A Bit About Dick
Doing one of the things I like best - Camping
LINK TO MY OTHER FAVORITE PAST TIME
-FOUR WHEELING-
About Me
AGE: 57
BIRTHDAY: April 18
MARRIED: 36 years to my high school sweetheart, Joy
BORN AND RAISED: I was born at a very young age in Erie, Pennsylvania and grew up in Erie, Union City and Wattsburg, Pennsylvania then Clymer, Cutting and Findley Lake, New York. The worst habit I have today I blame on my Mom. She started feeding me almost right away. It's been a habit which I have not been able to break ever since evidenced by my 'full' tummy in the pic above.
First Home - Erie, PA - Dick Bartels
1944 - 1950
Family
"My Three Sons"
I have three boys and 3 daughters. Well, the three daughters were picked out by my three sons. I might add they sure did a mighty good job. They are:
RICHARD JAMES
Lexi + Rick - Dick Bartels
Rick was born in August 1967 (without shoes, of course) at the Red Bird Mission Hospital near Beverly, Kentucky in the heart of the Kentucky Mountains.
Rick attended Grand Canyon University here in Phoenix. Upon finishing other studies he became a certified CNE. Rick and Lexi have 5 kids. Four of them, Andrea, Debi, Julie and Autumn, are from Lexi's first marriage. Drew is theirs together. Lexi works at Karsten Manufacturing where they make the PING Golf Clubs. She works in Customer Service and is the chief training officer for the company. Lexi is the Grand Daughter of Karsten and Louise Solheim, the inventor of the PING PUTTER and founder of the PING Golf Dynasty. They live in the Phoenix Metro area here in Arizona. Rick is a Systems Engineer and has engineered and administrated such projects as the Western United States Network System for Nissan and the Pendergast District School Network System.
Rick and Lexi are avid 4-wheelers and enjoy family campouts at our favorite campsite in the Southern Bradshaw Mountains.
RANDALL JOHN
Christy + Justin - Randy + Becca - Dick Bartels
Randy came into my life in July 1971 and was born at Blossburg, Pennsylvania.
His wife, Christy, was added to the Bartels' clan after they met and dated while both were attending Grand Canyon University not far from our home here in Phoenix. Christy works in the office of a small construction company.
Rebecca and Justin are their two children.
Randy, too, was a Systems Engineer and designed and instrumented many network systems around the country as well as in the Phoenix Metro area before moving into Computer Security Systems. Today he is a 'professional hacker' for his company and designs and administers Computer Security Systems for their many clients. He travels around the country while operating the Regional office out of his home.
Randy and Christy are also 4-wheelers and enjoy our family campouts.
DANIIEL JAY
Jessica + Dan - Dick Bartels
Dan made his debut in November 1972 in Towanda, Pennsylvania about 16 months after his older brother, Randy. When he was big enough he finally taught randy to talk.
Dan also attended Grand Canyon University then enrolled at DeVry Institute of Technology here in Phoenix where he was either on the Dean's List or the President's List from his first semester until he graduated.
Dan works as a computer programmer and among other things develops and programs software for airplanes used by our big airline companies.
He and Jessica also live here in the Phoenix Metro area where Jess is a grade school teacher.
Dan and Jessica have two 'kids', Sidney and Casper, who dearly love having Papa and Grandma come to visit. Tell me now, is it the dog that wags the tail or is it the tail that wags the dog? It's kind of hard to tell with these two critters.
It is Dan's computer/server that acts as the host for the www.bartelshome.net web pages and Family BBS and Chat Room.
History
EDGEUKAYSHUN - Part of my grade school years was spent in a small two room school house in Wattsburg, Pennsylvania. Later, I attended Clymer Central School for most of my High School years but graduated from Strong Vincent in Erie, Pennsylvania in 1963. That Fall I enrolled at Roberts Wesleyan College in North Chili near Rochester, New York where I majored in Pastoral Studies and Psychology. Some years later in the latter 1960's and early 1970's I completed a four-year course of study with the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church and was ordained to the Gospel Ministry in the Western Pennsylvania District of the Alliance in September 1973.
Draketown Community Christian Church - Dick Bartels
MINISTRY
I became a Pastor at the ripe old age of 20 when I accepted a call to a small country Community Church at Draketown near Edinboro, Pennsylvania. Six months later my wife, Joy [nee Palmer], and I were married in July 1965. Almost 2 years later I accepted a challenging ministry in a small Home Missions project with the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church. I lived at Fogertown near Manchester, Kentucky and manned the Hell-fer-Sartin (Hell for Certain) outpost north of Hyden, Kentucky. This ministry lasted for just over one year and was my introduction into the Christian and Missionary Alliance.
Over the next several years I pastored churches with the Alliance in Gray (near Somerset), Canton (near Williamsport) and Moosic (a suburb of Scranton) Pennsylvania and Mina Corners (near Findley Lake) New York.
Mina Corners Church Platform - Dick Bartels
OVERSEAS MINISTRY
One of the biggest highlights of my years of service in ministry was to be selected by the Alliance Church to become a missionary to Mali, West Africa during the early 1980's. From January 1980 through December 1983 I served as the Mali Mission Field Builder.
During my tenure I supervised the construction of 5 medical clinics in Sanekuy, Ntorosso, Somasso, Baramba and Sikasso. In addition, I designed and built a new Mission Station at Katiena, Bako, then started another Medical Clinic at Famorila, Bako. Other projects included a missionary guest house at the Mission Headquarters in Koutiala and an African National Church Office building and Guest House in San.
I studied the Bambara language iintensely for nine months as well as a significant amount of French vocabulary. I used the Bambara language for my work and business while living in Mali and enjoy chatting on-line even today with friends who either speak Bamanakana or have it as their 'Mother Tongue'.
Hobbies