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WEST FARMINGTON -- Andy H. Weaver said he has lived "a blessed life."
The 90 year-old grew up in an Amish community until he was 14. He has traveled extensively, with his first overseas trip as a United States Army soldier stationed in Germany.
He was married to Betty for 68 years and he ran his own company.
"I started working at Johnson Plastics with a work permit (because of his age) to work outside for 60 cents an hour until I was 16 years old and then I went inside to work," Weaver said.
At 18, he transferred to Ball Brothers in Chardon and was working there when he got his draft notice at 19.
Ball Brothers said they would hold a job for him when he returned from his military service.
Young Amish men did get drafted, but their religion requires them to adhere to pacifism. They consider the commandment, "Thou Shall Not Kill," as prohibitive against violence and war.
However, Weaver was no longer Amish and felt that it was important to serve his country.
"I always wanted to do my part," he said.
One of his older brothers who remained Amish did file as a conscientious objector during World War II.
The draft requirement was four years, but not all in active duty.
"At that time, you served two years in uniform on active duty and two years in the reserve," Weaver said.
He entered the Army after the Korean War and served for almost two years, from January 1956 to December 1957.
Prior to his military service, Weaver had traveled outside of Ohio to Michigan, but when he went to basic training he was sent to the southern United States.
"I traveled by train to Fort Leonard Wood (Missouri) for basic training," he said.
At one time, four of the nine Weaver boys served in the military in the 1950s.
"My brother warned me what to expect when I went to basic training. You just had to do stuff to follow orders like one sergeant would tell me to go across the way and tell the sergeant something dirty. It wasn't as bad as I was led to believe," Weaver said.
After his basic training, he was sent to Fort Sill in Oklahoma for more instruction.
"I was sent there to train to be a surveyor. I had a really hard time with Algebra. I only had an eighth-grade education. I really had to work on it, but one day it just made sense," he said.
He did the rest of his active duty service in Germany.
"I started as an E2 private. I was placed in field artillery. I did not like the position. I told my sergeant and he said there was an opening for a clerk and asked if I could type. I said yes. He asked how fast. I said 102 words a minute. I got the job and I learned to type," Weaver said.
During his time there, his love for music was put into play.
"I played guitar and sang in a country music band. We played at the USO and other locations," he said.
The USO provided the instruments for the band. One of his band members was from Canada.
Prior to leaving for the Army, Weaver was featured in the armed forces publication, "Stars and Stripes," when his band won a contest for a Cleveland television station. He performed in the first contest, but was sent overseas. The station let his band perform without him and they won.
After a year in Germany, Weaver came back to Ohio. Betty waited for his return and they married.
"When I got home, I had to report to Columbus after I got married to fulfill my reserve status. I only served one week and they said I was done," he said.
Weaver had sent a portion of his pay to his parents to help them out during his time in the Army. When he got home, the IRS contacted him.
"My wife Betty had saved $300. The IRS told me that the Army had overpaid the portion of my pay I sent to my parents and I owed $300. Years later, when that did not seem like a lot of money, Betty and I would laugh about the story," Weaver said.
He returned to his job at Ball Brothers, but he decided to start his own business, Andy H Weaver, Inc. The company's main products were German clocks, Swiss watches and harmonicas.
It took Weaver about 10 years before he started his company. He and his wife traveled to Europe to visit the countries and businesses where he purchased stock.
"When we went to Switzerland, we took a trip to Bern, which is where my family lived before they came to the United States," he said.
Weaver said he enjoyed his military service because he met interesting people and he had unique experiences living outside of the United States.
Andy H. Weaver
AGE: 90
RESIDENCE: West Farmington
SERVICE BRANCH: U.S. Army
MILITARY HONORS: Commendation Medal
OCCUPATION: Retired business owner of Andy H. Weaver Inc.
FAMILY: wife, Betty of 68 years; (deceased); four children; 12 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren; three stepgrandchildren; and one step-great-grandchild