Published! And available soon on Amazon.com

Flying High

by William L Mikkelson

Based on interviews & documents, edited, designed and published by Stories to Last.

At 95 years old, Bill became a published author. We were so honored to help him achieve this!

Now available to purchase online! And soon to appear on Amazon and Barnes and Noble!

FLYING HIGH

The butcher shop in Albany, Oregon, was a family business, so it’s no wonder Bill started working in it when he was just seven years old, at first crawling in the display case to clean the glass. Then it was raising and slaughtering chickens and more. But he always wanted more than to just work in the butcher shop.

With World War II tearing countries apart, Bill trained as a Navy pilot, a dive bomber, as soon as he was old enough, but the war ended just as his training did. The same day he got his wings, he married his love Fern.

A father at 22-years old, Bill had to support his family, so he was back in the butcher shop. He tried several businesses, including crop dusting, which was dusted when his partner crashed their Piper Cub on the first day. After several years, he discovered that people loved his beef and turkey jerky, based on an old Danish family recipe. He founded Smoke-Craft and popularized jerky as a snack food throughout the country and the world.

All the while, he was soaring off of ski slopes, competing in tennis, running other successful businesses, and working countless hours to support his community, championing many causes, including the founding of and multiple expansions of the Willamette Valley YMCA.

But his love of family and his faith always came first in this remarkable life, Flying High!