Donald F. Blazek – New Buffalo High School Class of '55
Right after graduation, Don and pal Dick Krueger hitchiked to California where they met up with Jack Kroening and Dick Acton who were living out there. He stayed for there for awhile, working a Sears and one of the first McDonalds in the US.
He returned to NB where he worked for Velma Roumell at the New Buffalo Times from 1957-1960.
Don then enlisted in the Army and ended up in Darmstadt, Germany with 32nd Signal Corps. Elvis wasn't the only one in Germany, he hooked up with his brother Jim, Richard Brychta, Jim Pongelac, Bill Dohner, Glenn Edwards and Ray Sandera. He also met up with Georgeen Iwanowski, an NB classmate who was going to school in Switzerland. Don spent 32 months in Europe and was on "high alert" during the 1962 Cuban Crisis.
After began a career in manufacturing (material, production and inventory control and personnel) with Clark Equipment (24 years), Electro-Voice (5 years) and American Electronic Components in Elkart (8 years)
Don lives in Elkhart,Indiana. He has three sons and is divorced. In 1977 following the death of his son Danny who was killed getting off the school bus, Don started walking daily. Twenty-five years later and he's doing 50+ miles per week.
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