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Offline dawnlee

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Don Feddern
« on: Dec 17, 2004, 07:07 »
This is Dawn Feddern, Don Feddern's Daughter.  I just found this website and I was very surprised to see that he was listed as one of peoples favorite site coordinator.  I think he was one of the best ones Bartlett had.  It will be 10 years since his death and I was checking to see if there were still those that think of him and what stories you may have.
« Last Edit: Dec 21, 2004, 12:59 by dawnlee »

maxparity

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Re: Stories about Don Feddern
« Reply #1 on: Dec 17, 2004, 08:26 »
Dawn,
       Met your Dad in 1994 in Monroe,Mi. at a Fermi outage. My wife had recently been dissed by another Bartlett coordinator who was a bonafide slang for the male appendage. Your Dad got her in on short notice at Fermi,and both of us became good friends with him. I was across the state at DC Cook, and was making the weekend trip to Monroe not just to see the wife, but also to hang out and party with your Dad and the technicians working there at Fermi.The lounge at the DAYS INN on Dixie Hwy. was the location of some of the greatest gatherings I've ever attended to this day. I thought he was a good man, fun to be around, and never heard anything but good from those who worked for him. It really was a surprise that it has been so long already that he has been gone. His remembrance still brings a smile...... Sincerely, Steve McGuire

Offline Melissa White

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Re: Stories about Don Feddern
« Reply #2 on: Dec 17, 2004, 09:29 »
Hi Dawn,
  I met your dad in 1991 at my one and only Fermi outage.  What can I say?  I liked the man.  He was one of a few site coordinators that I had run across that sincerely toughed it out for the techs. When there was either an issue between techs, or between the house and the roadie, he always asked enough questions to get a complete picture.  Basically, if you were up front with him, he gave you the same courtesy.
  I did meet you briefly at one of Dons' get togethers at the apartment he kept in Monroe. He scolded another tech for trying to slip you a drink.  "Don't give her that!"  I believe was the quote. You were just about 18.  Trying to protect his little girl while still being an old die hard nukie.
  I was sorry to hear of his passing, and he is one of the great memories I have from my travels on the road.  I am sure many other folks feel the same.
 Best Regards,
Melissa

PS:  I hope you take this in the spirit in which it was intended (mostly with a smile)  I watched Don pour himself some Seagrams once, and I asked innocently if he was going to add some water to it.  He gave me an outraged look: "Do you know what fish do in water????They piss and they S*%#!!!" 
  He added ginger ale.   Still makes me laugh.
« Last Edit: Dec 17, 2004, 09:34 by Melissa White »

halflifer

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Re: Stories about Don Feddern
« Reply #3 on: Dec 17, 2004, 09:38 »
Dawn,
I worked with Don several times during the '80s, from Oswego NY, to Decatur Al. and he is, to this day, one of my all time favorite people.  I could share many stories, but some of them contain subject matter that may not be suitable for all users (delicacy with other Techs wasn't what Don did).
In Feb of '87, I was leaving Brown's Ferry. My wifeatthetime threw a party for me (us?) Don showed up with a sympathy card for her and a get well card for me.
10yrs? It seems like eternity sometimes, but I don't think I'll ever stop missing him;;
« Last Edit: Dec 21, 2004, 07:17 by halflifer »

Offline dawnlee

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Don Feddern
« Reply #4 on: Dec 20, 2004, 10:19 »


 I am Don Feddern's Daughter, I recently found this website and saw that my dad was listed a few times as a favorite site coordinator.I too worked for him and would have to agree he was one of the best. I was looking for stories that any of you may have about him.  This marks 10 years of his death, this time of year is always the hardest for me. I just want to  make sure that some still remember him

Dawn Lee
« Last Edit: Dec 20, 2004, 12:54 by dawnlee »

Offline Eric_Bartlett

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Re: Don Feddern
« Reply #5 on: Dec 20, 2004, 10:26 »


I have this posted also in the polls section.  I am Don Feddern's Daughter, I recently found this website and saw that my dad was listed a few times as a favorite site coordinator.  I was looking for stories that any of you may have about him.  This marks 10 years of his death. Just making sure that some still remember him

Dawn Lee

Hey Dawn, I remember your dad quite well, one of the most fun loving men I've ever met.  He was a joy and pleasure to work with.  Made the worst situation seem ok by taking a lighthearted approach.  He was a good man, and I for one miss him.  Take care, and may the memories of your dad help you to stay joyous, for he of all people could always find an excuse to laugh.

Eric Bartlett
The opinions & views expressed by me are mine and mine alone and may not reflect those of the company.

