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Majors Neil H. and Beth Saunders have entered honored retirement after careers that have spanned the globe.
Saunders was born to Salvation Army parents in New Zealand and he grew up in Australia. After attending the International Corps Cadet Congress in London in 1956, he came to the USA, where he joined the New York Staff Band. He was commissioned from the Australian Southern Territory Training College in 1959 as a member of the Courageous Session, and successfully opened a corps in suburban Melbourne.
He met Beth while appointed to the School for Officer Training in San Francisco. Beth is the daughter of Henry and Marie Koerner, now Colonel (R), in Honolulu. Their marriage followed her commissioning in 1963 as a member of the Servants of Christ Session.
Their sons Rob and Brian were born while they were serving at the Anaheim Corps. Their third son, David, was born while they were again at the School for Officers Training.
They served in the Northern California and Southwest Divisional Headquarters before 1976, when they were in the Midland Division and Chicago Unified Command in the Central Territory.
In 1978 they assumed leadership in the Bahamas, where Neil had lived with his parents as a boy. Then back to the US West, to Tucson, El Paso and Spokane.
In 1993 they accepted appointment to the South America West Territory and returned to the Caribbean. They enter retirement from the positions as General Secretary to the Adult Rehabilitation Command and Assistant Territorial League of Mercy Secretary and VAVS Coordinator.
Two sons and their wives, Rob and Lori, David and Jennifer, live in Phoenix, Ariz. Captains Brian and Leticia are serving as corps officers at Dunstable in the UK Territory.
Their retirement address is 541 Tarrant Court, Roseville CA 95747.