We salute our Senior Conservationists for building and maintaining a very strong agency.
Your years have been many, and we hope there are many more healthy and happy ones in your future.
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ARSCSE: SENIOR CHRONICLES We salute our Senior Conservationists for building and maintaining a very strong agency. Your years have been many, and we hope there are many more healthy and happy ones in your future. |
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M. J. "Whitey" Spears M. J. "Whitey" Spears, joined the ranks of Senior Conservationist in March of 2007. He resides in Little Rock, Arkansas, with his wife, Amy. Whitey has been the Arkansas State Representative for ARSCSE since it’s inception. He‘ll be chairing his 23rd consecutive annual meeting of SCS/NRCS retirees in Arkansas in September 2008. What dedication! |
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Sylvia S. Cyr Our featured Senior Conservationist is Sylvia S. Cyr. Ms. Cyr supported the SCS operations in Nevada for over 21 years (1960 - 1981) as an Area Clerk, Secretary to the State Conservationist, and an Information Specialist. |
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Bob Quilliam Bob Quilliam is one of our newest Senior Conservationists, turning 83 years young in 2007. Many of you have probably crossed paths with Bob during his 30 year career with SCS. |
Harold C. Sturgill Our featured Senior Conservationist is Harold C. Sturgill. He is representative of so many of our loyal, hard-working field employees. 
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George J. Newberger I continue to be honored to bring you just a small sample of the lives of our many Senior Conservationists. This newsletter’s featured Senior Conservationist is George J. Newberger. You may recall that George was awarded the ARSCSE 2006 President’s Award for Outstanding Community Service. His life activities reflect a commitment to family, agriculture, conservation, and community. George has spent most of his life in his birth state, Ohio. However, while serving in the Army Air Corps in Moorhead, MN, in 1943, he met his spouse, Helen. He and Helen also lived in North Dakota for a few years (1950-1952) while he taught institutional on-farm training with a group of ex-GIs. Before starting his SCS career in 1954, George received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture from Ohio State University. He also spent 4 years in his home county of Portage, Ohio, as a dairy farmer. During his 28 years with SCS in Ohio, George worked as a Soil Conservationist in Portage and Trumbull Counties. He then worked as a District Conservationist in Geauga, Wyandot, and Ross Counties. George and Helen, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in September 2007.  George says that he keeps healthy by doing his own lawn and garden care plus golfing. It seems to me that he has been pretty busy with a few other things. He does woodworking in the field of Shaker design. He currently specializes in Shaker oval boxes, trays, and carriers. George has been active in the Dahlia Society of Ohio. He even put his woodworking skills to use by making 35 award plaques for the American Dahlia Society Annual Show that was held in Ohio in 2003. George has also been active in the Ohio Bluebird Society as a trustee and coordinator. He maintains a 35-box Bluebird trail and fledged 75 Bluebirds in 2006. |
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Walter Calvin Menear Walter Calvin Menear is our featured Senior Conservationist. I believe him to be the one and only retired Auto Mechanic in the honorable ranks of the 400 plus Senior Conservationists. He was formerly trained at the University of Oklahoma’s Technical Center, in Norman, Oklahoma. Walter was the SCS Auto Mechanic for all of the SCS vehicles in West Virginia. Many of our younger retirees and current NRCS employees may not be aware that such a position existed many years ago. Shortly after Walter retired in 1978, the vehicle maintenance work was performed by non-federal workers through the federal procurement process. I understand that the Auto Mechanics like Walter were welcomed by employees and that they were really appreciated for the help they gave. Thank you, Walter, for supporting the conservation work that needed to be performed! After retirement, Walter kept himself busy with wood working, teaching defensive driving, and gardening. He also loved going to flea markets. He has two daughters, three granddaughters, and nine great grandchildren. Geraldine Menear, Walter’s wife, reports that Walter is not in very good physical health these days; however, he’d love to hear from you. If you’d like to drop Walter a note or a card, his address is Guardian Care Nursing Home, PO Box 430, Kenansville, NC 28349. Geraldine recently broke her hip. She is recovering at Guardian Care where she is able to keep close watch on Walter. |
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Roy L. Fox Former Oregon State Conservation Engineer, Roy L. Fox, now 86, is our featured Senior Conservationist. A native of South Dakota (SD), Mr. Fox received a Civil Engineering degree from the SD School of Mines in 1943. Thereafter, he spent three years as an officer in the Civil Engineer Corps, United States Navy. After the war he spent a short time with the U S Bureau of Reclamation before transferring to USDA-SCS. His 30-year career with SCS spanned from 1947 to 1977. His career prior to becoming the State Conservation Engineer in 1964 included the following positions and locations: Acting Project Engineer, Buffalo Rapids, Montana Project Engineer, Eden Valley, Wyoming Engineering Specialist, Western Oregon USDA Party Leader, Oregon Rivers Basin Survey Ass’t State Conservation Engineer, Oregon USDA Party Leader, Willamette River Basin Survey During retirement, Mr. Fox continues to enjoy fly fishing, amateur radio operations, and working with computers. He lives in Salem, Oregon. He has one son, three daughters, nine grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. |
