OUR READERS SPRING 2021
With each issue of Progress, we sit down with a handful of readers to learn a bit about them. These aren’t always news-makers, but each has their own stories to share.
The questions are the same in each issue and are designed to gain insight into a handful of your neighbors. Some are at the beginning of their career and others already have a lifetime of colorful experiences. For the first time, we feature an Active Duty military couple, with the wife serving in the Army and the husband in the Air Force.
These five readers joined us in The Studio, a meeting space upstairs in The Commercial Dispatch building, in February right before a winter storm hit Mississippi.
We’d love to hear your story as well. If you’re open to answering our five questions, let us know by emailing progress@cdispatch.com.
STUART VANCE
RETIRED ENTREPRENEUR AND ROTARY DISTRICT GOVERNOR, STARKVILLE
Is what you’re doing right now what you wanted to do when you grew up?
Originally I went into furniture manufacturing after college, it was called Howard Furniture Manufacturing. Then the Herschede Clock Company, with that came MotorGuide Electric Fishing Motors. I started making wicker and rattan furniture for the condominiums on the coast and finally we opened a staffing business called Express Personnel. I think I followed a lot of the greens that came along and learned a lot from my peers. Took the opportunities that came along, like we saw the need for an airport. We pursued that, got support and put the airport together. That was a big deal, we needed it and it was one of the things that helped the community. That’s really what I liked to do, help the community. I spent a lot of time at the Golden Triangle Regional Airport, I was one of the founding commissioners on the airport out there. I’m really proud of that, I spent 42 years on the board. The Rotary Club was a big part of my life as well, I was President of the Starkville Rotary Club and served as District Governor.
If you could give your younger self advice, what would it be?
I’d say by far, stay in school a lot longer and learn more. I’d probably go on and work on a masters degree, MBA.
What’s the one thing people tend to misunderstand about you?
I’m probably not as sweet as I make out to be. You’d find it difficult to believe, but I’m 90 years old and I have wit.
What’s your greatest extravagance?
Well - women, I like women. [The room breaks out in laughter and we hear his girlfriend, sitting on the other side of the room, “Stop it!”] She’s been too quiet over there.
If you could master one skill, what would it be?
I gave up Clown Diving. I worked at a swimming pool and on Saturday and Sunday afternoons we used to dress up in funny clothes with hats pulled down, with slacks and blue jeans, one leg torn off and we’d go out and funny dive off the high board. This was years ago and I gave that up, but that was one thing. But honestly, I’d like to master more leisure.
REBECCA BOGAARD
ACTIVE GUARD RESERVE MISSISSIPPI NATIONAL GUARD, CALEDONIA
Is what you’re doing right now what you wanted to do when you grew up?
Absolutely not. If you asked Becca ten years ago, 15 years ago, I would have never thought I’d join the Army. I just didn’t see that in my future at all. I always thought I was going to be a teacher of some sort or even a librarian. I really wanted to be a librarian. It’s really different now. I just ended up enlisting in the Army when I was 21, didn’t really know about the direction. Someone told me that I couldn’t do it, so I said I’m going to try and here I am eight years later and I made a career out of it.
If you could give your younger self advice, what would it be?
I would tell myself to do what I like and just not worry about what others think. Don’t worry about other people, don’t try to please other people, just do what I like and that’s just going to make me happy.
What’s the one thing people tend to misunderstand about you?
Probably my sense of humor, because I can be really sarcastic and sometimes people can’t tell when I’m serious. Sometimes it gets me in trouble.
What’s your greatest extravagance?
My skin care routine is very elaborate and definitely my dogs. I use toner, I have three different types of lotions, night lotion, day lotion, sunscreen for the day and I always try to use sun block and then under eye cream. So that’s definitely my greatest extravagance. I like to do face masks also. And my dogs - I like to take care of myself and I like to take care of them.
If you could master one skill, what would it be?
That’s a really good one - tap dance. I never got the chance to take dance when I was younger and I wish I could learn to tap dance, it looks so cool.
JON BOGAARD
ACTIVE DUTY U.S. AIR FORCE, CALEDONIA
Is what you’re doing right now what you wanted to do when you grew up?
