Byron's Post High School Chronology Overview
as noted by Tom during their 7/24/2016 discussion in a Peoria park overlooking the Illinois River

• Born in Georgia
• Graduated form Columbus High School in 1971
• Attended Northwestern University in Chicago for 4 quarters / starting in the fall of 1971
  • Financial assistance from Helen Kinnare  (Helen Dorothy, Burns / Quiter / Kinnare)
• Worked for the Evanston Public Library  (EPL) driving the "Bookmobile" for about a 1-1/2 years
  • Rented a room in a house for $70 per month
• Moved back home for about a year and drove a school bus for Dade County
• Attended Saint John's College in Annapolis Maryland during the 1975-76 school year
• Moved back to Chicago and worked at a Marimba Factory.  Starting in the summer of 1976 for about a year
• Attended the University of Illinois in Chicago starting in 1977
  • Started as an Engineering Major, but switched and got degree in Geology
  • 4 years to complete school, the first 2 years were part time and the final 2 were full time.  28 years old at graduation in the summer of 1981.
• Worked as a teacher for Carmel High School in Chicago for a year
  • taught biology, physical science, and Spanish
• Worked as a custodian at a potato chip factory for about 2 years
• Worked as a teacher for another year for Holy Trinity High School
  • taught algebra, geometry, and pre-calculus, plus was the assistant basketball coach
  • was offered a contract to continue, but opted to join the army
• Joined the Army in 1985
  • Boot Camp was tough.  At 32 years old, BJ was the oldest in his group
  • Stationed in Germany for 2 years as a private
    • working as a mechanic on trucks
    • would not accept any promotions
• Returned from the army in 1987 and attended the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Campus near Saint Louis
  • Engineering Major (2nd undergraduate degree) / took 1-1/2 years to graduate
  • Met Thuha (married Thuha (Nguyen) about 5 years later on August 12,1995)
• Financed engineering schooling (undergraduate and master's program) with his GI benefits and the Illinois Veterans Grant
  • The GI bill paid about $21K, which BJ used mostly for living expenses
  • The Illinois Veterans Grant paid for tuition
• Worked 3 plus years for McDonald Douglas in Saint Louis June 1989 to August 1992
• University of Illinois Grad School in the Fall of 1992
  • Campus near Saint Louis
  • Master's Degree in Power Electronics
• Worked for Cummings (Truck Engine Manufacturer)
  • Worked mostly on the wiring harness
  • Byron and Thuha lived in Columbus Indiana
• Transferred to Onan Generator (a subsidiary of Cummings) in Minneapolis Minnesota in November 1998
  • Thuha did not go to Minneapolis.  She went back to school and received a degree in Nursing.  BJ and Thuha divorced.  Thuha moved to Orange County in California.
  • Byron liked his job with Onan, but was laid off in March 2002
• Unemployed for about a year and a half
• Worked for Caterpillar in Peoria from 9/2003 to 2011
• About 5 months unemployed
• Took job with PSG (Power Systems Group) and worked with them until 2016
• Started noticing symptoms eventually attributed to ALS in 2015, but was not diagnosed until the summer of 2016.