Offline SloGlo

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Re: Don Feddern
« Reply #6 on: Dec 20, 2004, 06:18 »
dawnlee,  i worked with don many times over the years and still find myself missing him quite abit.  he was good to work with, work for, and when our swords crossed, good to work against.  i remember many an evening sitting around discussing this 'n that.  occasionally (   ;)  )  i remember him becoming agitated in his responses.  but he never lost his sense of humor, no matter what the subject was.
quando omni flunkus moritati

dubble eye, dubble yew, dubble aye!

dew the best ya kin, wit watt ya have, ware yinze are!

Offline Duke Nuker

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Re: Stories about Don Feddern
« Reply #7 on: Dec 21, 2004, 11:33 »
Hi Dawn,
You know I worked with your dad quite a bit.  While we had our differences, we always seemed able to work them out quickly.  I enjoyed working with him those years. I hope that you are doing well and your Christmas will be a merry one.

Jeff White
Is it time for coffee yet?

Offline dawnlee

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Re: Stories about Don Feddern
« Reply #8 on: Dec 22, 2004, 12:01 »
Thanks Jeff!!!!!  How are things with you?   Have a Merry Christmas and a Safe New Year

Offline imbucky

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Re: Stories about Don Feddern
« Reply #9 on: Dec 22, 2004, 12:18 »
Worked at Fermi for my first road job where I met Don. Drove over there from the cheese to walk into the Days Inn and felt right at home. Don and Linda introduced me to most of the Techs as Rick Clear was jumping off the furniture into the pool.
Don was having something on the rocks and tellin me not to pizz him off and we would get along fine. Really nice guy that people seemed to respect.
He told me to follow him to work the next day if I didn't know where the plant was, seems he might have overslept? 
Thanks for the memories.......
Life is NOT like a box of chocolates.

It's more like a jar of Jalapenos....what you do today might burn your ass tomorrow.......

kobster

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Re: Stories about Don Feddern
« Reply #10 on: Dec 22, 2004, 12:43 »
Hey Dawn,  Think of your Dad often !!!!  The last outage he was atm Calvert Cliffs, he stayed at my house.  Every night he fed my puppy chicken, and nearly killed him.  He stunk to death!  I'd come home and say Govner (the dog), YOU STINK!!  Poor dog would walk down the hall, into my room and be standing in my bathtub, waiting for his daily bath.  Your father would laugh his head off!!
It took me awhile to figure it out, once I did, I left a few knots on your dad's head!!  We sure did have some fun!!! Wonder and very funny fellow!! 
Miss him to this day.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to your family,  Gibbsy

sir lawrence

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Re: Stories about Don Feddern
« Reply #11 on: Jan 10, 2005, 07:03 »
I worked with Don in the late 80's at Clinton station.  We had it pretty good with him around.  I don't think the company knew just how much beer and steaks they paid for on his expense account.

jjordan

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Re: Stories about Don Feddern
« Reply #12 on: Jan 22, 2005, 02:07 »
Dawn and Bret,
It's good to see you are both doing well! Don was very proud of you both! It's hard to belive that 10 years has already passed, but I've been a house tech at Brunswick for 6 of them. Don was by far my favorite coordinator, and I tried to work with him whenever possible, even if the plant was substandard. We always had a blast, and we usually made a lasting impression on the utilities. I remember you both, and was wondering if either of you pusued a nuclear carreer? I also remember all of the names you mentioned on the other thread, I've lost touch with most of all of our extended nuclear family, but this site helps a few of us get back in touch with one and other. Most of the tech that wored with us stay up north and I'm in NC, so I only see a few that come to our outages.  Sloglo probably has a few tales to tell about your father, he posts a lot in here. Was wondering what ever became of "Billy Ho Ho Bowser",Jerry Thompson, Theresa Albright AKA Dawn Trafenstiendt [sp?] and a lot of the other Fermi Calvert, and Davis Besse techs! Anybody can IM me here, or send an email, it's listed on this site. I always love to hear from old friends! ;D
Keep In Touch,
John Jordan :-*

Stephenwolf

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Re: Stories about Don Feddern
« Reply #13 on: Jan 25, 2005, 08:11 »
Dawn
I too have grat memories of your Dad at Browns Ferry in 84.
I worked with him at the Drywell ISI. - Also with us then were two other HP Techs who have also fallen - Jerry Gaither and Mike Parrish. Great Memories and good times.

halflifer

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Re: Stories about Don Feddern
« Reply #14 on: Jan 25, 2005, 09:59 »
Dawn
I too have grat memories of your Dad at Browns Ferry in 84.
I worked with him at the Drywell ISI. - Also with us then were two other HP Techs who have also fallen - Jerry Gaither and Mike Parrish. Great Memories and good times.

Let's not forget Greg "Puff-n-Stuff" Traffensadt(sic?). Don's in some great company, Dawn.

