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Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Natalie Beard-Dent – Beard Propane Heat and Air

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

The fleet of oil company service trucks is being converted, to operate not on gasoline, but on propane. The conversion of those vehicles from gas to propane fuel was completed by an innovative, diversifying company in rural southeast Kansas.

beardpropanetruckNatalie Beard-Dent is owner of Beard Propane Heat and Air near Erie, Kansas. She has seen this business grow and change through the years.

Natalie’s grandfather, Hobart Beard, founded Beard Oil Company in Erie in 1939. For decades, he operated a true full service gas station, where attendants pumped your gas, cleaned your windshield, and checked your oil. (That is a lost art.) Hobart’s son Paul Beard grew up in the business, and then Paul’s daughters as well. “I remember climbing up to wash windows on the big milk trucks,” Natalie said.

In 1956, Paul Beard added a new line to the business: Propane, for home heating. Natalie also remembers riding in the propane delivery truck with her father. After she grew up and married, she had the opportunity to ride in those trucks again. “My baby was two weeks overdue, and Dad teased me that he should take me on a bumpy road in one of those delivery trucks to get that process going,” Natalie said. Eventually she had two children, without the use of trucks.

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Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Dave Schultz – Seed Research Equipment Solutions

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

Let’s go to South Africa. A group of scientists are planting a research plot to evaluate how a crop will perform. They are using a specialized planter which provides precise control and data on seed spacing and placement. Would you believe, this planter comes from halfway around the globe in the middle of Kansas?

Dave Schultz is general manager of Seed Research Equipment Solutions, the innovative Kansas company which is supplying these planters. Dave explained that Stacy Unruh and two other partners formed the company in 1999. Stacy had studied as an engineer at Colorado School of Mines and worked in manufacturing. He and his two partners saw a need for this specialized type of planting equipment.

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Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Carl Koster – NFL Films

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

It’s the Super Bowl in New Orleans. Time for the kickoff. The stadium is packed. Millions more are watching on television. Among the ones who are filming this contest is a man from rural Kansas.

Last week we learned about Carl Koster who is active in regional economic development as a city council member in his hometown of Cheney. Carl has had a fascinating career.

carlkosterCarl’s family has farmed near Cheney since 1891, and he still owns and manages that farm ground today. As a young man, he was active in 4-H where he learned public speaking and parliamentary procedure. “I still call on those experiences today,” Carl said.

One of his favorite 4-H projects was photography. He became the state 4-H winner in photography and went to the national 4-H Congress in Chicago.

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Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Michael Perry – Aqua Shield

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

Hobbs, New Mexico. A large apartment complex is being built. The roof is being installed by a crew from a company in rural Kansas. Today we’ll learn about the remarkable growth of this entrepreneurial roofing company.

Michael Perry and Angel “Luis” Guzman are co-owners of Aqua Shield Roofing in Hugoton, Kansas. This roofing and construction company is serving customers across Kansas, neighboring states, and beyond.

Michael grew up in Morton County at the rural community of Rolla, population 467 people. Now, that’s rural. He graduated from Fort Hays State, married Liz, farmed for a time and then started selling roofing products for a friend. There he met Luis Guzman who was operating a roofing crew. Eventually he and Luis decided to get together and go out on their own.

In 2005, Michael and Luis launched their own roofing company. Michael specialized in sales and Luis was responsible for operations. But what should it be named? “I wanted something that started with an A so it would be at the top of the telephone listings,” Michael said. “I’m a big Chiefs fan and I wanted to name it Arrowhead, but the guys nixed the idea.

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Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Patty Reece – Volland Store

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

Let’s go to the store. In this case, we’re not going for milk or bread. We are visiting a historic store building which is becoming a cultural and educational center for a rural region of Kansas.

Patty Reece and her husband Jerry are owners of the Volland Store, a historic structure in the community of Volland. Patty is from Oklahoma originally. She met and married Jerry, who ultimately developed a successful real estate business in Kansas City. When he and Patty drove to visit her family in Oklahoma, their route would take them through the Flint Hills of eastern Kansas.

Patty Reece of the Volland Store
Patty Reece of the Volland Store

“We fell in love with the Flint Hills,” Patty said. Their daughter attended K-State. Eventually they bought a home in the Flint Hills of Wabaunsee County.

Their new home was north of the tiny community of Volland, where they spotted a deserted brick building. The windows were gone, the roof was gone, but the walls were still standing. The word was that it was a former store building now owned by an out-of-town descendant.

Meanwhile, Patty got involved in Wabaunsee County. She served as art editor of the Field Journal for the Symphony in the Flint Hills when Wabaunsee County hosted the event. In the process, she worked with local historian Greg Hoots. She learned about Otto Kratzer, the remarkable man who had built the store at Volland. She even met and befriended the current owner, Otto’s granddaughter Karen Durso.

