Waring helps plan fundraising walk

Money will benefit MS society

By Matt Bewley | The Daily Journal

Published Saturday, April 7, 2007

David Waring was dealt a tough blow when he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, but it doesn’t stop him from helping others who are fighting the disease. He is serving on this year’s MS Walk committee, planned in Fergus Falls May 6.

He was born in Sioux Falls, S.D. His father bred, trained and showed American Quarterhorses as a hobby.

“I was raised in the country, on five acres. My dad worked for John Morrell and Co., as a meat packer.”

At age seven, he rode his first horse, a Welsh pony his father purchased for him. He went to school at Washington Senior High in Sioux Falls, graduating in 1958. He had served on the year book staff and ran the 100-yard dash on the school track team.

From age 10, he trained and showed American Quarterhorses with his father.

“The farthest we went was Rapid City, S.D. and then to the Minnesota State Fair. We went to a show every weekend from Memorial Day to Labor Day,” he said.

Young David owned a Quarterhorse mare, bought in Grand Island, Neb.

“I trained her and showed her in western pleasure classes, reigning classes and in horsemanship,” he said.

After high school, he went to South Dakoata State University at Brookings, majoring in dairy manufacturing. He also served in the Army ROTC program.

It was there that a girl named Linda Smith, a political science major, caught his eye. They began the to court, and both graduated with their bachelor’s degrees in 1961.

They married in 1962, and David joined the Army Medical Service Corps

to fulfill his ROTC obligation. He was stationed at Valley Forge General Hospital in Phoenixville, Pa., as an administrative assistant in the medicine and surgery departments.

Following his service, they moved to Shoreview outside of St. Cloud where he worked as a production manager for a fluid milk bottling plant, Sanitary Farm Dairies. In 1983, he went to work for Mid-America Dairymen (MD) as plant manager in Farmington.

In 1996, their son, Christopher, was born, and daughter, Robin, followed four years later. The young family would often take trips to South Dakota to visit relatives and explore the Black Hills.

Chris joined scouting and worked his way through the badge requirements until he earned the title Eagle scout. His mother and sister were in Girl Scouts.

Chris was in gymnastics and he and Robin were both in the school band.

In 1985, the family moved to Fergus Falls. David managed the MD cheese plant, and then was transferred in 1991, to Omaha, Neb., to work as area manger of operations until 1998, when he returned to Fergus after MD had sold off several plants.

He retired on August 15, 2000, partially due to the Multiple Sclerosis he had been diagnosed with in 1996.

“It changes your lifestyle,” he said. “It limits me to what I can do and can’t do. I’ve had to change my daily habits, and look at life a little differently.”

The disease was arrested in 2004 with a new medicine, Avonex.

“It definitely slowed the progress,” he said. “I’ve been in a kind of remission since August 2004.”

He’s since gained new interests, and stays busy with some old ones, too.

“I’m a grandfather, now,” he said. “It’s nice having young life around you. It gives you something to look forward to.”

He also bought himself a zero-radius mower and has a snowplow for it, so he keeps his yard looking sharp and his driveway clear.

He’s been into photography for many years, snapping photos of old churches. He now does this with a digital camera.

With or without a camera, though, he keeps life in proper perspective.

“My family is the most important thing to me,” he said. “And I try to treat every body fairly and threat them as I would like to be treated. I try to keep a bright outlook on life.”