Hoffmonster

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Re: Stories about Don Feddern
« Reply #15 on: Feb 01, 2005, 05:04 »
Don was the one guy you could count on to be there.  Where?  It didn't matter, he was always there when you needed him, big smile and all.  I Still think of him.  I guess that's a tribute to him and his life.  I worked with him at Fermi and hung out with him as a friend.  He took care of his people.  Rare in this business.

jjordan

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Re: Stories about Don Feddern
« Reply #16 on: Feb 01, 2005, 08:39 »
I remember the first time I met Don. I was accepted to work at Davis Besse, but when I tried to confirm, the home office wouldn't let me. Seems I was on some kind of list :P Well I really wanted to work there that outage, and heard about the HP entrance test from Hell. (worse than NRRPT) I drove up to see what was going on. I took my little buddy Fred with me too. Seems he was accepted and was also worried about the test. When we got to Port Clinton, we found Don's room at the motel and went in. We were in the presence of greatness, 8) for there sitting on the couch was an industry legend, Mike L. (Pet Cow on Nukeworker) He had on his airbrushed trenchcoat, one sock, missmatched sneakers, black fingernails, and chainsaw earings! (or was it the dragons) Fred and I were impressed, but we came for a study session for the test, so we got our drinks and proceede to cram for about 8 hours with a lot of other techs in the same boat. Somebody in the group mentioned something about it being harder than the NRRPT, and it was! :-[ You couldn't guess. You had to fill in the blank or write an essay! :P Well our instructor said if you were NRRPT you didn't have to test! Well Fred was NRRPT and he was pissed. Don laughed his ass off! ;D That test was so hard I went back up the next week and did another training session, and then took the test on my own time, since they wouldn't let me commit. Well it took them about 3 or 4 days to grade it, since they were all written answers. I remember them handing mine to me and my heart sank, it was a sea of red ink! :'( Billy "HO HO " Bowser) said "No you did good!" The red ink was on the answers that were right! I passed the test, and Don called the office, and told them to send me a check, they said they couldn't. He said you don't understand, there was a 60% fail rate, I passed it and was standing there ready to work! "Send the check!" They did. He helped me staighten almost evrything out with the home office and that was the beginning of a long and satisfynig carreer and freindship! I often think of Don and all of the great times we had, I worked with him every chance I got, even if it was for less money, because I knew he would be there for me, and i can't even begin to put a price on all of the fun and memories I have! :)
JJ
« Last Edit: Nov 27, 2009, 03:00 by JJordan »

Offline dawnlee

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Re: Stories about Don Feddern
« Reply #17 on: Feb 02, 2005, 11:37 »
I remember that guy Mike.  My brother and I were at that time  12 and 16, we couldnt believe that our dad was hanging out with someone who looked like that.  He was a great guy.

I remember a lot of those that worked the Fermi outages.  I was 17 and living with my dad and I was his clerk.  It was 91 and I just graduated from High School.  I remember making wings just about every weekend, there was a contest to see who could make the hottest wings.  Then they decide to see who could make the hottest chili.  This was the best time.  My dad and I got really close, he was a real hard ass when he had to be, but yet he was the biggest teddy bear. 

My dad once told me that people either like him or they don't and there was no in between.  He also told me that those that do him wrong, better hope they never need a favor from him, and those that were his friends could ask him for just about anything and he would do it.

My brother and I are really enjoying these stories, we are glad to see there are some that still remember him.  Please keep the stories coming.  I am printing these out so I can show my daughter when she is older. I want her to know how great her grandpa really was. 

I really wish he could be here and enjoy her.  They are a lot alike.  Someone once told me that she looked alot like him.  THis is when she was around two or three, (shes 9 now) she was short and round. haha.


Again thanks for the stories and please keep them coming.  Bret and I really enjoy them.
« Last Edit: Feb 03, 2005, 11:24 by dawnlee »

Offline SloGlo

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Re: Stories about Don Feddern
« Reply #18 on: Feb 03, 2005, 06:09 »
a story about don?  dang, it's hard to get them all sorted out,'n i only worked wit him a few times.  he was a man who liked to talk, alot.  sum peeple say the same bout me, but i'm reely quite quiet.  but wit don..... whew!  he wuz one who'd bring out the best in a conversation.  he might turn it on it's ear 'n give a wedgie, but it'd be a good time.  i remember so well the discussions we'd have about 1500.  great goobleymooblies!  peeple wood think we wuz serously mad at each other.  still makes me laff.
therer wuz a time when i wuz informed that i wood knot be staying at my motel room, but at the local constabulary's inn.  after i checked in, i called don to see if he might be able to get me out.  he showed up about an hour later, but wuz only 1/2 mile down the road.  seems it took him that long to find sumwon sober enuff to drive him over.  then he got to play plastic pinnocle with the custodians, as they didn't take american express.....  priceless. ;)
quando omni flunkus moritati

dubble eye, dubble yew, dubble aye!

