Claudia M. Keller

is honored with a Brick from Kenneth L. Keller.

At this writing, Claudia and I have been married for almost 29 years. When we met, Claudia was a student at the University of Missouri-Columbia and working full-time. I was in the Air Force stationed at Whiteman AFB, in Knob Noster, Missouri. Shortly after our engagement, I received orders to Viet Nam. We married on December 4, 1969, and Claudia soon became pregnant with our first child. Our daughter Heather was born while I was in Viet Nam, and she was six months old before I returned home. A very stressful time for a new mother, not knowing if she would ever see her husband again.

I did return and as the years passed Claudia worked full-time and raised our daughter with little help from me. Even though I was stationed in the States, my Air Force job kept me away from home days and weeks at a time. Claudia's school took a back seat to her family.

Five years later I was transferred overseas to the Azores. This time Claudia and Heather went with me. We spent two years living, working, and raising our family in less than ideal conditions. Six months before we returned to the United States, we were blessed with our second child, Kevin. On our return to the U.S., we were stationed at McConnell AFB in Wichita, KS. Again, my job kept me away from home much of the time, leaving Claudia to raise our two children while working full-time.

I was injured while on duty and left the Air Force in 1980, once again moving my family. This time the move was to the small Kansas town of Council Grove. There was not much in the way of job opportunity for Claudia in Council Grove. She had spent the previous 10 years working for the federal government in a well-paying job; in Council Grove she worked in a plastic factory (a real sweat shop) for low wages (she used to say she was doing "volunteer work!") Still, she did more than her share to keep the family going.

Six years later, I asked Claudia and the children to uproot again and move back to Wichita. They cheerfully agreed. We kept two households for about 60 days until Claudia was hired at Wichita State University to work in Library Acquisitions at Ablah Library. Four years later, she transferred to the College of Education as the Dean's Secretary. While at the Library, Claudia went back to work on her degree. She earned an Associate of Arts degree in December of 1988, and I am proud to say she graduated Magna Cum Laude in May, 1997, with a BS in General Studies. Commencement was especially thrilling for Claudia because she "walked" with our daughter Heather who was also graduating.

Claudia is now Assistant to the Dean in the College of Education, a grandmother twice (Heather has two boys), and about to be grandma a third time as Kevin and his wife are expecting a baby in July. Over the years she has been a loving wife and friend, a great mother, and a fantastic grandmother. No matter how tired or stressed she is, there is always time in her life to do for others. I credit everything good in our family and our lives to Claudia's selfless dedication to all of us.

For all of these things, and much too much to fit in this small space, my wife, Claudia Keller, deserves to be honored with a brick in the Plaza of Heroines.

June 30, 1998