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Bob Dansdill  Bob Dansdill, turned 90 years young on November 7, 2006. He is looking forward to becoming an Honorary Member of ARSCSE when he becomes 91 years of age. Bob started his career with SCS in 1938 and ended his successful federal career in 1979 as the Assistant State Soil Scientist for Colorado. Bob was always a Soil Scientist for the agency and served in the Dust Bowl Region #6 Soil Survey in Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Colorado. He proudly recalls one of the highlights of his career was in 1978 when Mel Davis, SCS Chief presented him with the last of many of his Performance Awards. In addition to his outstanding performance being awarded, he was presented numerous awards for his suggestions. When Bob Dansdill celebrated his 90th birthday, he received over 80 cards and letters. They brought back many memories from his school days, WW II Navy days, and his 41 years with SCS. Bob has a daughter, Pat, a son-in-law Gary Cottrell, and two grandsons, Brad and Perry. Bob enjoys excellent health, is an active member of the Colorado ARSCSE group, and drives himself everywhere in the city. He enjoys gardening and reading in his spare time. If you’d like to drop Bob a note, his address is: 3548 So. Fundy Ct, Aurora, CO 80013. |
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Elias (Eli) Bloom The featured Senior Conservationist for this newsletter is Elias (Eli) Bloom. Eli retired in December 1990, where he was the Head of the Engineering Design Staff in the Indiana State Office, Indianapolis, Indiana. Perhaps Eli’s lifelong desire to learn was ingrained during his youth in New York City, where he was born and raised. After high school graduation, he ventured west for further education. His formal education was interrupted by 33 months of active duty in the US Army, which included 17 months in Europe. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Engineering from Kansas State University in 1947. He later pursued graduate studies at Iowa State University in structural design (1959-1960), and he earned a law degree in 1976 from Indiana University School of Law at Indianapolis. His interesting and successful career with SCS was:
Eli returned to SCS as an Earth Team volunteer from 1990 to 1992. Can you believe that he organized the Engineering Design files?! He states that this was something that he wanted to get done while he was Head of the unit but never had enough time. On the personal side, Eli has been married to Marilyn for over 60 years. They continue to live in Indianapolis. They have a son (living in Florida) and two daughters (one in Colorado and one in Ohio). They also have three grandchildren and three great grandchildren. All great grandchildren live in Alaska. Eli has been active and successful in a variety of areas outside of SCS. For instance, he retired in 1983 from the US Naval Reserves as a Captain, Civil Engineer Corps, USNR, after 32 years of service. He has received numerous awards from the State of Indiana, conservation organizations, and in 2005 from the Washington Township Fire Department. He continues working in his office as a part-time attorney and provider of engineering and consulting services. He reports that his health is generally good except for his eyes. He has macular degeneration. And is unable to drive. He is able to use special equipment that enlarges images. He appreciates Marilyn’s assistance as his chauffeur and check writer. |
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Kenneth G. McManus Kenneth G. McManus, now 84, is our featured Senior Conservationist. Kenneth ended his successful federal career in 1981 as the State Conservationist in Columbia, Missouri. Prior to working in Missouri, Kenneth was busy working his way up the SCS career ladder in several different jobs and locations. He began his career in Michigan after working as an Agricultural Teacher in Almont, Michigan. The jobs he performed for SCS in Michigan included District Conservationist, Area Conservationist, State Resource Conservationist, and Assistant State Conservationist. He then relocated to Iowa as the Deputy State Conservationist. Moving yet again, he worked as the Assistant Director at the South Technical Service Center in Ft. Worth, Texas. Kenneth and his wife, Lois moved to Sun City West, an Arizona retirement community, after retiring from SCS. They stayed busy, including traveling the USA. He and Lois celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1992 with a trip to England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland. He golfs, reads, and serves on the golf committee for the Sun City West Recreation Center. Kenneth reports that his health is good. Unfortunately, his spouse, Lois passed away November 17, 2005. He devoted six years to taking care of her. He has one son, one daughter, and 3 grandchildren. If you’d like to drop Kenneth a note, his email address is texeban@cox.net. |
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Robert Hilliard Former State Conservationist, Robert (Bob) Hilliard, now 83, is our featured Senior Conservationist. His 33-year career with SCS spanned from 1947 to 1980. His career path included the following positions and locations:
Soil Conservationist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wooster, Ohio District Conservationist . . . . . . . . . . . .Mansfield, Ohio Area Conservationist . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Albany, Ohio Assistant State Conservationist . . . . . Madison, Wisconsin State Conservationist . . . . . . . . . . . . . Storrs, Connecticut State Conservationist . . . . . . . . . . . . . Syracuse, New York Some of you have shared with me a few stories about Bob. For this newsletter; however, I’ll only share a story that Bob shared with me on his application to become a Senior Conservationist. Bob was a new Soil Conservationist in Wooster, Ohio, when the Chief, H.H. Bennett himself, stopped into the local SCS office prior to speaking at a World Plowing contest and farm make-over event. Bob heard the Chief ask if there were any brick streets in Wooster. The Chief said that he had a collection of bricks from many cities and towns. Bob volunteered to look for a brick on the street where he lived to try and find one that was stamped with the city name. The next morning, Bob presented the Chief with a new brick for his collection. The Chief was pleased and asked for his name. Bob states, “Boy, did I ever feel that I belonged to SCS.” As to Bob’s current activities, he states that they are not too complex. He tries to maintain his house and yard, enjoy the grandkids, travel to Alaska and the outer Banks, winter on the Gulf coast in Texas, and enjoy his full-time girl friend. He enjoys reading the ARSCSE newsletter and appreciates the many volunteers who make it wonderful reading material. |
