Suzanne Bristol met the love of her life while living in New York. Tom Etter was a physicist, philosopher, genius inventor, and university speaker, and he shared with Sue an abiding curiosity in the deeper meanings of life.
Sue later went to Cranbrook College in Michigan and in the early 1970s she was a visual graphics staff member at the University of Minnesota's Human Sexuality Project. She also made a good living in the field of architectural rendering. In 1977 she and Tom moved to California and joined the Board of Directors of Marin Solar Village, the country's first activist organization for green, sustainable, solar housing.
In the latter decades of her life Suzanne lived in Mill Valley, Menlo Park, and Sonoma, California working as a fine artist, computer teacher, and stained glass artist. She won and wrote government grants and was a community organizer. Until recent years, whatever else she did, she continued to produce paintings in her home studio. And wherever she lived Sue never failed to plant a large, thriving organic garden. With her energy, wide interests, and compassion, she made friends wherever she went. She was an active member of the First Congregational Church of Sonoma, UCC.
After withstanding the effects of cancer for over three years, maintaining a gallant spirit as well as an active life, Suzanne Etter died at her home in Sonoma on March 20, 2007. She was attended by her beloved husband and friends; Norma and Hans were visiting Byron and Esther at the time and stayed in Arkansas to comfort them in their grief.
One of Suzanne's friends said that she "had the rare talent to care deeply about things while at the same time engaging others. Her projects had a way of blooming into friendships and her friendships had a way of deepening and lasting. We loved her and we miss her."
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Norma Bristol and Hans Fischer were married on a cold, rainy day in the ancient medieval town of Aarau, Switzerland. The two came from very different cultures, languages and families, and at age 21 Norma was ill-equipped to cope with the racism, strange language, and culture of Switzerland. She was homesick. The Fischers went to live with Byron and Esther in Gainesville and attended and graduated from the University of Florida. They next moved to New York City, where Norma worked as a graphic artist and went to art school at night. Her earnings plus a scholarship helped Hans complete his master's degree and study for his doctorate in French stained glass of the middle ages. It was during this time that Norma had a very profound experience with God and converted to Christianity. From that point on she began her career in writing and illustrating Christian children's books.
When Hans won the prestigious Woodrow Wilson Doctoral Fellowship grant they moved to Paris, France for him to write his dissertation. Norma's first book, "Who Could Love an Ugly Toad?", came out in 1972. The book was to run nine printings and be on sale for the next 14 years. It has now been completely re-illustrated and will go into its tenth printing in the Albanian language.
Hans' joyful, completely life-changing conversion to Christianity forever altered the course of the Fischers' lives. They went on to become volunteer church helpers in France, Germany, the U.S., and then Switzerland and on to Belgium, where they currently live.
Today Hans, a retired middle school teacher, is an exhibiting watercolor artist. Norma is creating a 52-book series with accompanying music and theater for children. Her book, "The Gift", has been printed in four languages with 10,000 music and story CDs being distributed by Trans World Radio Albania. The Gift is also being broadcast to over two-thirds of this once communist country. The theatrical version was performed with orphaned children in Albania at Christmastime 2006. Twenty different countries in the Trans World network have an interest in broadcasting Norma's stories. God continues to work through her art and willingness to help those in need, touching the children of Europe for His glory.
While Norma and Hans were serving as volunteer workers with Teen Challenge in Germany, their first child was born in Frankfurt on March 15, 1974. On his due date this very big baby kicked and wiggled himself sideways in the womb and so had to be delivered by C-section. They named him Hans-Peter, and soon found that he was a very rambunctious child, a handful for his parents to bring up! According to his mother, he had a very strong sense of right and wrong. He also showed remarkable creative problem-solving skills, as well as signs of inheriting his parents' artistic bent.
Hans-Peter was apprenticed in Switzerland as a finish carpenter and moved to the U.S. when he was 19. He now lives in Missouri with his wife of eight years, Krystal.
Markus Fischer was born on November 9, 1976 while the family was living in Plantation, Florida. A very intelligent and quiet child, he showed from babyhood on a hilarious sense of humor. Markus was a precocious child, and learned to read, write and do math by the age of 4. At five he was explaining to his mother how to plot lines on a blank computer screen by using a numbered grid he kept track of in his head. By the time he was nine he could read complicated computer code to make his own programs.
Markus was apprenticed in Switzerland as a machine mechanic and computer programmer for machines that make metal parts. However, after working in his trade for several years and completing his obligatory military training, he felt the need to further his knowledge of the Bible. He moved to South Africa and attended Bible school, completing a degree in ministry and graduating with excellent grades. After graduation he moved to Arkansas and now lives next door to Byron and Esther in the Harbor House community.
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Hans-Peter was apprenticed in Switzerland as a finish carpenter and moved to the U.S. when he was 19. He now lives in Missouri with his wife of eight years, Krystal.
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