Tom Magnuson - My First 25 Years

   Below is a photo of me less than one year old, circa 1956.

   A photo of my brother Jim and I.  I'm the happy little guy
in the stroller.

   Before 5 years of age in my driveway, riding my sporty tricycle, and wearing a ridiculous straw hat.

   Around 5 years old.  I remember my grandma Magnuson took me to the department store to get this photo taken.

   Jumping ahead to age 12, I'm sitting on the porch of our apartment.  This was the year (1969) the CUBS stumbled, the Mets won the National League Pennant and the World Series.  I have many fond memories of sitting in the bleachers at Wrigley Field with my cousins, watching Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, Glen Beckert, Don Kessinger, etc.
It's tough to be a CUB fan. 

   Standing at church.  This photo was taken as a "promo shot" for our youth missionary trip north to southern Ontario.  We put on a week long "Bible School" at an Indian village in the Boundary Waters area.  We had to fly into the village on a pontoon plane!  My youth pastor was Gary Smalley, who has had long-lasting, very successful ministries dealing with families and relationships.

   My mother, nephew David,  niece Jennifer, and me.  We were visiting my brother's family in the Washington D.C. area for Christmas in 1973.  We visited them many times for Christmas during my junior high and high school years.  I was a senior at Guilford High School in this photo.
Nice hair...and it's coming back!

   My dad and I, circa 1973??

   My favorite vacations (when I was in junior high and high school) were when we went up to northern Wisconsin to my Uncle Nils's and Aunt Flora's house at Stormy Lake, near Eagle River, Wisconsin.  When I was up there I enjoyed boating, skiing, walking in the woods with grandma Monie and Mom, horsing around with the cousins, and, of course, fishing.

   We often met up with my cousins "at the lake".  My cousin and I are nearly the same age.  Here we are at a high school graduation party at her house.  She graduated from Jefferson, me from Guilford in 1973.

   Mom and I at my high school graduation from Guilford High School in 1973.   I'm the one on the left.

   One of the rare photos of me during my university days at Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, Illinois.  This basic group lived together for around three years.  From left to right are Ralph, me, Mike, Jerry, Pete, Lenny, and Scott.  I don't know where Ralph is now.  Mike and Kim are in California, Jerry in New England, Pete and Lenny in the Chicagoland area, and Scott??  In this photo I'm the guy in the light yellow-shirt.

   In early June 1979, at Mike's (above, reclining, with beverage in hand) and Kim's wedding in DeKalb, I met my future wife.  She was a friend of Kim's, and sang in the wedding.   I was Mike's friend, and ran the sound board.  This photo below was taken in late July of 1979 up in northern Wisconsin at Stormy Lake.  Susan is the unbelievably happy person on the left.  I'm the guy on the right sleeping!

   My wife and I, my Mom, and Grandma Monie (Ellen) at Storm Lake, circa July 1979.

   Enjoying some time together on the dock, July 1979.

   My future wife on the right, 1979.

   Our Wedding Day, October 4, 1980.  We were married at the Foursquare Church in DeKalb, Illinois.  I'm the one on the right.   I actually wore my hair like that for about four years!!

   That's a brief look, in photos, of my first 25 years.  To see the other 25 years of our life together, and our daughter, you'll have to come visit us in Colorado Springs, and go through our photo albums.  See you soon!!

or