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Elmer M. Bittner Elmer M. Bittner of Mesa, Arizona, is our featured Senior Conservationist. He was born in Munich, North Dakota. He farmed prior to joining SCS in 1949. He put in his years of service with SCS in North Dakota, retiring in 1979, while working as an Engineering Technician in Grafton, North Dakota. He joined SCS as a Conservation Technician. He continued in that capacity until June 1965 (16 years). He then converted to the Engineering Technician field, working on watershed projects until his retirement (another 14 years). After retirement from SCS, Elmer worked for 10 years in the insurance industry. Most recently, he worked for 10 years in the car rental business. When he has time, Elmer enjoys working with stained glass and volunteering with St. Mary Magdalene Church. He is most proud of his 59 plus years of marriage to DeLoris, their 5 children, 5 grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren. The Chronicler noted that Elmer has a meaningful email address. It reflects the pride Elmer must feel for 30 years of conservation and engineering technician service with SCS. It is “oldinspector1@cox.net.” |
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James E. Schwoegler James E. Schwoegler of Verona, Wisconsin, is our featured Senior Conservationist. He retired in 1980 with over 30 years of federal service. James served for 33 months in the military during World War II, including being on 21 missions over Japan as a radio operator on a B-29 Superfort. Also of interest is that he participated in a mass flyover in August, 1945, when the peace treaty was being signed on the Battleship Missouri. His career with SCS began as a trainee in Baraboo, WI, in 1948. He graduated from the University of WI in 1949 with a BS in Agriculture. He continued working his way up the traditional conservationist career ladder, moving to different jobs in different cities in WI. He held his initial DC position in 1957 and his first AC position in 1967. He ended his SCS career as the AC in Madison, WI. After retirement from SCS, James worked for 10 years as the Head of Maintenance, Laundry, and Housekeeping at a nursing home in Verona, WI. He was also the Director of the Verona Senior Center for 5 years. When he has the time, he enjoys repairing broken ceramics as a hobby. James has been married to Shirley since 1948. They have 1 son, 6 daughters, and 12 grandchildren. He describes his health as “fair to middling.” |
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Mary Alice Yelverton Mary Alice Yelverton, retired from civil service in 1951. She had worked for the U.S. Air Force and then as an Accounting Clerk at the SCS Regional Office, Ft. Worth, Texas. Unlike most members of ARSCSE, Mary Alice was a youthful 30 years of age when she left civil service. She has had over 50 years since then in which to be involved in life activities. The now 84 year old has led an active, family and community-oriented life, like so many SCS/ NRCS retirees. Read on to learn about just a few of her talents and accomplishments. Mary Alice married Carl in 1954 and stayed that way for over 47 years until Carl past away in September 2001. They raised two children in Boerne (Kendall County), Texas. They are now adults living in Texas with their own families. Mary Alice and Carl were very active in their children’s activities during their school years - room mother, scout leaders, coaches of baseball teams, and field trip chaperones. Mary Alice and her daughter won the first mother/daughter tennis tournament at Fair Oaks Ranch Golf and Country Club. Mary Alice also won many blue ribbons and Best of Show awards for her prized homemade pickles and preserves at the Kendall County Fair. She has been entertaining readers of The Boerne Star newspaper for over two decades. Her column, Mary Alice’s Potpourri, is a collection of miscellaneous news and feature items that are of interest to area residents. The newspaper claims that their readership continues to grow, much as a result of Mary Alice’s charming columns. Finally, Mary Alice has had a lifelong interest in stars and celebrities. She has met with or corresponded with Cheryl Ladd, Alice Faye, William Holden, Ben Hogan, Katherine Hepburn, and many others. She shares her interactions with the stars and celebrities as part of her newspaper columns. Mary Alice is in very good health and states that “life is good.” |
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Dewey T. Bondurant Dewey T. Bondurant, retired from his job as Iowa’s State Conservation Engineer, in 1980. During his 30-plus years of service, he worked throughout the State of Iowa, ending his federal career in Des Moines. Mr. Bondurant also served 5 years of military service with the U.S. Army from 1940 - 1945. He touched many lives during his successful 35 years of federal service. He chose to work as an Income Tax Preparer for H & R Block for about 12 years after leaving federal service. During that period, he was honored by the Internal Revenue Service with the title of Enrolled Agent. Mr. Bondurant was widowed in 1997, when his spouse of 48 years, M. Georgia Slavik, died. They were blessed with 2 sons and 1 daughter. His family has been expanded with 4 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. He continues to reside in Des Moines, where he retired. He enjoys gardening, a weekly line-dance session with a senior citizen group, and preserving jams and jellies. Mr. Bondurant has exhibited his preserves at the Iowa State Fair and won numerous ribbons. In Mr. Bondurant’s application for Senior Conservationist status, he admitted being in “good health but a little over weight.” Most Americans can relate to the weight problem; however, not many of us know how to preserve award-winning jams and jellies. Keep up the good work, Mr. Bondurant! |
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Lillie W. Dittfurth Our featured Senior Conservationist is Lillie W. Dittfurth. Prior to becoming a federal employee, Ms. Dittfurth was the office manager for her family’s dairy facility, Pilot Knob Dairy Farm, in Putnam County, Tennessee. Her federal work experience included working for the U.S. Coast Guard in Washington, D.C. during WWII and then for SCS and ASCS in Tennessee. She specialized in secretarial work at the Cookeville Area Office and the SCS and ASCS Tennessee State Offices in Nashville. Prior to marrying Alvin (Buck) Dittfurth, she was married to Earl Burgess for 30 years, until his passing. Married to Buck since 1979, he is also a retired SCS employee. They now reside in Athens, Texas. After retirement from the federal government, Ms. Dittfurth became an office manager at Music Country Realty (1982 - 1990), Brentwood, Tennessee. The realtors were all retired SCS employees - Donald C. Bivens, Billy Headden, and John A. Walker. Do you get the feeling that Ms. Dittfurth gets along real swell with retired SCS employees?! She also volunteers with her church, works on crafts and gardening, and participates in Beta Sigma Phi Sorority activities. |
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Once again, our very own Sam Bacon, Senior Conservationist, deserves our recognition.
