Kansas State University

search

Kansas Profile

Tag: rural grocery

Sherry Ronnebaum, Axtell Grocery

“Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.”

Store front, Axtell Community Grocery Store
Axtell Community Grocery Store

That quote by author Elizabeth Andrew might be a way to describe the many volunteers who help their communities in rural Kansas. Today we’ll meet a group of volunteers who have completed several community projects, the most recent of which is to bring grocery service back to their hometown.

Sherry Ronnebaum and her husband David are among the volunteers involved with the Axtell Economic Development Corporation, or AEDC. Sherry and Dave were the long-time owners of Axtell’s hardware store from which they recently retired, although Dave continues to do appliance repair.

In 1992, the American Legion building in Axtell burned down. A group of volunteers led the effort to rebuild it as the Legion Community Building.

AEDC was formed as a 501(c)3 organization to implement improvement projects for the community. In 2002, AEDC worked on a new firehouse that also housed emergency services. In 2021, Dave Ronnebaum spearheaded the effort to build an addition to the Legion building.

Continue reading “Sherry Ronnebaum, Axtell Grocery”

Carolyn Dunn, rural grocery

“Nothing changes if nothing changes.”

View from street, White's Foodliner grocery store in St. Johns, Kansas
White’s Foodliner, St. Johns

That quote was cited by K-State sportswriter D. Scott Fritchen in an article about a young ballplayer who used the transfer portal and became an impact player at her new school. The young player posted that quote on her mirror to remind herself that sometimes we have to make a change if we are to better our situation.

Is this true for communities as well? Today we’ll meet another woman who has been a leading force for positive change in her community.

Carolyn Dunn is president of the Stafford County Port Authority and past director of economic development in Stafford County. She has seen change firsthand.

Dunn grew up on a farm near the rural community of Ottawa, population 12,625 people. Now, that’s rural. She studied agricultural economics at K-State and worked in Washington, D.C. before meeting and marrying Brian Dunn and moving back to his farm in Stafford County, Kansas.

By 2011, she was the mother of three boys and serving on the local school board. “We were talking about declining enrollments,” Dunn said. “I commented that we didn’t even have an economic development program in the county and we need one.” Continue reading “Carolyn Dunn, rural grocery”

Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Aaron Gaeddert, Prairy

Here we are at a winery in Massachusetts. Between the samples of wine, we are offered some wine-tasting crackers which help cleanse the palate between wine tastings.  Where did they come from? They came from halfway across the country in rural Kansas.  It’s one of the healthy products offered by this innovative store in the heartland of the nation.

Last week we met Joel Gaeddert who founded Flint Hills Design in North Newton. His younger brother Aaron also operates a small business.

Aaron Gaeddert

Aaron came to Newton to attend Bethel College, as had his parents and his older brother Joel. When Joel founded Flint Hills Design, Aaron worked for him during college and after graduation. In 2014, he had the opportunity to pursue a business of his own.

Newton had a local food cooperative that closed in 2000. After it closed, a couple of women bought some of the supplies and equipment and opened a bulk health food store of their own. It was called Prairie Harvest. They later relocated into a historic 1892 building in downtown Newton.

Continue reading “Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Aaron Gaeddert, Prairy”

Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Clint and Jenny Osner – Hired Man’s Grocery & Grill, Inc.

“Homegrown.” It’s nice to enjoy homegrown products fresh from the garden, for example.  Today we’ll learn about a store which is providing lots of good products in a rural community. A key to its success is that the business itself is homegrown.

The Hired Man's Grocery & Grill in Conway Springs, Kan. is owned by the Clint & Jenny Osner family.
The Hired Man’s Grocery & Grill in Conway Springs, Kan. is owned by the Clint & Jenny Osner family.

Jenny and Clint Osner are owners of Hired Man’s Grocery & Grill, Inc. in Conway Springs near Wichita. Jenny and Clint grew up and went to school at Conway Springs.

Clint became a certified welder. “I’m a teacher,” Jenny said. She got her education degree from Wichita State and earned a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. She also taught swimming and lifeguarding.

After the old grocery store in Conway Springs closed, Jenny and Clint decided to open a store themselves. “We did it because we believe in the community,” Jenny said.

Continue reading “Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Clint and Jenny Osner – Hired Man’s Grocery & Grill, Inc.”

Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Loren and Regena Lance – Mildred Store

Peanut clusters. Coconut bon bons. Peanut brittle. Chocolate cream fudge. Those delicious old-fashioned candies used to be a hallmark of the Christmas season. They still are, at a remarkable store in rural Kansas. This store offers those candies and much, much more as a special holiday edition of Kansas Profile.

Loren and Regena Lance are the owners of the Mildred Store in Mildred, Kansas. Mildred is in Allen County. The post office in Mildred has closed, so the mailing address is the nearby town of Moran.

Mildred storeRegena grew up here at Mildred, and Loren grew up 30 miles south. He is a self-taught musician and farmer. He was trained as a diesel mechanic and now has played country music all over southeast Kansas. Regena is a teacher and administrator. After earning her master’s degree online, she is dean of instruction at Fort Scott Community College.

Lance and Regena live near the community of Mildred. Brown’s Grocery, owned by a man named Charles Brown, was a mainstay in the community for many years. His wife’s name, by the way, was Lucille – sounds like Peanuts.

Continue reading “Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Loren and Regena Lance – Mildred Store”