We first meet Lon almost 8 years ago through his son Miles, who went to school with our daughter Natasha.  When Natasha and Miles became friends, we got to learn more about what kind of a person Lon is.  Our first thought of Lon was that he was incredibly kind.  Personally, I find that very admirable in anyone I meet, and he made an excellent impression on us right from the start.  Our second thought about Lon was that he was funny.  He isn’t one to crack jokes and be the life of the party, but he has the kind of humor that sneaks up on you when you least expect it.

Lon worked at Wells Fargo for years and when he decided to end his corporate accounting job and work with his parents at Found Objects in McMinnville, I knew he needed something more challenging.  We invited Lon to start bartending at our events this past summer.  There he shined; he kept event guests happy with his humor, worked hard, laughed a lot, and really showed us what a good person he is.  When an Innkeeping position became available, he was the perfect fit.

After a couple of weeks of cooking breakfasts at the Inn, Lon earned the nickname “Tin Man.”  He wrapped everything in aluminum foil – cookie sheets, ramekins, leftovers, you name it.  Whatever needed to be kept clean or preserved was covered in foil!  For Christmas our other Innkeeper, Becky, recycled all of the aluminum that she had used in the kitchen over a few months and crafted it into a huge ball for Lon.

Now Lon is part of the Youngberg family and we are thrilled to have him brighten up our days and those of our guests.  Becky raves about all the jokes he plays on her, and she loves getting him back.  We can’t wait for more laughter with Lon in the years to come!

~Nicolette