He has been highlighted in previous newsletters (1994 and 2002). With the permission of
Jill Thomas, writer for the Herald-Citizen, Cookeville, Tennessee, we are reprinting the
story that she recently wrote about Sam Bacon. It follows. Cookeville's Sam Bacon is 105 Jill Thomas Herald-Citizen Staff When Cookevillian Sam Bacon was born, William McKinley was President of the United States. In Germany, the first zeppelin was launched and in South Carolina William and Orville Wright were experimenting with gliders. Seven cities in the US had just come together to form the American Association of Baseball Clubs -- later known as the American League. Bacon was born July 1, 1900, in Baltimore County in Maryland. Last week he celebrated his 105th birthday. Sam's life can be divided into three parts: his career in soil conservation, his career as a notions distributor and his career as a caregiver to his community. He graduated from the University of College Park in Maryland in 1924. He worked for the Agricultural Research Service starting in 1928. He continued with the Soil Erosion Service in North Carolina in 1935, and then came to Tennessee as a soil conservationist in 1945. After 35 years with the US Dept. of Agriculture, Sam retired in 1963. This month, on the day following Sam's birthday, Tennessee's Natural Resources Conservation Service honored Samuel R. Bacon as the USDA agency's senior former employee. "When our agency was first created, Samuel Bacon was already 35 years old," said Tennessee's State Conservationist James Ford. "Now, 70 years later, NRCS has grown and thrived because of the lasting legacy of dedicated people like Mr. Bacon." At the NRCS celebration, Ford presented Sam with copies of some of the soil surveys he authored during his tenure. When he wasn't working at his day job, Sam and his wife, Reba, both members of the First United Methodist Church of Cookeville, worked with dozens of charities and were instrumental in helping to establish the Cumberland Art Society. When he retired from the NRCS he began a second career, spending the next 31 years distributing small items to retail stores. When Sam was 90, Reba became ill and decided it was time for Sam to learn to cook. She died that year, but not before she had taught her husband how to care for himself. Her name is still listed with his in the telephone directory. When he was 91 Sam Bacon retired from his second business and began using his time to serve others. For more than 17 years he delivered Meals on Wheels (now called the UCHRA Nutritional Program for the Elderly) to seniors who were housebound, driving himself to their residences and distributing both hot food and welcome chit chat. "Sam embodied the qualities that made that program work," said Linda Tramel who is the field services director for the 14 counties of Middle Tennessee. "He wanted to do this and he had both enthusiasm and consistency," she said. Sam was especially active with the Cookeville Senior Citizens' Center developing an exercise program for himself and helping others with their exercises. While he has stopped delivering Meals on Wheels, he still drives himself to visit the NRCS field office, to other sites around Cookeville and to visit friends. When asked about the secret to longevity at his 100th birthday celebration, Bacon told Eunetta Jenkins that life is "about turning to the Bible if we are ever to have peace on this earth. It's about caring for your friends, your community and yourself." A couple of years ago Bacon came marching into the Herald Citizen office carrying a plastic grocery bag laden with fruit and vegetables from his garden. The weight of the bag made him list a little to the right, but Sam, at that time 103 years old, hefted the bag onto a conference table and removed the ripe produce. "I wanted to bring you something to say thanks for all you do for the community," he said. |
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Rodney V. Hayden Rodney V. Hayden, retired District Conservationist, was employed by SCS for about 20 years, all in the State of Ohio. After his initial 3 years with SCS (1952 - 1955), he took an eleven-year break to do what he really wanted to do - farm. After retirement in 1982, he again had the opportunity to farm, this time as a tree farmer. Rodney and his wife, Marie, enjoy life on the farm in Howard, Ohio. They celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in 2004; and Rodney states, “It has been a wonderful marriage. We get along well.” Until 1996, they operated the 100-acre Christmas tree operation in partnership with their son and daughter-in-law. Their son and daughter-in-law now own and operate the tree farm. There is still plenty of work for Rodney -- about 5 acres of mowing to complete during the summer months and maintaining their farm home (located on the tree farm). Rodney humbly states that “SCS made my life richer by adding greatly to my experiences. I had a lot of help along the way.” |
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Kenneth E. Brost Kenneth E. Brost, former Contract Specialist, SCS, Wisconsin State Office, was just added to the distinguished list of Senior Conservationists in May 2005. At 87 years young, he has led an interesting life. He has been sharing his life with wife, Jean, since 1946. They have 1 son, 3 daughters, 12 grand children, and 5 great grand children. Prior to his civilian federal career, Mr. Brost served a tour in the U.S. Navy (1942-1946). He also worked as a claims adjusters, manager, and agency director for State Farm Insurance Company (1952-1964). He began his career with SCS in 1966. Mr. Brost retired from SCS in 1979. He dusted off the J.D. he earned from the University of Wisconsin in 1952 and began doing legal work in real estate management. He continued doing so until 2000. His excellent health permits Mr. Brost to perform volunteer work at church and with AARP in tax aid for the elderly. He also enjoys golfing, swimming, travel, ice skating, gardening, and reading. |
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Martin G. Ziebell The highlighted senior conservationist for this issue is Martin G. Ziebell, 84, retired District Conservationist, Stillwater, Minnesota. Martin retired in 1983. His SCS career began as an SCS trainee and Soil Scientist in New York -- Plattsburg and then Lowville. He continued in his career as a Soil Conservationist in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Besides working for SCS, Martin also worked as a meat cutter, salesman, and military serviceman. He served in World War II in India, Burma, and China. After retirement Martin has had more time to serve as a church elder. His hobbies include photography, travel, gardening, and attending music concerts. In 1999, he and wife, Gertrude, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They have three daughters and three grandchildren. He reports that his health is “okay for my age.” |
