, played horseshoes and volleyball, biked, went birding, visited a lighthouse and the Wright Brothers Memorial at Kitty Hawk, and even took hang gliding lessons at Jockey’s Ridge State Park which has the highest sand dunes on the East Coast. (Janet and I made it coast-to-coast this year – to the Outer Banks in May, and Seattle in August for the wedding of Janet’s nephew, John Spivey). Peter enjoys playing French horn (he has a master’s degree in French horn performance). He usually practices on the roof of the Physics and Astronomy Building (in the roof observatory during bad weather). Peter also enjoys running, and ran the Madison Half Marathon this year.

Sarah & Kurt moved to a house in Wauwatosa (a Milwaukee suburb) where Kurt has more room for his office and studio. Sarah obtained her psychologist license and is in her second year of a post-doctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, where she works with patients with brain injuries/disorders. Her fellowship will end next year, and she is currently job hunting. In February Sarah gave presentations at the International Neuropsychological Society Conference in Chicago. Kurt is a freelance computer consultant. Among his clients are the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, Dept. of Psychiatry, U. of Florida; and the U. of Florida Outreach Program. He works from home via the internet, but makes regular trips to the U. of Florida. Kurt’s first love, however, is studio art (he has a degree in art), and works on his own pieces and commissioned pieces. He exhibited at the Art Fair in Decorah, IA, this summer. He also has a degree in creative writing, and enjoys writing fiction and songs (accompanying himself on guitar). Their dog “Summer” (a Vizsla) turned one this year. She is a companion for Sarah during training runs. Sarah ran the Madison Half Marathon in May.

Betsy received a promotion to Lead Teacher in the Pre-school Room at the Women’s Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment Center, Madison. She has a degree in psychology and works with children from drug and alcohol abuse homes. Betsy moved to an apartment in Middleton (north side of Madison). She wanted a better and bigger apartment because of her new internet dot-com business– Sisterbox.com (“The faster, easier way to send a care package without losing the homemade touch”). She sells pre-made gift boxes, and has a virtual mall for those who want to individually select items for a gift box. Kurt helped her construct her web site. Betsy also got her first car – a ’95 Ford Escort wagon (inherited from her parents). She needed transportation to work, and to shop for gift box items. A high point of Betsy’s year was another Bo Deans concert (her 8^th). She also got together with Sarah and Kurt in Milwaukee for a John Mellenkamp concert. Betsy’s new apartment is only 1 mile from Suzie and Jerry’s house. This is very convenient because Betsy often babysits Kaitlyn and Micha. She also goes on training runs with Suzie. Betsy ran the Madison Half-Marathon this May with Suzie, Sarah, Peter and Tony.

Katy, Washington, DC, is a Research Assistant at the Urban Institute -- a nonpartisan economic and social policy research organization -- where she researches child and family well-being in welfare populations. There was some worry about Katy’s safety this September 11, as she works only ½ mile from the White House. In April Katy gave presentations at the Society for Research on Child Development Conference in Minneapolis (where she got together with Sarah & Kurt who were attending a friend’s wedding). In June she gave a presentation at the Child Welfare League of America Conference in Denver. This year she published her first Urban Institute policy brief on the well-being of children in foster care. And, she published her college Honors Thesis research in the Journal of Environmental Psychology (she majored in both environmental studies and psychology). She continues her environmental interests by taking a course in ornithology (study of birds) and assisting a graduate student with his entomology (study of insects) research. Katy enjoys the concerts, clubs, and social life of DC. She went to a Halloween party dressed as a Karner Blue Butterfly (an endangered species native to the Great Lakes region). Before Steve and family moved to Tucson from just north of DC, Katy would often visit them, sometimes babysitting Oliver. Katy still has relation in DC -- she has gotten together with her cousin Tim from California who is studying for dual master’s degrees in International Affairs/Natural Resources and Sustainable Development at American University/University for Peace. In April Katy ran the Boston Marathon with Jane (chip time: 3:56:42). They wore computer chips on their shoes, and it was exciting to follow their progress over the internet. In May, Katy went to New Orleans with friends for the annual Jazz and Heritage Festival. She also makes occasional weekend trips to NYC taking in plays, visiting museums, etc.

Tony is a senior at UW-La Crosse. He was a physics and computer science major, but is now an education major. He wants to teach science and computers in high school. This fall semester he observed and helped out in a physics course at Galesville-Ettrick-Trempealeau High School (G-E-T High!!) north of La Crosse. During spring break Tony went with friends to South Padre Island, TX. Their airfares were a gift from David, using his frequent flyer miles. At South Padre Tony met Lori from Phoenix. She later visited him in La Crosse, and he visited her in Phoenix (taking in a Diamondback baseball game). Tony had a close call this spring when he was shot in the face with a pellet gun during a drive-by shooting in La Crosse. The pellet lodged just ¼ inch below his right eye, and required an eye-ear-nose-throat specialist to be removed. The assailants were never caught. Tony began teaching himself guitar, and shows a lot of natural talent. His guitar was given to him by Kurt, who bought a new one. This summer Tony began working as a Driving Instructor at Winona, MN. He commuted from La Crosse on a motorcycle he inherited from his father. Later he was able to use the driving instructor car for commuting. He often rides his motorcycle home for visits. Having Tony living in La Crosse came in handy during our family camping trip to Wyalusing State Park. One night it rained so hard, our tents were flooded, and we all went to Tony’s house one hour away to spend the night. Tony enjoys working out, and ran the Madison Half Marathon in May with Suzy, Sarah and Peter.