Dear Class of 63,

It is been great reading everyone’s bio.  I think back to those school days often and realize what a wonderful and diverse class. Also we can never forget that FIRST GHS TROJAN UNDEFEATED FOOTBALL TEAM.  I am sad that some of our classmates will not be able to reunite with us this June but I am happy that so many are doing well and will be able to attend. 

As you know from Jerry Hill’s bio, Jerry, Merle Whiteman and I left for San Diego Naval Training Center within a few days of graduation. We were part of an ALL KANSAS company at boot camp. After boot camp I was sent to Memphis Naval Air Station to Anti-Submarine Warfare Tech School.  I spent the rest of my three and one half years of service flying as an air crewman in Patrol Squadron 6.  We flew in P-2V and P-3 Orion Anti-Submarine Patrol aircraft from land bases.  Our squadron VP6 was based in Barbers Point, Hawaii.  I spent most of my service time in Hawaii with deployments to Okinawa, Japan, the Philippines, Wake Island and Adak Alaska.  I had many MEMORABLE experiences in the service.

Upon returning from the Navy, I enrolled in college at Pittsburg State and after my second year married my wonderful wife Susan Frere, from Baxter Springs. We had met on a blind date to a Pitt State Homecoming Game. A fraternity brother of mine set up the date. We will be married 35 years this June. 

Susan now works full time as a mental health councilor.  She has her Masters in Social Work from the Univ. of Iowa and works for a psychiatrist.  (She gets lots of practice on me at home). 

In August of that year (’68) we moved to Raytown, Mo. where we lived for five years.  I went into the stock brokerage business in Kansas City.  After our daughter Jamie was born in 1973 we moved back to Baxter Springs and I went back to Pitt State and finish my degree in Accounting and Finance. 

Jamie now lives in Boston, MA and works for University of Mass. Boston where she recently graduated with a degree in History.  She is now the Assistant Registrar.

After my graduation in 1976 we moved to Ft. Smith, Arkansas where I went to work for a public accounting firm.  I received my CPA certificate while in Ft. Smith and after three years we moved back to Ft. Scott, Kansas where I worked for MidWestern Distribution for two years. It was in Ft. Scott that our son Mike was born in 1979.  He is now in Kirksville, MO at the College of Osteopathic Medicine studying to be a surgeon.

In 1979 I went to work for a Pension Consulting and Administration Firm headquartered in Great Bend, Kansas as a regional consultant and we moved to Iowa where I opened an office for them.  Susan and I lived in 10 different towns and 15 different houses between 1968 and 1982. Here in Iowa we finally settled down.  I became very involved with the Iowa Society of CPA’s and served on their Board of Directors for 7 years along with my consulting work. I was also privileged to have been elected President of the Society for the 1989-1990 fiscal year. I was also involved in teaching numerous pension continuing education courses over the years in several Midwestern states for CPA’s and attorneys in addition to setting up retirement plans for small businesses.

In March of 1996 Keith Gredys, an attorney from Des Moines whom I met in 1983 when he attended one of my CPE classes, and I started Kidder Benefits Consultants, Inc. We now have offices in Omaha, Albuquerque, Waterloo, Iowa and Des Moines and have a staff of over 25 people.  We now administer several hundred 401(k) and other retirement plans for businesses in 15 states.   

Since our kids are grown and we are empty nesters, Susan and I plan to start traveling more and make more Canada fishing trips over the next few years. We are looking forward to a little less hectic lifestyle.

This is already way too long so I will just wish all of you the very best and look forward to seeing you all in June!!!!!

Your classmate

Jim Kidder