dew the best ya kin, wit watt ya have, ware yinze are!

jjordan

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Re: Stories about Don Feddern
« Reply #19 on: Feb 04, 2005, 10:06 »
I remember that well Sloglo,
It seems that the price for you was way higher than our first offender! You musta been real quiet in there! Wonder what younze disscussed that pissed off Port Clintons finest? ;) Seems to me it cost Don $10,000.00 to get you back to work in the D rings! :P
JJ
« Last Edit: Feb 08, 2005, 04:26 by JJordan »

Offline SloGlo

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Re: Stories about Don Feddern
« Reply #20 on: Feb 07, 2005, 05:51 »
I remember that well Sloglo,
It seems that the price for you was way higher than our first offender! You musta been real quiet in there! Wonder what younze disscussed that pissed off Port Clintons finest? ;)Seems to me it cost Don $10,000.00 to get you back to work in the D rings! :P
JJ

yinz are gonna have donnalee mad at me, ya keep dis up, jjordan!  it wuz only a grand, 'n since eye showed up brighteyed 'n bushy tailed at da heering 'n paid the $102 it didn't even process on don's card.  eye kant recahl specifix ona udder problem child, (at leest knot in public ;)), but a legal beagle eye conversed wit over dis issue wuz hysterical wit laffter as it cost more to bail me out for partaking of legal intoxicants that it did fer da udder person, whuz specifix still elude me.
'n the upshot of the whole story related is that don was there for thems what needed him.  this industry will look a long time to find another like him.
quando omni flunkus moritati

dubble eye, dubble yew, dubble aye!

dew the best ya kin, wit watt ya have, ware yinze are!

Offline dawnlee

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Re: Stories about Don Feddern
« Reply #21 on: Feb 09, 2005, 06:45 »
Sloglo, you are seriously cracking me up.  I kind of remember my dad talking about that story and his adventures and yours getting to and from the Jail.  I kindof remember those outages, I was 16 and my brother and I spent our spring break there.  I remember going to one of the bars and I was able to drink as long as my dad was the one to order and hand it to me.  He was letting me drink winecoolers and allowed me to drink as much as I wanted.  I also remember coming back to the hotel and hugging the toliet for dear life.  He laughed and ask me if I would do that again. He liked to make sure us kids learned our lessons.........Keep um coming, I was told you had a bunch of stories....What ever did happen to mike, the one with the tie die coat and colored fingernails?

jjordan

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Re: Stories about Don Feddern
« Reply #22 on: Feb 09, 2005, 09:50 »
dawnlee,
As far as I know, Mike is alive and well. I don't know if he still works in the industry. I haven't talke to him for a good long while. He went to work for ARC for a while, but don't know if he came back to Bartlett after they went belly up! I'll have to ask Eric. Most everyone knows him, he is a legend. He was posting on hear about a year or so ago under the name of "PetCow" He pissed everyone off, which was his specialty, he had about a -200 Karma. I think Mike finally gave him the boot because he isn't listed on here anymore. Fred and I used to take him to the Sandusky mall,  and show him of to all of the school kids! It was really funny, the moms would grab the kids by their arms and rush them away from us! Dawnlee do you remember all of the dart night at the bars, about half the site used to show up! Always had a blast with Don & the King of the Road! Ask Sloglo about the Super Bowl party at Cisco and Charlies when I won the pool. I started a Davis Besse tradition that night! :P If he doesn't remember (he's gettin kinda old) I'll tell you!
JJ

Offline dawnlee

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Re: Stories about Don Feddern
« Reply #23 on: Feb 10, 2005, 09:57 »
Cisco and Charlies I believe was the bar that I was at and that night hugging the toliet.  I remember that bar very well....I remember dart night, we also used to play at the Fermi outages at a place called Johnny Joes.  When I went to visit Doreen about 5 years ago that place was still there.  I threw my dad a surprise 50th there at Johnny Joes.  I have my dads old photo albums, Bret and I look at them every now and again. I hear Duane Arnold is coming up this spring/summer for an outage are you going?

Offline SloGlo

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Re: Stories about Don Feddern
« Reply #24 on: Feb 10, 2005, 06:40 »
dawnlee, i'm hoping that you remember the basketball game at cisco & charlies?  it'd get waaay to serious a competition for me, at least after the first half dozen beers.  i dunno if mikey is still in the biz, he still floats in and out of here occasionally, i recogninze his inimitable style on some posts.  'n jjordan started so many besse traditions that i am unsure of which he's referring to, but eye'm leening twoward that oversize margarita glass with about a half-fifth ov booze in it.  king of the road got a bit glassy eyed after, what, the third?
quando omni flunkus moritati

dubble eye, dubble yew, dubble aye!

dew the best ya kin, wit watt ya have, ware yinze are!

 


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