Born in Peoria, Illinois, May 27, 1944 to Ralph E. and Dorothy E. Kemp of Chillicothe, Illinois. I grew up in Chillicothe, a few miles north of Peoria, Illinois along the Illinois River. I spent 4 years in the U.S. Navy (1962-1966) immediately after graduating from high school, making two cruises to Vietnam, aboard the Aircraft Carrier John Hancock, CVA-19. Attended Western Illinois University immediately after military duty under the G.I. Bill. Earned a Bachelor's and Master's Degree of Science. Entered the job market in 1970, joining Caterpillar, Inc. in Peoria at the foundry division as a shop supervisor. After holding various jobs in manufacturing, planning, work standards, and information services, in 1995, I transferred to Caterpillar Financial in Nashville, Tennessee as Information Service, Customer Service Manager. I married Karen DeFoe, my high school sweetheart, August 20, 1967. We have 2 children, a son, Andrew and a daughter, Katherine 'Katie'. I enjoy world travel, SCUBA diving, my wood & metal shop and genealogy. I began serious interest in genealogy in 1988, after downloading some genealogy software off the internet one rainy, Sunday afternoon. The computer took the work out of family history, and I was 'hooked'.