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George Borst George Borst, retired Soil Scientist, served USDA for over 31 years, primarily in the State of California. The widower resides in Fallbrook, California, and is the father of two sons and one daughter. He is now 93 years of age. Between 1936 and 1942, George worked as a soil surveyor and soil technologist with USDA. He was attached to mobile survey parties in North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Texas, and Arkansas. A few of George’s professional experiences since retirement include: • Party leader or advisor for soil surveys for Western Ecological Services Company, San Rafael, California. • Party leader for H. Ismaili Associates, Berkeley, California. • Party leader for Woodward-Clyde Consultants. Since retiring in 1969, George has been active in many professional organizations. He also has authored or co-authored over 25 publications. His work has primarily supported California’s agricultural industry, especially the avocado industry. George reports that his health is “reasonably good but with impaired vision.” He continues to enjoy classical music. |
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Ray R. Huxtable Like so many of our senior conservationists, Ray R. Huxtable, enjoys reading about old friends. He hopes that some of those old friends might be interested in reading about him. So, a little information about Mr. Huxtable follows. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from South Dakota State University in 1942. He married Nelvyna in January 1943. About the time the newsletter hits your mail box, they will be celebrating another wedding anniversary. The early years of Mr. Huxtable’s career with SCS (1942 - 1967) were spent in various parts of South Dakota. Utilizing his engineering knowledge and leadership skills, he worked on watershed and river basin planning activities. He then moved to Reno, Nevada, in 1967, and became an Assistant State Conservationist. He retired in 1976, continuing to reside in Henderson, Nevada. Besides his career with Department of Agriculture, Mr. Huxtable invested several years with the Army. He served 4 years on active duty and 18 years in the National Guard. He has been a faithful supporter of SWCS, having been Chapter presidents in both South Dakota and Nevada. He also has chaired the Chapter of NARFE in Reno. At the conclusion of his career with SCS, Mr. Huxtable served on the Washee-Story Conservation District Board (1977-1995). He was the Chairman of the Board for 9 of those years. As you can see by the above accomplishments, Mr. Huxtable is a respectable member of the Senior Conservationist group. |
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John D. Bolton Senior Conservationist John D. Bolton, 86, recently provided me with an interesting chronicle of his life. He admitted having to comb through a lot of old files to dig out the dates and information. Although he apologized for the “old fingers” writing, I found his printing to be neat and easy to read. Mr. Bolton was born, and lived nearly most of his life, in Georgia. He entered the US Air Corps (later renamed the US Air Force) in 1942 and then joined the Air Force Reserve at the end of WWII. Serving in World War II (WWII) and the Korean War took him to far away places like the China-Burma-India theater. He earned much recognition during his years of service to USA. He remembers helping his dad on the family farm and having been an enrollee in the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935 before becoming a conservation aide with the Soil Erosion Service in 1939. After the wars, Mr. Bolton worked for Soil Conservation Service and went to college until he earned his BSA degree from the University of Georgia. After a fine 30-year federal career, he retired in 1975. Retired probably isn’t a good word for his busy life. He still operates a large diesel tractor and a smaller Ford 8H tractor, mostly maintaining pastures. He works a large vegetable garden and shares the bounty with others. Mr. Bolton’s praise of retired SCS employees and their spouses is extreme. In his own words, “I just think SCS is the greatest! I have nothing but gratitude for all of the wonderful men and women of several racial backgrounds. Most enjoyable are the quarterly retiree meetings at restaurants.” |
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John Maynard Jones John Maynard Jones retired in 1973. He began his career with Soil Conservation Service (SCS) in 1942 in North Carolina. Mr. Jones worked as a soil conservationist in North Carolina during his career. He did have a two and one-half year break in service to serve in the Air Force from 1943 to 1945. Prior to starting his career with SCS, Mr. Jones attended A&T State University in North Carolina. After graduating in 1938, he worked as a teacher and principal at an elementary school in North Carolina. Mr. Jones married Mattie in 1941. They had a son and daughter and now 2 grand children. Mattie and Mr. Jones celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in 2001. After retiring from SCS, Mr. Jones worked in the Library Circulation Department at Duke University. That employment covered a 12-year period. Somehow he managed to make time for golf and gardening, his hobbies. These activities continued after his final work retirement from Duke University in 1986. His health is reportedly good. With nearly 90 years under his belt, Mr. Jones has experienced a full, interesting life. We thank him for sharing part of it with us. |
