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Heritage of helping -- Heritage Days honorees have deep roots in comunity
McCOOK, Neb. -- People who selflessly give their time and talents to their community, county and country have been selected members of McCook's 2016 "Heritage Days" royalty court and honorees.
The 2016 royalty was revealed Wednesday evening during the McCook Chamber of Commerce Heritage Days mixer hosted annually by McCook National Bank.
The new Heritage Days queen is Katie Kjendal; her princess is Kacee Samway. Both are students at McCook Senior High.
2016's Heritage Days "Honor Family" is that of Don and Norma Klein. Boyd Andrew will be the "Grand Marshal," and Bob Burns is "Parade Marshal."
Queen and princess
Katie Kjendal is the daughter of Sarah and Nate Schneider and the late Karl Kjendal. At MHS, Katie is active in Quiz bowl, Paint In, tennis and basketball, Student Council, Math Club, Mock Trial, Prom Committee, Select Choir and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She is a member of the teen advisory board at McCook Public Library, vice president of National Honor Society, cheer leading captain and Art Club president. Her honors and awards include Merit Roll, UNL's Big Red Stars award recipient, and Academic All-State and Academic All-Conference in tennis. She volunteers in peer mentoring and tutoring, as a basketball and tennis coach, in VBS, as a McCook Public Library Summer Reading Program instructor, for "Trunk or Treat," for Read Across America, for Nutrition and Fitness Day, as the American Heart Association "Red Out" coordinator, and in fundraising for Hospice. She is a blood donor and has served meals at the Heritage Senior Center. She is a member of Peace Lutheran Church.
Kacee Samway is the daughter of Darrin and Angie Samway. She is active in tennis and golf, peer mentoring, Art Club and Math Club. She is a "Red Out" coordinator for the American Heart Society, a teachers' aide and prom committee member. She is secretary of National Honor Society. Her awards and honors include Academic All-State for golf and tennis, GNAC All-Conference for golf and tennis and she placed 11th at the 2014 state golf tournament. She has received Bison awards as well as awards in English, history, math and science. She has been on the Merit Roll and volunteers for Optimist activities, VBS, trick or treat for the McCook Pantry, youth tennis camps and Christmas caroling. She attends youth group and is a blood donor for Red Cross. She is a member of Memorial United Methodist Church.
Other royalty finalists were Taye Collicott, son of Wes and Heather Collicott; Emmerie Roth, daughter of Kevin and Shawna Michaelis and Matthew and Jessica Roth; Faith Hansen, the daughter of Jamey Hansen; Emily Wells, the daughter of Sara and Brian Wells; and Kyli Scott, daughter of Tamara and Gary Scott.
'Honor Family'
Don and Norma Klein are honored for their involvement in and support of McCook and Red Willow County, and for their family's generations of community service.
Don has served on the Red Willow County Fair Board for 30 years while Norma volunteers for county fair activities each year. With county benefactor Tom Kiplinger, Don has helped coordinate new construction on the fairgrounds in McCook. Fairgrounds maintenance supervisor Charlie Collins says that Don is always willing to lend a hand and to loan equipment.
When McCook National Bank sustained extensive damage in a fire on Sept. 27, 1981, Don brought his employees to help the Graff family clean up. Mark Graff says now, "My dad, Pete Graff, always talked about how we would not have been able to open on Monday had it not been for Don Klein. He and his employees came in on the weekend and helped clean up the bank. Pete was always grateful for this act of generosity ... that it was done on their own. They were not asked."
Don has served on the Community Hospital board of directors and was an "Ag Builder" award recipient of the McCook Chamber of Commerce.
Don and Norma were donors to the building of the new Ed Thomas YMCA, opened in June 1981, and have supported other YMCA projects.
Don and Norma are members of St John's Lutheran Church, Ash Creek, where she is a member of the choir and also the Lutheran Women's Missionary League. She quilts every Monday after Christmas during the winter at the church to make quilts that are donated. She was a member of the Red Willow County Extension Board for numerous years and was president of the MHS Band Parents organization in the late 1970's and early '80's.
Don and Norma love watching their grandchildren in all the events they're involved in. They have four daughters, Pam , Deb, Sonya and Tracey, 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. They love spending time during the summer at their mountain home in Estes Park, Colo.
Don and Norma purchased Klein's Motor Electric Co. in the late 1950's from his father, Ben, who founded the business in 1924. Don and Norma still work full-time in their business. They have made lifetime friends through this endeavor.
Don and Norma owned and operated Midwest Livestock Commission north of McCook for many years and they own D and D Cattle.
Don's parents, Ben and Olga Klein, were Heritage Days "Honor Family" in 1991. Ben told the Gazette in 1991 that as retirees, they split their time between a summer home, a winter home and McCook. But, Ben stressed then, "McCook is best ... McCook is home."
Ben started Klein's Motor Electric in 1924, and he and Olga added farm implements in 1940. Ben was a mechanic and Olga managed the office.
Ben and Olga were supporters of McCook's Heritage Days celebrations because, they said, they help people become aware of their ancestry. Olga said, "It helps people display their pride in their family histories."
Parade marshal
Bob Burns was born and raised in McCook. He attended St. Patrick's Elementary School and graduated from McCook Senior High in 1971.
He and his wife, Geri, have four children and six grandchildren. He is retired from the BNSF Railroad after 36 years.
Bob has helped remodel the McCook Pantry. He has been an Eagle Scout and Boy Scout leader for 40 years. He is on the board of directors of the Ed Thomas YMCA. He is described as a man "who gets things done."
Bob volunteers at the Bargain Bazaar thrift shop, is very active at St Patrick's Church and is the Grand Knight for the McCook Knights of Columbus. He is on the Diocesan Altar Society.
Grand marshal
Boyd Andrew says that the McCook area is the location of many of his proudest accomplishments. He is a transplanted Nebraska of nearly 50 years, moving with his family from Missouri to Hayes County in 1967. He graduated from Hayes Center High School in 1970, from the Grand Island School of Business in 1971 and McCook Community College in 1984.
Boyd was inducted into the U.S. Army at McCook, and spent two years active duty in the Pentagon,Washington, D.C., and two years in the McCook U.S. Reserve Unit.
Boyd was hired in McCook by Burlington Northern Railroad in 1974 as an agent/operator/train dispatcher until 1985. In 1985, he was promoted to his first railroad official position as chief dispatcher in Alliance and had 12 additional promotions serving as trainmasters, transportation managers, superintendents, assistant vice president and general manager positions in Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado and Texas during his 38-year career with BN/BNSF Railroad.
As the leader of the BNSF Nebraska Division from 2001 until his retirement in 2012, the division received a record 12 safety awards for being the best of 13 divisions on BNSF.
Boyd married Jacki Nelson, daughter of Ruth and Vincent Nelson of Palisade, in 1979. The couple has two daughters and a grandson living in Alliance. Boyd's parents, Pearl and Jim Andrew, live in Palisade, and his brother, Charles Andrew, and his sister, Sharon Miller, live in Wauneta.
Boyd and Jacki live in Lincoln. Boyd refers to the McCook area as his home, explaining, "It's where I went to school, served my country, started my railroad career, married, had my children and where my family still lives."
Boyd is a die-hard Husker fan of 50 years, and he enjoys golfing, landscaping and traveling during his retirement.