THE TROPICS RESIDENT OF THE MONTH

33000 Almaden Blvd., Union City, Ca. 94587

DEL SODERHOLM

Reporter - Charlotte O’Donnell

ON 1997 DEL BOUGHT 386 TROPICANA WAY AND MOVED THERE IN THE YEAR 1998. HE LIKES LIVING HERE BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY ACTIVITIES AND HE HAS MET MANY FRIENDS. HE IS PRESIDENT OF THE COMPUTER CLUB, WHICH HE FOUNDED. WHEN THERE WAS FIGHTING AMONG MEMBERS OF THE RESIDENTS CLUB, DEL AND BURKE BARTELL CO-FOUNDED THE COFFEE CLUB. DEL ATTENDS THAT ON A REGULAR BASIS.

DEL LOVES HIS FAMILY. HE IS DELIGHTED TO BE LIVING WITHIN A MILE OF HIS TWO DAUGHTERS AND THEIR FAMILIES. HE ALSO LIVES CLOSE TO HIS YOUNGEST BROTHER. HE AND HIS BROTHER KEEP BUSY WITH VARIOUS ACTIVITIES.

HE IS PROUD OF HIS TWO DAUGHTERS AND THEIR FAMILIES. HE HAS THREE GRANDDAUGHTERS, 16, 13, &3. ONE MORE GRANDCHILD IS ON THE WAY. DEL TAKES THE GRANDDAUGHTERS TO MANY ACTIVITIES. HE AND THE THREE-YEAR-OLD HAVE A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP, AS HE WATCHES HER AND SHE IS OFTEN WITH HIM AT THE CLUBHOUSE OR HIS UNIT.

DEL WAS BORN IN ALEXANDRIA, MINNESOTA. THE FAMILY MOVED TO ALBANY, OREGON WHEN HE WAS TEN. DEL REMEMBERS WANTING TO WORK AT AN EARLY AGE. HE USED TO HANG AROUND THE EMPLOYMENT AREA WHEN HE WAS ABOUT NINE, SO HE COULD BE HIRED TO PICK BEANS. FINALLY SOME OF THE FARMERS HIRED HIM, PAID HIM FOR HIS WORK, AND TREATED HIM LIKE A SON. WHEN LIVING ON THE FARM, DEL HAD MANY CHORES FOR WHICH HE RECEIVED NO PAY. DEL WAS ONE OF SEVEN CHILDREN. HE REMEMBERS FEELING HE HAD LOST THE "BABY SPOT" AFTER HIS YOUNGER BROTHER WAS BORN. HE WAS MAD THAT HIS YOUNGER BROTHER WAS NOW THE BABY. HE GOT OVER THAT LATER, AND LOVES BEING AROUND HIS BROTHER. LATER  ANOTHER SISTER WAS BORN, A DOWN'S SYNDROME BABY. THAT WAS DIFFICULT DURING HIS GROWING YEARS, BUT NOW HE REALIZES HOW SPECIAL SHE IS.

THE FAMILY MOVED TO ALBANY, OREGON, AND LATER TO EUREKA, CALIFORNIA WHERE HIS FATHER WORKED IN LUMBER MILLS. DEL REMEMBERS AT CHRISTMAS EACH CHILD RECEIVED ONE TOY AND SOME CLOTHES. ONE YEAR HE GOT A WAGON AND A SLED AND THE CLOTHES.

ONE OF HIS SISTERS RECEIVED NO TOY. SHE WAS MAD AT DEL FOR SOME TIME. WHEN DEL WAS A CHILD THE CASTORA TREES GREW IN HIS COMMUNITY. THE BARK WOULD BE STRIPPED AND SPREAD ON ROOF TOPS TO DRY. THE BARK WAS USED TO MAKE LAXATIVES. SOMETIMES THE DEPOSITS WOULD GET UNDER THE STRIPPERS' FINGERS. THEN THEY WOULD EAT LUNCH AND HAVE TO RUN TO ELIMINATE.

IN 1958, DEL JOINED THE ARMED FORCES, AS A MILITARY POLICEMAN, WHICH CAUSED HIS FRIENDS TO LAUGH. HE DID NOT WANT TO BE A LUMBERMAN LIKE HIS FATHER. HE SPENT NINE YEARS, SIX MONTHS, TWENTY-ONE DAYS IN THE MILITARY. HE HAD TWO TOURS OF DUTY IN KOREA, AND IN 1960 WAS IN VIETNAM FOR A SHORT TIME.

DEL MARRIED THREE TIMES, AND DID NOT WISH HIS THIRD WIFE TO ENDURE THE RIGORS OF MILITARY LIFE. HE WAS STATIONED FOR A SHORT TIME AT OAKLAND ARMY BASE. FROM 1965 THROUGH 1968, HE DID INVESTIGATIONS AS A MEMBER OF THE LIVERMORE POLICE DEPARTMENT. HE BOUGHT A SERVICE STATION IN HAYWARD AND WAS ALSO A POLICE OFFICER. THIS BROUGHT MANY EXCITING EXPERIENCES INTO HIS LIFE.

HE SOLD THE SERVICE STATION, AND WENT TO WORK FOR UNITED TECHNOLOGIES COMMUNICATORS FROM 1973-1984. THEN DEL WENT TO WORK FOR FUJITSU-AMERICA AS HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS IN 1986. HE WAS INJURED ON THE JOB, AND UNDER-WENT TWO  OPERATIONS ON HIS NECK. HE MOVED TO OAKRIDGE, OREGON. HE WAS DIVORCED IN 1996.

DEL HAS MANY INTERESTS. AMONG THEM ARE HUNTING, TELEVISION, COMPUTERS, COACHING GIRLS' SOFT BALL: THE FREMONT FLIERS, GOLDRUSH, AND ROADRUNNERS. ALL THESE ACTIVITIES ARE PLEASURABLE FOR DEL. HE AND HIS FRIENDS IN THE PARK WOULD LIKE TO HAVE NEW PEOPLE JOIN IN THE FUN.