Then Duane gained
continuous experience in computers starting in 1960.
After 2 years in the securities brokerage business,
in 1960, Duane with his wife, Myra's help, launched a
computer based, technical, statistical stock market
report, Market Monitor, along with a related advisory
report, Market Guidance. This was maintained from
their home in Silverton Oregon, renting time on the
earliest main frames available in Portland
To their knowledge,
this was the first computer based market report made
available to the public .While the business was
recognised as a "technical" success, it
never became a financial success, being handicapped
by early decisions that never allowed the infusion of
adequate working capital..
This venture
continued for several years and was followed by 8
years when Duane worked in the insurance industry as
a systems analyst and project manager.
In 1975, with the
family grown, Duane and his wife Myra, elected to
fulfill another lifetime desire. They joined a
Christian Mission organization, Campus Crusade for
Christ, International. Duane developed computer
systems for this worldwide organization, and Myra
served in Human Resources.
After several years
of system development and project management, Duane
was promoted to Director of Computer Services
including Mail System and Central Word processing.
During this time, in
1978 he purchased his first micro computer, (The
first one to surface, The MITS Altair kit, you old
timers out there may recall it! This micro preceeded
IBM's and Apple's micro-computer offerings by about 3
to 5 years. In the early days, they were called
micros, not PC's). As you can imagine, there have
been numerous upgrades in his personal computer
installations since then!
This early
experience with micros encouraged him to introduce
personal computers into Campus Crusade, well ahead of
their general acceptance by most computer main frame
managements.
Duane and his wife
Myra, transferred to the field ministry of Campus
Crusade for Christ, in the late 80's, to serve as
City Director for the Here's Life branch of Campus
Crusade ministry in Portland Oregon.
In the mid 90's they
were re-assigned to Campus Crusade's Associate Staff
group, giving them more flexibility in their
ministry.
They are closely
involved in their church, Southwest Bible Church, of
Beaverton Oregon, (pastored by their son, Scott) and
The Portland Downtown Bible Class, which they helped
found, with other businessmen, in 1993. The class has
grown with regular weekly attendance of 250 - 300 men
and women each Wednesday noon.
Blessed with
Christian parents, Duane has been a Christian,
"believer" for approximately 70 years. As a
child, about 6 years of age, he trusted his Lord
Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour. It has been a
growing, satisfying relationship with him as God has
richly blessed him through life!
Rich
in Family and Experiences!
A
Family of Believers! III John 1:4
Duane
& Myra Gilchrist after 54 happily married years.
The whole family, pictured at Christmas 2000, include
4 children with spouses, 12 grandchildren, with 3
spouses, ( 3rd spouse, not shown, joined family, as
of Sept, 01), 5 great-grandchildren, (the 5th, not
shown, born in August 2001)
Click here for a 2004 update
of the tribe!
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