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Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Cole Herder – Humboldt

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

“Here’s your mail.” It is always good to check the mailbox and receive personal mail. Today we’ll learn about a remarkable rural town that has people working together to improve the community. They are also working to attract and retain youth in their community, using the mail – and an actual mailbox – as a reminder.

Cole Herder is city administrator in his hometown of Humboldt, Kansas. Cole grew up here and went to Wichita State where he studied electrical engineering technology. After a 29-year career in manufacturing, he gave local government a try and became city administrator.

humboldtparkentranceCole had already been involved in the civic affairs of his community as a volunteer. He was concerned about the future of the community in the early 2000s, as economic and government problems challenged the region.

In 2007, the community of Humboldt signed up for a program called Public Square Communities. As we have previously profiled, this program is intended to bring elements of the community together for progress. When the program came to Humboldt, a public meeting was held.

Cole Herder spotted a notice in the paper about Public Square having a public meeting about the future of the community. He was curious, but also tired of hearing negative comments from people at the time. He still remembers that night.

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Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: John Gean – Protown

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

The car was damaged in Texas. The repair is being done in a body shop in Kansas. That is one example of the work of an entrepreneurial auto body specialist who chooses to live in rural Kansas.

John Gean is founder and owner of Protown Glass and Body, Inc. in Protection, Kansas. John is originally from Wichita where he took vo-tech auto body classes. Even while in high school, he was working on cars for his friends.

John’s uncle owned a ranch near Protection in Comanche County west of Wichita, and John started spending summers there. He found he enjoyed the country life, so he stayed. After graduation, he cleaned out a small workshop and started doing auto body work. His first business was called John’s Auto and Body.

“I was like a sponge,” John said. “I took all the classes I could and asked different body shops how they were doing things.” He continued to upgrade his skills and equipment and went into auto salvage in a neighboring community for a time.

In 2000, he moved back to Protection and founded Protown Glass and Body. Protown sounds like it’s professional, but John said that Protown was simply the nickname for Protection as used by the local kids.

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Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Jenny Russell – JenRus Freelance

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

World Wide Web. Of course, that’s the term that we see on the Internet. It reminds us that Internet technology operates far beyond our borders. Today we’ll meet an Internet marketing company which is using the tools of technology to transcend the traditional limitations of distance in rural America. Special thanks to Nex-Tech and writer Steve Herrs whose article in Connections provided content for this Kansas Profile column.

jennyrussell
Jenny Russell

Jenny Russell is the owner and founder of JenRus Freelance, a marketing company which does both traditional and Internet marketing. Last week we learned about her associate Luke Mahin, who also serves as economic development director for Republic County. Jenny and Luke are officed in the rural community of Courtland.

Jenny grew up nearby in the rural community of Glen Elder, population 428 people. Now, that’s rural. She went to Bethany College and earned a degree in Business – Communications and Marketing.

“My dad farmed and my mom teaches school,” Jenny said. “My mom always asked, ‘Wouldn’t you love to move back?’ I said, ‘Sure, but what would I do if I moved back?'”

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Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Luke Mahin – Courtland Fun Day

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

Fun Day. No, not Sunday, as in the first day of the week or an ice cream treat. I refer to an event called Fun Day in Courtland. For 50 years, the rural community of Courtland has put on a community Fun Day.

Luke Mahin is the economic development director for Republic County, Kansas.
Luke Mahin is the economic development director for Republic County, Kansas.

Luke Mahin is the economic development director for Republic County and is the one who told me about Fun Day in his hometown of Courtland.

In 1964, businessmen in Courtland wanted to have a community celebration. It morphed into an annual community picnic and much more. It is called Courtland Fun Day. Posters, koozies and t-shirts commemorate the event yearly.

The event is held annually on the last Saturday of July. During the week preceding Fun Day, called Fun Week, a downtown clean-up is held on Monday. “Everybody pitches in to clean up the town,” Luke said. “They will literally bring brooms downtown and sweep the sidewalks.” Talk about a hands-on way to take responsibility for your community’s well-being!

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Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Dan Atkisson – Lady Luck Ironworks

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

As the rodeo queen rides by, the light flashes from the fancy spurs which she wears on her boots. These attractive spurs were created by a couple of cowboys from rural Kansas.

Dan Atkisson and Tyler Brown are the co-owners of Lady Luck Ironworks, the maker of rodeo queen spurs and more. Dan and Tyler grew up near Stockton. They are capable cowboys, having grown up working on farms and ranches.

Dan went to K-State where he studied ag technology management with a minor in animal ladyluckironworksspurssciences, and Tyler went to North Central Kansas Technical College in Beloit. After graduation, both came back to Stockton.

Stockton is a rural community of 1,327 people. That’s rural – but there’s more. Dan grew up on the family farm where his parents still live, located on the Rooks-Graham county line. That farm is 20 miles west of Stockton, north of Nicodemus and northwest of the town of Damar, population 154 people. Now, that’s rural.

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