Tim Raben; “We take a lot for granite.”
With this pun on “granite,” Tim confesses that he has learned much more about South Dakota roots since he and his wife Karen have become leader tour guides for Elderhostel. While both Tim and Karen are natives of Rapid City and grew up in the Hills, meandered to the east and west and returned 3-1/2 years ago, they have found that we locals, indeed, take a lot for granted. Tim indicates that most Elderhostel tourists are very interested in Native American history. As a consequence, he and Karen have read extensively about local tribal history, as well as making many contacts with traditional Native American leaders. He feels that this has helped them both grow tremendously, from a cross-cultural perspective, and has made them more knowledgeable tour guides.
Both Tim and Karen attended the old Central High School and received their B.A.s from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, Tim in History, Karen in Education. While they had known each other in high school as classmates, they began to connect via Tim’s shuttle service back and forth from Rapid City to Vermillion. In those days, he had a white Ford Fairlane convertible with turquoise trim. Apparently, Karen was quite impressed with the vehicle and later, its driver. They began to date and were married when they completed their education at USD. Tim was employed by with the Hartford Insurance Company in Chicago and later moved east to the headquarters in Hartford CT. They have a daughter, Susan, who just married and lives in a suburb of Green Bay WI.
Following 18 years with the Hartford Insurance Company, Tim and Karen returned to Chicago and established their own business consulting firm, Raben Expense Reduction Services. Together, they sponsored seminars and conducted internal audits of phone and utilities usage for owner-managed firms, demonstrating that these firms could save considerably on their expenses. As they were nearing retirement, Karen and Tim had looked all over the US for a place that had a pleasant climate but still a change of seasons. In the end, they selected where they had originally been raised, Rapid City and the Black Hills.
Tim competed in track at Rapid City Central and ran in local, regional and state meets for the famed coach Euclid Cobb, for whom today’s “Cobblers” are named. His best time was 51 seconds in a quarter-mile. He also ran 200 and 800 meters and relays in high school. He keeps a log and runs approximately 1,000 miles annually. He started running at age 54 because of a thyroid problem. Tim states, “I fell in with a group of women tri-athletes in the Chicago suburbs.” They were very challenging and started to get him in shape. His favorite races are the Mickelson Trail half marathon and the Spearfish Canyon half. He has run many competitive 5K and 10K and half marathons. This Monumental Challenge will be his first attempt at a full marathon. In the past, he has trained for marathons but never entered. Thanks to two dynamic women, Stacey Peterson ran with him much of this year in training, and his wife Karen prodded him to take his training to fulfillment. Reflecting on his marathon training and lack of entering the races, Karen challenged him. She said, “I just don’t understand [why you train for them and don’t enter.] Just do it!” Beyond the support of these two energetic women, Tim feels he is fully healthy for the first time, compared to all his previous marathon preparation. He has followed Denny Meir’s advice and built up to a 23-miler two weeks ago, completed the 10-mile train run last Sunday and is tapering before the race.
Tim is very active in the downtown Lions Club and serves as their president. He volunteers a great deal, including organizing a run for the Lions/BHRC last year, the BHRC Turkey Trot and the Deadwood Mickelson Trail runs. He and Karen co-coordinated the registration for DMT. He is also a member of the Rapid City Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors Club. In this capacity, he briefs new base personnel about opportunities in Rapid City and the Black Hills as part of Ellsworth AFB’s “Right Start” program.