Bob Hettinger got his start in Nebraska. He was born in Scotts Bluff where the family farm is still located. It is 320 acres of irrigated land growing a variety of crops.

Growing up on the farm Bob learned many skills, which he is still putting to use. They had tractors to repair and rebuild, as well as all of the other farm chores that

go with the farm life. He completed his schooling through high school near home and then went to Colorado State to get a degree in Agriculture Economics.

Upon graduating from college Bob went to work for the Department of Agriculture. This became his career and he rose up into middle management while moving around the country. He lived in New York State, Seattle, and Sacramento during his 31 years with the department.

Marj Hettinger on the other hand got her start in Alabama, but her family soon moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where she attended school while growing up. She married young and laughs about being a child bride. She and her husband soon moved to Stockton, California. She had 3 children, a daughter and 2 sons. She lost one son to a brain tumor at age 23. She has 4 grandchildren now and loves to spend time with them.

Life in Stockton was full and in addition to raising kids, she and her husband bought a 1/3 ownership in a race car. After a year of racing they sold their share in the car. Marj had become a Purchasing Agent for a car parts wholesaler. Along the way she had divorced her first husband and remarried.

It was with her new husband and 2 sons that she found herself working on a cattle ranch in Nevada. Her daughter had become married by this time and didn’t go with them to the ranch. Marj had learned horseback riding prior to the ranch move, but now she learned how to rope and brand and all the other ranch hand tasks. It was after 6 years on the ranch that she was approached by a Department of Agriculture agent and asked if she would like to come work with the department. They were looking for a woman who had her kind of experience. She accepted.

You can see the plot thicken now. Bob and Marj met in 1981, on the job so to speak. Marj had become divorced along the way, and she and Bob, a life long bachelor, began a long romance. They finally married in 1997.

In 1985, Bob got the itch to get back to doing something with his hands as he had on the farm. The desk jobs in his career field didn’t satisfy this need. He bought a 1955 Buick and proceeded to restore it back to new condition. In 1991, he won the first of many Best of Show Awards. He still shows the car and now has quite a collection of awards.

He retired in 1994, and took on a second project, a 1949 Buick Roadmaster, and history repeats. He is now on a third project that he describes as a Resto Rod. It is a 1948 Buick that he is customizing with a Corvette LT-1 engine, Air Conditioning and other goodies.

Bob has part of his 2 car garage set up with machine tools that he uses on the car projects. He also uses them for a second hobby interest, which is building miniature gas engines. He belongs to a Miniature Machining Club that has members who are into building all kinds of interesting projects. He said one member has a 9 cylinder radial aircraft engine that is scale size and really runs. Bob has built his own miniature gas engine that runs.

Bob and Marj share a common interest in cars through not only the Redwood Region of CHVA, but also as active members of the California Capitol Chapter of the Buick Club of America. This club is about the same size as the Redwood Region with between 70 and 110 families making up the membership. Bob is currently the Capitol Chapter Director and Marj takes responsibility for the Publishing and maintenance of the club roster.

Marj’s daughter now lives on a ranch in Carmel valley, her son lives in Reno, Nevada, where he has a successful business making and selling horse bridle bits and boot spurs nationwide.

Carl and Judy Dahl introduced the Hettingers to CHVA in 2000. They started with a mini tour of the Oregon coast organized by Mick and Jan Sutter, which they say was absolutely spectacular. Even though they have a large involvement with the Buick club, they agree that they love the diversity of cars and the wonderful people in CHVA. Living as they do on the East side of Sacramento, distance to day tours can be a problem. They would like to participate even more than they do now.

Published in AAN September-October, 2006