I started playing Basketball at a young age, so I was like “oh I’m going to the NBA”. Obviously it didn’t take long to realize, I am not going to the NBA. I was always intrigued by the Air Force though and my uncle is in the military, so that was always something I wanted to do. I am a Contracting Specialist now and I started with Air Transportation. I didn’t know what Contracting was until I got in, but once I found out, I thought okay, that’s where I want to take my career.
If you could give your younger self advice, what would it be?
I think it would be, just to apply myself more. When I was younger, I didn’t always do the best in school. I don’t know, I was always just so focused on sports and I think I would have branched out into other areas as well and just tried out new things more often, instead of just playing sports.
What’s the one thing people tend to misunderstand about you?
My quietness, because I’m definitely not quiet. Everybody thinks I’m super quiet, but that’s definitely not the truth. Maybe around some people it takes me a while to warm up, but then I probably talk too much.
What’s your greatest extravagance?
Food, without a doubt. We go out to eat way too much - and our dogs. We spend too much money on our dogs and food. We used to travel up to New York when we were still on the East Coast and go to restaurants there.
If you could master one skill, what would it be?
Golf, because I play a lot of Golf, but I still haven’t mastered it. That’s, I guess, one of my favorite things to do, so I’d like to master it. We’ll see.
ESSIE DANTZLER
UNIT PROGRAM COORDINATOR, MACON
Is what you’re doing right now what you wanted to do when you grew up?
Oh no, actually I wanted to design clothes. I started sewing at age 7 and by 12 I was making bridesmaids dresses. That’s what I still do, I have an embroidery and sewing business in Macon, so once I retire I’ll do that full time.
If you could give your younger self advice, what would it be?
I think to just be nice to everybody. Just treat everybody with respect, because when I was younger - you know. But as I’ve aged, you know I’ve learned to just be humble and just treat everybody with respect.
What’s the one thing people tend to misunderstand about you?
You know I’m kind of an open book. Everybody who knows me knows I’m kind of a people person, I really am, and a giving person. I joke around a lot, I’m really a comedian at heart. So, I don’t think people misunderstand, because I am pretty clear about who I am.
What’s your greatest extravagance?
I think - travel. I travel everywhere and I normally travel alone. My son lives in San Antonio, so I just drive non-stop. I don’t stop - only for gas. I’m planning some international travel once the pandemic is over. I lived in the Philippines for three years, I went to school over there for dress making and pattern drafting. And then I lived in England for four and a half years and I did some designing there too. So when I was in England, I just drove across Europe.
If you could master one skill, what would it be?
It’s something people probably wouldn’t expect - Auto Mechanic. If I could master that, I would.
WILLIAM REEVES
U.S. ARMY AND U.S. AIR FORCE VETERAN, COLUMBUS
Is what you’re doing right now what you wanted to do when you grew up?
When I was a younger kid I wanted to be on a PT boat in the Navy. That was my dream, but the days on the boat get lonely. I am 94 years old, going on 95. Looking back on it, I didn’t want to be in the Navy as bad as I thought, because I got sea sick. When I was 18-19 years old, I thought I wanted to go to the Military, but after I got in, I wished I hadn’t. After I got out of basic though, it was good. I was in Berlin, Germany, in 1946 for occupation duty in a torn up city. I landed in the heart of France and went across the country to Amberg, Germany. From there to Berlin I saw destruction, a lot of destruction. I was in Nurnberg when they had the war trials.
If you could give your younger self advice, what would it be?
I don’t know, I’d just stay like I was. I don’t have any regrets. I didn’t complete college and I don’t know if it would have been a lot better if I had. But I maybe would have, if I had to do it all over, but I wouldn’t have a wife and the kids, we’ll never know. I mean, I just let it go to Christ and have a healthy life. That’s about all you can do, live one day to the next, but live a Christian life.
What’s the one thing people tend to misunderstand about you?
I guess they’re not sure what it is I do. I joined the Army, then I had a very interesting career in the Air Force, started out as a clerk and cross-trained into missiles in Bitburg, Germany. I got into crypto-graphic equipment and retired out of that base as Communication Crypto-Graphic Superintendent, as Senior Master Sergeant. Then I went to the Reserve. So I just always did a lot.
What’s your greatest extravagance?
Probably vehicles - I’ve always kept a pretty new one. You know from a Volkswagen to a Cadillac.
If you could master one skill, what would it be?
I always wanted to be a pilot.
INTERVIEWS BY CLAUDI ARRINGTON
PHOTOS BY LEDRICO ISAAC