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Hurshel E. Boyd The highlighted senior conservationist for this issue, Hurshel E. Boyd, lives in a heavenly-sounding community called Messiah Village in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. He was born near Seneca, New Mexico, in 1920 to a farming family; however, his family moved to Kansas when he was just a few months old after a hailstorm completely destroyed his dad’s crops. His higher education at Kansas State College was interrupted by his enlistment in the US Army Air Corps (1942 - 1946). Upon returning to civilian life, he worked part-time as a Conservation Aid in Lyons, Kansas, until he re-entered school at Kansas State (K-State) in Manhattan, Kansas. Mr. Boyd graduated from K-State in 1948 and began full-time employment with SCS as a Farm Planner. He became a District Conservationist a year later in Hiawatha, Kansas. His career took him to Washington, D.C., in 1956, to the Watershed-Program Management Section. In 1959 he transferred to Oklahoma as an Area Conservationist. That was followed by his final assignment in 1963 to the Assistant State Conservationist for Operations and Management position in Pennsylvania. He retired from that job in 1977, with a total of 33 years and 5 months of military and civilian service. Mr. Boyd and his spouse, Rosann, have been married for over 56 years. They have 4 children, 4 grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren. They’re busy in retirement with many church activities; cruises to places like Alaska, the Mediterranean, the Panama Canal, and the Caribbean; and a trip to China. |
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Albert Francis Bahr The highlighted senior conservationist for this issue is Albert Francis Bahr, just-turned 90 year old. He retired from SCS as a Soil Correlator in Bismarck, North Dakota, in 1973. During his SCS career, Mr. Bahr also held positions as soil scientist, party leader, survey supervisor, and assistant state soil scientist. Mr. Bahr and his spouse, Louie Jean Miner, have been married for over 50 years. They live in Orem, Utah. They have 6 children, 60 grandchildren, and 64 grandchildren. His interest in family history led to him serving as a guide-supervisor in the family history (genealogy) library in Salt Lake City, Utah. He serves as a consultant to The Thomas Minor Society and The Albert A. Bahr family organizations. In Mr. and Mrs. Bahr’s opinion, “there is not a greater reward than to see someone progress and succeed.” Their accomplishments support this philosophy. For instance, he has served as a leader of 2 Boy Scout National Jamboree events. He and Mrs. Bahr served 2 eighteen-month service missions for their church. One was in Maine and New Hampshire. The other mission site was in Eagle Pass, Texas. They were able to organize a Boy Scout troop. At least 5 Eagle Scouts resulted from their efforts. Four of the 5 have now graduated from college. |
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Gilbert A. Schultz The highlighted senior conservationist for this issue is Gilbert A. Schultz, 85, retired State Administrative Officer (SAO), St. Paul, Minnesota. Gilbert was the SAO for Soil Conservation Service (SCS) in Minnesota for 10 years before retiring in 1974. His federal government career began on November 6, 1936, with USDA’s Bureau of Agricultural Engineering, which was absorbed by SCS in 1939. At some point, he also put in 30 days with the Civilian Conservation Corps. He took a detour from SCS in 1956-1959 to work for Atomic Energy. SAO’s touch many lives during their careers due to their administrative management responsibilities. Gilbert was no exception. Besides his routine accomplishments; however, he had one unique career accomplishment that needs mentioning. He negotiated the first modern-day union contract in USDA history. After retirement, Gilbert served for 9 years (1977-1986) as the treasurer or assistant treasurer for his church and school. He traveled and volunteered quite a bit, but he now admits to “mostly loafing.” During our last communication with Gilbert, he stated that he had been married to Helen for over 50 years and that they had 1 daughter and 2 grandchildren. |
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Leland H. Gile This issue’s senior conservationist, Leland H. Gile, earned a Teaching Certificate before serving in the U.S. Army in Europe during World War II. About a year later, in 1946, he began working for the Soil Conservation Service as a Conservation Aid in his birth state, Maine. Leland took a break from the Soil Conservation Service to seek higher education in agronomy at the University of Maine and in soils at the University of Wisconsin. He also worked at Cornell University, instructing students in mapping soils and making soil profile descriptions. These experiences groomed him for his lifelong interest in the soil science field. The Soil Conservation Service was fortunate to have Leland return in 1955, and he continued that employment until he retired in Ft. Worth, Texas, in 1976. He is highly regarded in academia, has become a distinguished international researcher and author in the soil science field, and is a member of multiple professional societies in his field of expertise. One of his recent accomplishments has been as an Earth Team Volunteer. A volunteer since 1987, he received the 2001 West Regional Earth Team Volunteer Award for his support of the conservation movement. Leland has resided in Las Cruces, New Mexico, since retirement. In good health, he continues reading, writing, and studying soils and soil-geomorphology. |
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Frank Ferentchak Frank Ferentchak, along with his wife of over 40 years, Elaine, spend their summers in Diamondville, Wyoming, and their winters in Mesa, Arizona. He describes his health as “probably good for my age.” His hobbies and activities include gun smithing, hunting, building log cabins from scratch, plus playing tennis and sometimes golf. Frank’s career with SCS (1952-1976) included being an area engineer in western Wyoming and holding many leadership positions in Montana (watershed planning engineer, irrigation and drainage engineer, river basin and watershed staff leader, and assistant for water resources). In 1963 and 1964, Frank made two trips to Venezuela as an irrigation and drainage consultant to the Director of Public Works. He served as a consultant on several large irrigation and drainage projects greater than 200,000 acres. In his “spare time at night,” he prepared an irrigation handbook in metric. The locals received Brazil’s 1965 Society of Agricultural Engineering award of the year with the help of the irrigation handbook. The “overseas bug” must have bitten Frank. After retirement from federal service, he applied his irrigation engineering skills on several overseas’ consulting projects. From 1976 - 1979, he served as a consultant to the Ministry of Swaziland. In 1980 -1982, he provided irrigation and drainage services in Guyana. He again consulted on large projects in Swaziland from 1982 - 1983. In 1985, he worked on projects in Pakistan. The impact of his labors has been immense - improved water management and healthier people around the world. |
