I was born October 31, 1924, in Bakersfield, California, and grew up on a two-acre, all-purpose ranch in the Greenacres area west of Bakersfield. My father worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad as a carman, and my mother was a full-time housewife. As a family we took full advantage of Dad's travel benefits and took many train trips to Canada to visit both grandparents. Both sets of grandparents were Mennonite Brethren born in Russia and migrated to Canada in l9l8 to escape the Bolshevik revolution.

I graduated in the first 4-year class from East Bakersfield High School in l942, and didn't realize that two of my classmates, Clyde Johnston and Lowell Fairley, would be future brothers-in-law. Following high school I spent 3-1/2 years in the Air Force, with my last assignment as a radio operator on a B-29 Bomber.

Jeanne and I were married June l5, l947, and for the next few years I was employed by three different oil companies, spending the longest period of 11 years with Gulf Oil. I had a brief and disastrous automobile dealership, followed by l5 years as a manager for Hopper, Inc. in Bakersfield, Santa Barbara and San Jose. In 1972 I formed my own companies, Abrasive Supply and Arro Division, and together with my son Ron successfully operated them until 1985. Jeanne and I sold all our business interests and moved to Lodi, California. We bought a 15-acre ranch and raised Registered Texas Longhorn cattle, hosted two family reunions, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. During this time Alan Poteete lived in our guest house which allowed us to spend vacations in Montana and Arizona while he tended the ranch. We sold the ranch and all cattle, and have recently returned to Bakersfield.

Serving the Lord has always been important to me as this was my early training, and at 12 years of age I was baptized and joined the Mennonite Brethren Church. Singing and serving in other capacities have been high priorities in my life.

My hobbies are fishing, hunting and golf, and I spend quality time on all three.

Arnold Liesch

April, l992