I Tried: My Memoirs by Bob Hepler

A desire to know more about his family’s history leads Bob Hepler to explore his roots beginning with John Samuel Hepler, born about 1750. Both sides of his family – Hepler, Baker, Odlund and Rowan — hail primarily from Virginia and West Virginia. Among the fascinating facts he discovers is he had a great-great uncle in the Army who received the Distinguished Service Cross for his work as a liaison between the United States and Cuban rebels during the Spanish-American war.

Bob’s own story begins with his birth in 1943 to Julian and Margaret Hepler in Covington, Va., and his move to south Florida with his mother because he needed to live in a warmer climate. His parents divorced when he was 6, and his father kept his brothers, Frank and Bill, raising them as a single parent. Bob meets his future wife, Lee Ann, in high school.
Although he decides to drop out of high school, serving in the Navy completes his transformation to a man, teaching him about discipline and leading to him get his GED before completing radar school. He and Lee Ann married in 1961 before his first Navy assignment and soon begin their family.
After an honorable discharge from the Navy, Bob works for a company linked to the U.S. space program. Shortly after, he begins what would become a 41-year career with Florida Power & Light. Life continues, with Bob and Lee Ann caring for their two children, who grow up to have children of their own. In this heartwarming memoir, Bob carefully details the joys, disappointments – and anguishes – of life as a father and grandfather, aided by the support of his soulmate for more than 55 years.