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Richard M. Matthews Richard M. Matthews, along with his wife of 57 years, Milly, have touched many lives. They are both decorated veterans of World War II - Milly in the Navy and Richard in the Army Air Force. Perhaps their greatest joint accomplishments are linked to their four children, all adopted. Richard and Milly now live in Vancouver, Washington. Their children live in Alabama, South Carolina, and Texas. Their family has grown with the addition of 5 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild. Richard began his career with SCS in 1951 as a civil engineer trainee in the regional office in Lincoln, Nebraska. He successfully progressed in his career at the following locations - Beltsville, Maryland; Spartanburg, South Carolina; Auburn, Alabama, Fort Worth, Texas, and finally Portland, Oregon. He retired in 1980 from the West Technical Service Center as the Regional Design Engineer and Head of the Design Section. After retirement from federal service, Richard devoted his time “to the home front,” in his words. Travel and spectator sports are also enjoyed. He is in excellent health, and Milly is doing well with a second battle with cancer. |
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Mark B. Huntley Mark B. Huntley, retired District Conservationist, served SCS in the State of Iowa for over 35 years. His work as a District Conservationist started when the Conservation District was formed in Guthrie Center. From there he moved to Mason City as the District Conservationist and later in Garner. When the request came for him to transfer to Iowa Falls, he decided to retire. World War II intervened early in his career, with Mark becoming a trained cryptographer. He notes, however, that he actually spent more time working on construction projects in New Guinea and the Philippines. Mark remembers back to his CCC days in Centerville, Iowa, in 1935. His crews built several dams and permanent structures and planted trees. When he returned to several of the CCC projects in the early 1990’s, all of the permanent structures were still functioning but many of the plantings had not been maintained. He has resided in Colorado for the last 8 years, wanting to be close to family members. His wife, Doris, passed away in 1985. Mark will be 97 years of age in October, and is in good health. |
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George Paul George Paul retired in 1976 with over 32 years of service and numerous awards and citations. He worked as a Soil Conservation Technician in various Soil Conservation Districts throughout North Dakota. Born in St. Anthony, North Dakota; he now resides in Linton, North Dakota, in good health. After retirement from federal service, George drove school buses in his hometown. He completed this service in 1990. George has supported many organizations and communities throughout his life. For instance, he has been a church usher for many years at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church and others parishes. He is a Charter Life member of the Catholic Order of Knights of Columbus. He has been a continuous member of the American Legion for over 57 years. He is a past Post Commander of the American Legion in Linton. He also served as Post Adjutant and Chaplain of the Dan R. Richardson Post #54. He and wife, Frances, are proud parents of 2 sons and 2 daughters; grandparents to 10; and great grandparents to 3. We applaud their accomplishments in their 59+ years of marriage! |
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John N. (Jack) Selby John N. (Jack) Selby retired in 1994 with over 50 years of service. There was a big shindig at the Elk’s Club in Accomac, VA to celebrate the occasion. It has been said that Jack touched just about everyone on the Eastern Shore in some way or another. After graduating from VA Polytechnic Institute in 1942, he worked with the U.S. Corps of Engineers for a year. His career with U.S.D.A. began in 1943. He worked as a soil and water conservationist from 1943 - 1977. As a Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Coordinator between 1977 and his retirement, his name was more recognizable than the program he coordinated. Jack belongs to many organizations including being a master mason (over 50 years), a member of the RC&D Council, a retired member (22 years) of the VA National Guard, and a member of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers (over 51 years). When last we heard, Jack was considering moving from his home in Onancock, VA, to the United Methodist Hermitage Home on the Eastern Shore. His wife of 60 years, Lee, was a resident in the Nursing Wing. He was going to be living on the Resident Wing. |
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Charles H. Innis Charles H. Innis retired in June 1972, in Tiffin, Ohio, where he currently resides at Ruffing Family Care Center. He just celebrated his 90th birthday in September 2002. “Charlie” was in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), working in Ohio and Yellowstone National Park (1931-1940). He served in the U.S. Army (1940-1946), including World War II in an Engineer Pipeline Company in North Africa, Italy, and France. As a soil scientist with SCS, he worked in Jackson and Tiffin, Ohio. He was a talented musician and played the banjo in a small band in Jackson, Ohio. In addition, he was an avid “ rock hound.” Another interesting tidbit is that Charlie donated a fossilized peccary (pig) skeleton to Bowling Green State University. Charlie is a past member (Fellow) of the Ohio Academy of Sciences. |
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Some of you might remember the chronicle that was published on Senior Conservationist Sam Bacon in the ARSCSE Newsletter in January 1994. Sam, a soil scientist, retired from SCS in 1963. It has been brought to our attention that Sam recently made the news in his hometown of Cookeville, Tennessee. We feel that the news is worthy of sharing. Visit www.herald-citizen.com Sam turned 102 on July 1, 2002. He was honored with a luncheon given by the Cumberland Art Society. According to the Herald-Citizen, “Approximately 60 people attended and were able to greet the active, alert and witty Mr. Sam, who doesn’t like to talk about himself unless it’s in regard to planning his next birthday party or about the five-mile walk he just completed for a fund-raising event.” Through his donation of time and money, Sam has made a significant impact on the arts and politics in the Cookeville area. We also understand that Sam still delivers meals-on-wheels three days a week. Happy belated birthday, Sam! |
