User:Maryam16naseem/sandbox

Introduction: Rich Konter was born in Brooklyn New York on October 27, 1949. Richard Wesley Konter (1882-1979) served as a Chief Radioman in the United States Navy. He was also a musician and a participant in the Byrd Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions. At the age of 15, Konter enlisted in the Navy and served throughout the Spanish–American War. He was a veteran of the conflict. After serving for twenty-nine years in total, he attained the rank of Chief Radioman in the United States Navy before deciding to retire. Between the years 1930 and 1970, he was the leader of a band and a group of artists who gave performances in the New York metropolitan region at homes for the elderly, hospitals for those who were chronically sick, and shelters for children. His wife, who was once known as Johanna Pool, is the only one who will remember him.

Family:

Father- Marion Edward Konter

Mother- Ida Konter

Wife- Laura Ann (Passed away 5 months ago)

Children-Faye Catherine Melton, Brooke Novkovic, River J Konter, and Summer Knight

Grandkids- Jasen. Annabel. Alan. Ashley. Stephen. Marky. Melton

Family background: His parents, Ida Hanna and Marian Edward Konter, were loving and compassionate people. His mother had served in World War II as a nurse in England, his place of birth, where she met his father during the conflict. His father was part of the intelligence services and, because of his incredible command of many languages, interrogated many top-level German officers who had been captured. His father was wounded in the battle of the bulge and met his mother while he was recovering in England. After his father resumed his active status, every time he brought prisoners back to England, he would have time to see Ida. The romance flourished, and after the war, his mother flew to Canada and came across the rainbow bridge at Niagara Falls. She applied for her citizenship and, after the timetable of the day, received it. They raised Rich Konter in mid-state New York.

Education: Rich went to Catholic school and did many of the things that youngsters do, including Boy Scouts of America, which he remembered with great fondness and fun. He also became a son of the American Revolution, with Konter’s lineage on his father's side going back to John M. Smyth's original colony. Rich’s great uncle Dick, Richard Wesley Konter, was an inspiration to him as his life was an adventure that traveled around the globe many times and both poles.

His father was a government employee, and his mother was a nurse, and he lived in New York until he was 14. He went to a local Catholic school and then transferred to a public school just before his father was asked to transfer to Chicago. He moved to Lake County ,Illinois, where he had lived for over 56 years. He went to Mundelein High School. He had many great friends from that time. He joined the 4 H and later became very involved in the civil air patrol. He eventually became cadet commander and was involved in many responses to disasters similar to the Maywood Tornado. His troop was quick response and they went to many disasters as they coordinated with local first responders.

After leaving high school, he received a scholarship to the College of Lake County and started classes, but sometimes life changes your direction and he fell in love and started a family. Rich moved back to New York for a few years as he learned a trade from the ground up as a mechanic. He eventually became a master technician and completed his education with a master's in automotive technology. Taking some time off, they traveled around the United States and around Europe. This gave a full-rounded understanding of not only the USA but also the country’s relationship with other countries.

Career: Together with his wife they started several businesses and he as an inventor patented and marketed several inventions. His wife and him enjoyed a love for life and did many different things to enhance every day. For a good while they raced cars and loved the community. Enjoying traveling; they did at every opportunity.

He also served in the local church in various positions. As it grew from Holy Family to Sagrada Familia, they watched the Spanish community share that wonderful old church. He was lucky enough to have friends from every sector of our wonderful country's community.

His wife and he had planned their retirement to include a small farm where they could enjoy Mother Nature and rescue animals. A labor of love that gave much more to them. They did that for a great many years, and he still lived on and loved their wonderful little farm. It gave him the opportunity to allow his children and grandchildren to get that little bit closer to Mother Nature. He now remembers the days of public service when he was a member of the Civil Air Patrol and so volunteered to run for state representative in the state of Illinois and 64th house district.

A Stowaway Ukulele Revealed: Richard Konter & the Byrd Polar Expeditions is the intriguing and improbable tale of a New York City sailor by the name of Richard Konter who traveled the world and played the ukulele while accompanying himself on expeditions to the Polar Regions. When the ukulele was at the height of its popularity, Konter was the arranger that Tin Pan Alley songwriters and publishers turned to most often.

1926 was the year when Konter joined the Byrd Arctic Expedition as a member of the expedition's crew. At last, Konter was able to get his ukulele onto Byrd's aircraft for the first successful attempt at a polar flight when the world's attention was fixed on his and Byrd's exploits (and those of their arch-rival, Roald Amundsen, the world's greatest polar explorer).

In all, Konter, who was eager to make his mark on history as it was being written, was able to collect the signatures of more than 150 people, both well-known and obscure, who acknowledged the significance of the North Pole ukulele that he had brought back from his expedition. After that, Konter went to Antarctica with Byrd, and he eventually tied the knot with the woman he had loved all his life when he was 80 years old.

Priorities: Rich was a supporter of several causes, including the rights of women, the safety of firearms, the integrity of the voting process, the reduction of taxes, and the responsible preservation of the environment, commerce, and pollination. According to him, the government belongs to all of us, and we all share in the benefits of our joint efforts to achieve certain goals. Any amount of time spent contributing to this effort would be much appreciated and will help preserve the health of women, reduce gun violence while preserving the rights of responsible gun owners, and safeguard the rights of owners of small businesses. Our country requires that we collaborate, and the contribution that you make will have a significant impact.