Personal History of Dean Rademaker, Founder of the 50&DC Marathon Group
Dean was born in a farm house one mile east of Emden, Illinois, September 27, 1925. Emden is a small town with a population of 500. All the early settlers were from the Emden Germany area, so the town was given the name of Emden. As a farm boy, Dean did farm work driven a team of work horses. He also was responsible for hand milking. His father permitted him to go out for High School basketball if Dean would milk all nine cows in the morning. He in turn would milk the nine cows in the evening. In 1939, his father purchased their first tractor and the horses got to rest! Also electricity was brought to their farm home. Dean's small town had a three-year high school. There was a total of 32 students. His senior year he went to a nearby town, there the enrollment was 125 students. His father was one of the religious leaders in the local Lutheran Church and Deans strict religious training consisted of two years of catechism. Two months after his eighteenth birthday, Dean went into the service. He served 30 months in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II and is currently a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Combat Veterans! After the service Dean received both a B.S. degree and a M.A. degree from Bradley University in Peoria, IL. After receiving his BS degree Dean was married. Dean and his wife, Priscilla, have two children and five grandchildren. He spent 33 happy years in education and retired in 1984. In April of l979, he went in for his annual physical. The doctor was concerned about Deans rapid heart rate and was firm in his belief that he must start some form of exercise. So on April 18, l979 Dean started his running career. In July of 1980, Dean suffered from a very serious disease. When the doctor released him in November he stated firmly that if it was not for Deans strong cardiovascular system he would not have survived the illness. So far, running has given Dean 28 additional years of living.
As a farm boy, Dean did farm work driven a team of work horses. He also was responsible for hand milking. His father permitted him to go out for High School basketball if Dean would milk all nine cows in the morning. He in turn would milk the nine cows in the evening. In 1939, his father purchased their first tractor and the horses got to rest! Also electricity was brought to their farm home. Dean's small town had a three-year high school. There was a total of 32 students. His senior year he went to a nearby town, there the enrollment was 125 students. His father was one of the religious leaders in the local Lutheran Church and Deans strict religious training consisted of two years of catechism. Two months after his eighteenth birthday, Dean went into the service. He served 30 months in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II and is currently a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Combat Veterans! After the service Dean received both a B.S. degree and a M.A. degree from Bradley University in Peoria, IL. After receiving his BS degree Dean was married. Dean and his wife, Priscilla, have two children and five grandchildren. He spent 33 happy years in education and retired in 1984. In April of l979, he went in for his annual physical. The doctor was concerned about Deans rapid heart rate and was firm in his belief that he must start some form of exercise. So on April 18, l979 Dean started his running career. In July of 1980, Dean suffered from a very serious disease. When the doctor released him in November he stated firmly that if it was not for Deans strong cardiovascular system he would not have survived the illness. So far, running has given Dean 28 additional years of living.
Dean's small town had a three-year high school. There was a total of 32 students. His senior year he went to a nearby town, there the enrollment was 125 students. His father was one of the religious leaders in the local Lutheran Church and Deans strict religious training consisted of two years of catechism. Two months after his eighteenth birthday, Dean went into the service. He served 30 months in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II and is currently a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Combat Veterans! After the service Dean received both a B.S. degree and a M.A. degree from Bradley University in Peoria, IL. After receiving his BS degree Dean was married. Dean and his wife, Priscilla, have two children and five grandchildren. He spent 33 happy years in education and retired in 1984. In April of l979, he went in for his annual physical. The doctor was concerned about Deans rapid heart rate and was firm in his belief that he must start some form of exercise. So on April 18, l979 Dean started his running career. In July of 1980, Dean suffered from a very serious disease. When the doctor released him in November he stated firmly that if it was not for Deans strong cardiovascular system he would not have survived the illness. So far, running has given Dean 28 additional years of living.
Two months after his eighteenth birthday, Dean went into the service. He served 30 months in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II and is currently a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Combat Veterans! After the service Dean received both a B.S. degree and a M.A. degree from Bradley University in Peoria, IL. After receiving his BS degree Dean was married. Dean and his wife, Priscilla, have two children and five grandchildren. He spent 33 happy years in education and retired in 1984. In April of l979, he went in for his annual physical. The doctor was concerned about Deans rapid heart rate and was firm in his belief that he must start some form of exercise. So on April 18, l979 Dean started his running career. In July of 1980, Dean suffered from a very serious disease. When the doctor released him in November he stated firmly that if it was not for Deans strong cardiovascular system he would not have survived the illness. So far, running has given Dean 28 additional years of living.
After the service Dean received both a B.S. degree and a M.A. degree from Bradley University in Peoria, IL. After receiving his BS degree Dean was married. Dean and his wife, Priscilla, have two children and five grandchildren. He spent 33 happy years in education and retired in 1984. In April of l979, he went in for his annual physical. The doctor was concerned about Deans rapid heart rate and was firm in his belief that he must start some form of exercise. So on April 18, l979 Dean started his running career. In July of 1980, Dean suffered from a very serious disease. When the doctor released him in November he stated firmly that if it was not for Deans strong cardiovascular system he would not have survived the illness. So far, running has given Dean 28 additional years of living.
After receiving his BS degree Dean was married. Dean and his wife, Priscilla, have two children and five grandchildren. He spent 33 happy years in education and retired in 1984. In April of l979, he went in for his annual physical. The doctor was concerned about Deans rapid heart rate and was firm in his belief that he must start some form of exercise. So on April 18, l979 Dean started his running career. In July of 1980, Dean suffered from a very serious disease. When the doctor released him in November he stated firmly that if it was not for Deans strong cardiovascular system he would not have survived the illness. So far, running has given Dean 28 additional years of living.
He spent 33 happy years in education and retired in 1984. In April of l979, he went in for his annual physical. The doctor was concerned about Deans rapid heart rate and was firm in his belief that he must start some form of exercise. So on April 18, l979 Dean started his running career. In July of 1980, Dean suffered from a very serious disease. When the doctor released him in November he stated firmly that if it was not for Deans strong cardiovascular system he would not have survived the illness. So far, running has given Dean 28 additional years of living.
In April of l979, he went in for his annual physical. The doctor was concerned about Deans rapid heart rate and was firm in his belief that he must start some form of exercise. So on April 18, l979 Dean started his running career. In July of 1980, Dean suffered from a very serious disease. When the doctor released him in November he stated firmly that if it was not for Deans strong cardiovascular system he would not have survived the illness. So far, running has given Dean 28 additional years of living.