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John D. Freeman John D. Freeman, retired Soil Conservationist, served SCS in the State of Arizona for over 35 years. He has resided in Prescott, Arizona, since retirement, with his wife, Norita. They celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in 2000. He is now 90 years of age. A few of John’s honors include:
· 1969 - Honored by Vietnamese government · 1983 - Recognized by Arizona Cattle Growers · 1990 - Building named in his honor (Yarapa County Fairgrounds) · 2002 - Danny Freeman Day named by Prescott, AZ Kiwanis |
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Ray Cope This Elder Statesman was once referred to as “the dam repairman.” Ray Cope, age 85, retired from the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) in May, 1987, while serving as a National Grouting Specialist stationed in the Emergency Watershed Program, Lincoln, Nebraska. His 15 years with SCS included a year at the New York State Office and 10 years with Conservation Engineering supporting work on dams and tunnels in Canada. Ray is a veteran of World War II, having served at Stalingrad and Normandy with the German Army. After retirement, Ray returned to work as a consulting engineer, specializing in dams. His wife, Gabriele, died in 2000. He has 3 sons and 3 grandchildren. Ray continues to reside in Lincoln. |
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Thomas E. Doughty On September 12, 1935, Thomas E. Doughty, was appointed as Wyoming’s first SEC/SCS employee. He developed the first land ownership map of Wyoming including identifying designated land use problem areas. The distinguished Conservation Statesman, now age 90, is honored in a publication celebrating 50 years of conservation in Wyoming. After nearly 30 years of service in Wyoming, Tom retired in 1964. He then resided in Spokane, Washington. His wife of 63 years, Maxine Weick, passed in 1996. In 2001, Tom moved to Sheridan, Wyoming, to be closer to his family. Tom has 3 sons, 1 daughter, and many grand and great grandchildren. He even has 1 great great grandchild. He remains interested in horticulture and is an active gardener. |
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Manford (Manny) A. Logan Eighty-six year old Manford (Manny) A. Logan calls Mt. Vernon, Illinois, home; however, he says that he winters about 6 months of the year in Winter Haven, Florida. He shares his life with companion Louise Bean, a son (doctoring in Denver, CO), a daughter (teaching in Galesburg, IL), and a grandson (teaching at University of Texas, Austin, TX). Manny retired from Soil Conservation Service in 1974, after having worked as a District Conservationist in Ford and Iroquois Counties, Illinois. He then worked for Cooperative Extension Service for 3 years. As a field inspector for Certified Seed Growers, he worked in 5 counties for the Illinois Crop Improvement Association. Manny has a riddle for you -- What does Smokey the Bear, Attila the Hun, and Alexander the Great have in common? [Answer: the] |
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John K. Burgher John K. Burgher’s career as an Engineering Technician with Soil Conservation Service began in Quincy, Illinois in 1956 and ended with retirement in 1975 in Lincoln, Illinois. All of his service time was completed in Illinois, his current state of residence. Prior to John’s federal career, he worked several years as a Morse Telegraph Operator with Western Union. After returning from the military service, he was hired by Standard Oil Pipeline as a telegraph operator. John enjoyed his federal career and recalls working with several fine employees in Illinois, including Joe Haas and Neil Bogner, just to name a few. He lives alone now (since the passing of his spouse 2 years ago), and appreciates old SCS friends when they come to visit. This 91-year-old conservation statesman shared a few bureaucratic statements that he says he heard many times while an SCS employee. “Are you working out of your classification?” “Will you move for an increase in pay?” |
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Leonard Watts Leonard Watts, former Conservation Technician with Soil Conservation Service, currently resides in Leesburg, Ohio. During his years of employment (1954 - 1983), Leonard worked in several counties in Ohio, finishing his career in Fayette County, with 29 years of service. He is a life member of National Association of Retired Federal Employees (NARFE) and describes his health as “Let’s just say I’m still going!” Leonard has been married to Edna for 62 years. They have 1 son, 2 grandsons, and 3 great grandchildren. Leonard not only keeps busy with the operation of his 100-acre home farm, but he plays a saxophone in a Senior Citizen Center band and in a 70-piece Washington County Community Band. At age 92, I’d say that Leonard is doing more than “just going!” |
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J. Ivan Fredregill One of our senior-most Elder Conservation Statesmen, J. Ivan Fredregill, retired from Soil Conservation Service in 1965 in Adel, Iowa. He was a Soil Conservationist during his career. In 1965, he also retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the U.S. Army. He has been married to Ruth since 1933. Together they have celebrated many wedding anniversaries, birthdays, and the birth of 5 children. At nearly 97 years of age, his health is moderately good but he no longer travels or visits farm shows. He does work in his yard and shop and attends church and community activities. As one of his granddaughters says, “He taught us how to live by his fine example.” |
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Helen M. Virag Helen M. Virag retired in June 1972, in Portland, Oregon, where she currently resides. Helen supported the Soil Conservation Service for over 35 years as a Secretary, touching many lives in many places along the way. She worked in the following cities in Michigan - Grand Haven, Grand Rapids, Howell, and Battle Creek. She also worked in Dayton, Ohio, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her final transfer took her to Portland. Helen celebrated her 92nd birthday this year and describes herself as being in good health. She participates in swim and exercise classes and politics. She is a member of Northwest Pilot Project that is a local organization that finds housing, jobs, and supplies for low-income families. The Project also provides a free lunch and program once a month for its clients. |