Character Bio for Dave

William David Schuler Junior is fifty-seven years old.  He was born the youngest of three children (two sisters) and raised in Gallatin, Mo August 3^rd 1954.  In high school, he became a year-round athlete who excelled in football, basketball, and track.  He graduated with honors in 1973 and joined the military where he quickly excelled to Naval Officer.  In October of 1975, a year after his wife’s first fiancé died shortly after high school graduation in a car accident, he contacted via post card to ask if she would like to go on a date next time he was home on leave.  Six months later, they were married.  In 1979 his son, Jared, was born and in 1983 his daughter, Cassie.  In 1994, he settled his family permanently in Gallatin to be closer to the folks and started working local reserve.  Fall of 2001, his father, Bill, was diagnosed with cancer and in Summer of 2003 he died.  Now in 2005 he takes care of his mother for anything she needs, as well as whatever requests his eldest sister Barbra (Gabby’s mother) might have. 

He does not get along with Barbra.  She is a single mom who always seems to be in need of something (his truck, plumbing services, moving services, etc).  Even when they were young he found himself ‘looking out for’ his older sister, who was shy and not very popular back in school.  She talks so much that it makes him want to lose his temper.  Dave likes quiet, likes order, likes hunting and being alone with his son or his friend Rick discussing important things like politics or the weather.  He loves his wife, but women in general just need so much all the time.  Even his daughter (quiet as she was) got herself pregnant at a young age.  Girls to him are cute when their little but trouble later.

Hunting and guy time has a special meaning to Dave.  Growing up in a household with three women, hunting was his time to be alone with his father.  He learned a lot during those seasons.  Part of the reason he came back to Gallatin was so he could hunt every season with his dad and take Jason out to their favorite spots.  The year before his dad got sick was when he and his father saw the big deer for the first time.  Out of respect, they let it walk on, hoping perhaps to take it next season.  After his father was diagnosed, Dave spent his hunting seasons mostly alone.  Every time he spotted the deer, he would hold off for another year, hoping the old man would get better and they would collect it on their next hunt together.  He’d always tell him each time he saw it.  It gave them something to hope for even when he took a turn for the worst.  This is Dave’s first hunting season since his father’s death.