Manfredo Zepf
Competition between my brother Conrad and I resulted in my Arctic Adventure.
It was one of the few adventures that I went on my own!
It lives with me to this day!
The adventure tested the foundations of my beliefs.
Beliefs that are hard work!
My beliefs do not make me better, they make me responsible for protecting the world we all share!!
What scared me was whether I could successfully experience the adventure I planned.
There would be no back up!
The challenge was to survive in the forest of the northern Canada wilderness on my own!!
I chose to make the adventure happen and chose to make it an enjoyable success.
I was determined to overcome all barriers.
I found that the only barrier was me!!!
I flew from Sao Paulo, Brazil to the very edge of the Arctic Circle.
I was taken to one of the thousands of lakes in northern Canada.
I had no idea where that lake was located.
I was left to my own!!!
I encountered thirty-one bears!!!
Was hit by super challenging storms!
And survived a raging forest fire!!
Enjoy reading about how I survived my Arctic Adventure.
Annelise Sievert
"née" Zepf
Painting by Annelise
Seventy feet in the air I held on to the top branches of the eucalyptus tree as it swayed gently back and forth and watched the sun as it broke the far horizon. I was intoxicated by the smell of the Eucalyptus and the vista around me awoke my dreams.
I was the Nuns favorite blue eyed blond haired angle known to always play tricks on them.
Later as a young woman, during WWII my blond and blue eyes became a detriment. Brazilians were concerned about the large German population that lived in Brazil and some took violent action against those of German heritage.
I went to University hoping to become a writer!
My father insisted I become a nurse! I became a Nurse wanting to write.
I had the misfortune to marrying a handsome but a philandering young man, Edgar Muller. The marriage was short lived.
Divorce in Brazil was against both the Catholic church and the government.
I had an affair and got pregnant!!!
I named my third child Conrad after my brother.
Edgar's parents tried to get custody of Marlene and Ronald, my first two that I had with Edgar.
With the help of my parents and the sponsorship of Georgia and Ross Kitzmiller, US citizens, that had been my back door neighbors, I left Brazill with my three children.
Highlights captures the great years that I had in the greatest country in the world. I was challenged, I excelled, I met my soulmate.
I watched my kids have the chance that I wanted them to have.
Highlights are the wonderful memories of my life.
Please enjoy them.
Ron Mueller
Long ago when I was young and unafraid I lived in Burlington, Iowa.
I faced a reality that shook me and took me on a path that I had not envisioned for myself.
My vision was to graduate from high school and attend University and become an Engineer.
I was accepted by Dartmouth, the University of Arizona and the University of Iowa.
Due to some confusiong about my draft status I had to make another choice. I made the choice to enter the Navy to avoid going to Vietnam.
The reality was that fate sent me to Vietnam!!!
Other than Vietnam, my experience in the Navy was great.
I graduated from the Electronics school at the Great Lakes US Navy base.
Attended Nuclear Power school in California and Idaho on my return from Vietnam.
Then I participated in Commissioning of the USS Coronado.
I volunteereed and was a crew member of the hydrofoil USS Tucumcari and toured the North Sea,
Flew down the English Channel,
Flew a circuiet around the Mediteranian.
On my returnd to the US I helped decommission the USS Woodcounty and was briefly the "Captain" when it was being prepared for mothballing.
I got out early and attended the University of South Florida and finally became an Engineer.
Life has been a good uphill journey and I am still on it and will write about that some other day.