Many years ago, at a family Christmas holiday, the kids were all in their finest outfits and roughhousing. You know, the ones where all the cousins come in from all over? Sound familiar?
Father Uihlein, the head of the family, had a towering presence, and we respected his values. All he had to say was, "Stop it now," and, believe me, the kids did! One time I overheard one of our kids say, "You gotta watch out for this guy, he's mean!"
You could call him anytime to go over something you wanted his opinion on. He was so wise. He drove Pontiac or Buick sedans, always over 100,000 miles. No Cadillacs or Ferraris, ever.
Father Uihlein didn't do the grandparents watching soccer games, football games or tennis matches – even if it was the state championship. Instead, we had frequent dinners at his house, where business, issues of the day, fishing muskies and, always, politics were discussed. You made very sure you knew the important news of the day.
Living your life and raising your kids were easier in an easier time. There was no legalized marijuana, defund the police or social media. We, like so many families, were raised with a sharp moral compass. The rules were the rules, but it was OK.
You always hear spouses say, "He or she is my better half."
For 54 years that saying has worked for my husband, Dick, and me. However, there are other halves. Many of us have been lucky to have another half at work. For me, that's been Sherrie.
She's techie. I'm not. She's calm, and I'm not. She's edited, over the years, zillions of my saucy emails. Sherrie was our 8th employee in one small operation.
Over the years we obviously have grown a lot. Through the roughest of days, she always said, "We'll get through this" And we always have. She can laugh at any situation or exercise patience and calmness.
After 34 amazing years, she is retiring. My tears can't stop. But all of us at Uline wish Sherrie more precious time with her family, pink martinis, lots of laughs and many cruise ship vacations. She is the best.
October 23, 2021.
Businesses of EAU Holdings – owned and operated by the Uihlein family.
- • Is America in Decline?
- • China, Covid and U.S. Policy
- • People Working for You
- • The Car, the Battery and the Economy
- • Texafornia
- • 5 Concerns About 5G
- • All Roads Lead to China
- • "Analyzing" Analysts
- • The Year of Amazon
- • Hope and Change Part II
- • NAFTA — It's Complicated
- • What Happens in China
- • Student Testing: No Walk in the PARCC
- • Is There Hope for the Homeless?
- • Government Regulations Are Costing Us All
- • What's Love Got to Do With It?
- • On Gridlock and Remote Offices
- • At Great Companies, Details Matter
- • My Favorite Cousin
- • Thank You President Jimmy Carter
- • The China Deal
- • Energy Independence for North America
- • Government Intervention
- • A Tale of Two States
- • 7th Grade, Mr. Nelson and Uline
- • Lights Out on U.S. Manufacturing?
- • Rock Stars Everywhere
- • American Idol and Fox News