Patrick/Leierwood (Season 1, Episode 17)
PREMISE
In fort Patrick in rural Kentucky, ex-senior air force airman Cheri runs her home to strict military standards. Husband Ryan was a sergeant in the US cavalry, serving in Bosnia. He now works at a local steel mill from 10:AM to 12:AM midnight, leaving little time for his family. Cheri's day starts at 6:AM when she wakes up for her morning march and she keeps a strict military routine of cleaning and chores. Their kids Tyler Carr (8) from a previous marriage, Brennan (5) and Hailey (2), are expected to address adults as ma'am or sir, and have to clean and do chores. The kids toys primarily consist of toy guns and bombs. Cheri is a devoted bible reading Christian. Cheri and Ryan believe the military teaches you respect and discipline.
In Minnesota, part time art teacher Mina Leierwood and her husband Greg are liberal anti-war activists who often attend peace vigils. Mina's family protested war all their lives. Her Jewish grandparents fought for peace even during World War II. Mina is critical of the Bush administration and believes George Bush should be tried in a criminal court. Their kids are 17 year old Dan and 13 year old Avram. Dan was adopted at age 4 after Mina's friend was dying of cancer and asked her to take Dan in. She was pregnant with Avram. Chores are balanced out among all household members and the boys are encouraged to be free thinkers. Dan is a drummer who is often outspoken about his views and often questions everything, including the families Quaker religious views. Mina and Greg often beg him to take a shower and wash his clothes.
BACKGROUND MUSIC
March of the Cadet Corps - Barrie Hingley
Blow Up A Go-Go - James Clarke
The Star Spangled Banner - United States Coast Guard Band
Yankee Doodle
Twist and Jump - Ennio Morricone
(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding - Brinsley Schwarz
UPDATE
Mina did an update on her former family website.
https://web.archive.org/web/20170812013754/leierwood.com/swap
"ABC Television initially approached my family about appearing in a documentary about Peace families/War families. I am a birthright Quaker, with Jewish Socialist grandparents who spent 75 years on the pacifist path, and Greg comes from a Catholic worker family much in the spirit of Dorothy Day, and this was just the type of thing ABC was looking for. The wanted to pair us up with a military family, but soon we realized they actually wanted us for a reality TV show which is funny, cuz we don't even watch TV --"
Mina said there were some things the show got wrong. They are Quakers, not atheists. But Dan does question everything, even their religious views. After the show Dan moved out and is living with family friends. "He is playing lots of music and traveling a lot. This makes our household more peaceful, but more boring as well."
Mina is still an activist and supports Black Lives Matter, as does Dan. Dan went by D.j. Countchocula on Facebook. These pictures were posted on November 29 2019.
https://www.facebook.com/djkukielka
Trigger warning: The next update mentions suicide.
On July 29, 2022 Dan took his own life. Mina posted an obituary to Facebook on August 4, 2022.
Daniel Patrick Parkinson V 1987-2022
Our beloved son and brother Dan took his own life on July 29, 2022. He was dazzling in his brilliance and fiercely loyal to his dog and family. His insights were scathing and sharp, his knowledge of the world astounding, his heart was kind, and he had a true moral code.
“If you don’t deal with your trauma, your trauma deals with you.”
Dan suffered from major depression, but masked it well. He refused almost all help, hated doctors and institutions, and used nature and dog-walking as a balm for his wounded brain and soul. This spring, he traveled the Palo Duro and Grand Canyons, Joshua Tree, Chaco, Valley of the Gods, and Arches following the Red Rocks from south to north then followed the flow of the Colorado from its headwaters to Mexico. This summer he spent time closer to home exploring the granite walls of the North Shore of Lake Superior. As he told us stories of his spring travels, he emphasized how “we are just specks of dust” in this wide, wide universe. He was worldly in his views and had traveled– with a backpack and skateboard– leaving his mark on the streets of Norway, Germany, Japan, Italy, Canada, Alaska and Mexico.
Dan was a hard worker in cement construction, tree planting, and lovingly rebuilt his south Minneapolis Triplex home with his adoptive family– Avram, Greg and Mina Leierwood. Hundreds of hours were spent hauling radiators, scraping, painting and reroofing. He enjoyed “the dignity of keeping busy and not being broke.”
After an early appearance on a Cheerios box at age 7, Dan became a reality TV star at age 17 with his wicked tongue, mercurial smarts, and movie star good looks. But he was uninterested in being in the spotlight. In 2021, he allowed an interview on TikTok because a new generation of fans were calling out for him (Thank you Brejanee and MajiAqua). Despite a huge following of loving fans, Dan spent no time on social media which he considered toxic.
Dan was a Blast Beat Drummer, skate punk, and master of Fart Tag. He was an avid reader, self-educated, political, darkly philosophical, and a sparkling shit-talker. He played in Punk Death Metal and Heavy Metal bands in Minneapolis and New Orleans, his favorite adoptive city.
Dan was a dog man and a lover of kids. He was a loving family member. He always showed up for family events. Dan was a heavy drug user with stretches of sobriety. Although street drugs nearly killed him in his 20s, he cleaned up and had 5 good sober years, for which we are eternally grateful. Dan showed us the wonderful person he had become.
Dan is preceded in death by his birth mother, Linda Parkinson, his grandfather, John Schakel, and his great-grand parents Abe & Ida Kaufman and Phil & Helen Leier. He will be deeply missed by his Grandma Christine, Grandparents Frank & Raquel Wood, and Bruce & Mary Jo Leier. His Uncle Damon, Aunts and Uncles Darlene & Tesh, Patrice & Eric, Tom & Heather, Kathie & Karl, Ned & Veronica, Matthew, Diane, Chris & Beth, Anne and Dan. His cousins Anna, Sullivan, Claire, Ellen, Henry, Henry, Gilbert, Andie, Ash, Ilias, Jesse, Finn, Paul, Jessica, Tianna, Ileia, Jack, Katie, Maddie, Jesse, Jamie, Justine, Rhonda, Chase, Brooke, Nick, Clayton, Kyle, McKenzie, Maja & Skye. His mom and dad, Mina & Greg, brother Avram & sister-in-law Grace, dog Louis and many, many others.
LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU Dan FOREVER.
WE STAN DAN. Dan worked as a canvasser for Abortion Rights, fought for Black and Native Lives, and opposed LINE 3. If you wish to continue his work for JUSTICE, please give to the New Orleans Abortion Fund neworleansabortionfund.org in memory of Dan Parkinson.
PLEASE If you need support, contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline - Call or Text 988.
Please join us for Dan’s memorial on September 17th in Minneapolis. Contact Avram for more information at avram.leierwood@gmail.com.
The Star Tribune also published an obituary of Dan as well as more photos.
Dan had a positive impact on so many people and will forever be missed.
As for Cheri Patrick, her Twitter bio says "Yes I was actually on Wife Swap Season 2. Reality TV is NOT reality. In real life, I'm a Veteran, a Mom, and a dang good Technical/Data Analyst."
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