A few words from Dunn.

Alright, all you spineless, complacent renegades out there in the class of '63 with names like Pierce, Gray, Menefee, Campbell, Duncan, Frame, Blankenship, Gregory, Jacobs, jump in here (I dare ya!) and cough up some info; Larry's worked pretty hard on this thing, and in your heart you know you want to get in, so, bring it on! 

 

Graduated from Lippy College in 1968 and went in business with Dad building houses. After about 600 or so Custom Homes and 37 years am still building, (with no thoughts of retirement) mostly in south Willianson County and Franklin.

 

Moved into an apartment with John Perry (DLHS '62) in 1968 for a couple of years after college graduation, listened to a lot of Doors, Hendrix, PP&M, Sergio Mendes, etc., hung with Ray Redmon (DLHS '62) quite a bit, wore tye dye, had a black light, a grow light, an Austin Healy, and a great old Martin guitar; life was good. Continued participating in Semi-Pro rodeos in the Southeast in the Bull Riding, Calf Roping, and Team Roping events while learning the Home Building business from Dad.

 

Built a pretty wild house designed by Nashville contemporary architect Robert Anderson out in the country in 1971, married Rhonda Damer, whom I met at a horse show, continued rodeoing, sold the wild house in 1972 and built another one farther out and with more land (where I still live),  had a wonderful daughter in 1977 named Jessi, continued rodeoing, and was divorced in 1981. Jessi and I remain extremely close, since her mom and I shared custody in her younger years. She went to college on a rodeo scholarship, was Ozark Region champion Barrel Racer her junior year, qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo in Rapid City, South Dakota two successive years, and was rated in the top 10 competitors nationally in her event. She married the ideal son in law in 2000 (whom she met at a College Rodeo), is a department head with The Action Company, the nations largest manufacturer and importer of equine tack and accessories, and she and Matt live in Commerce, Texas. They both continue to participate in professional rodeos in their spare time.

 

Got involved in The Cowboy Chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in 1980, became a Free Will Baptist, met a neat Southern Baptist lady named Pat at an FCA event in 1982 and married the same year. We have spent the last 23 years raising, training,and showing American Quarter Horses. Pat, a mere child of 47, owns and runs The Cowboy Store in Franklin, shows team roping horses competitively, and continues to be a great mom to Jessi. We worship at New Hope Presbyterian Church, a very small and quaint old country church with a membership of 30.

 

I continue to enjoy raising and training horses (30 to 40 head), competitive team roping,  snow skiing, spending time at the condo in Destin, (or anywhere there's a beach!) salt water fishing, collecting good acoustic guitars, playing in a band called "Boomers" (acoustic folk/bluegrass) and, having embraced Jimmy Buffet's theory of "wear out, don't rust out!"), have no intentions of retiring.