GENTRY — Three new names were added to the list of Lifetime Achievement Award winners at the Gentry Chamber of Commerce annual awards banquet on Thursday. Added to the list of honorees were: Fred Adams, Tuffy Heald and B.C. Wiles.
The following is information read by Gentry Chamber director Bev Saunders about each honoree at the banquet:
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Fred Adams
Fred Adams was born Jan. 28, 1916, and passed away Nov. 19, 1975. He was born and raised in the Pyatt-Yellville area. Fred and Erma Dodd married in 1938 and moved to Kansas City to find work.Erma had recently graduated from the School of the Ozarks in Hollister, Mo. Fred never received a formal education but was an avid reader. If you had a conversation for any length of time with him, you would have thought his education was much more advanced.
He worked as a maintenance manager for a few years at Owens-Corning Fiberglass plant in Kansas City.
Fred and Erma moved to Gentry with their three young children, Dolores, Diana and Dale, in 1953. They wanted their children to enjoy a Christian education and Ozark Academy offered that opportunity. He was a member, deacon and Sabbath school teacher of the Gentry Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Erma raised laying hens and sold eggs, while Fred spent two years working in Kansas City and driving home on the weekends to work on the old barn that is now covered with vines. He converted it into a welding shop.
In the spring of 1955, Fred and Erma opened Adams and Son Radiator Repair and Welding Shop. By the early 1960s, the business had grown to include portable welding, used cars, a salvage yard, machine shop, custom welding and fabrication.
Some of his works included production of racing wheels for March Tire Co.; invention and manufacturing of a hurl buster machine to remove seed from broom corn for the broom shop at Ozark Academy; a conveyor system for Pet Milk Co. to expedite the handling and labeling of Bolo Dog Food; making playground equipment for Ozark Elementary School; and field welding the steel structure for the Decatur Public School.
While doing these things during the day, he would often work until 10 p.m. on radiators. Many of them should have been scrapped, but he knew the cost of a new core would be more money than most of his customers could afford. He invested in a state-of-the-art radiator repair shop and took great pride in this craft. Every repaired radiator left with new black paint and an Adams and Son decal to remind them where to go when they need a new core.
Local resident and carpenter George Guthrie approached Fred in 1966 about manufacturing steel trusses for the expanding poultry industry. A jig was soon built, under a shade tree, close to the radiator shop and a new business was born. Radiator repair was Fred’s passion, but it wasn’t long before the truss business neededmore time and investment.
In the late ‘60s Fred built a 40x60 shop for truss production and expanded it in the early ‘70s.
At Fred’s untimely passing in 1975, he was 59 years of age and still enjoyed working on radiators and visiting with many of his frequent customers, such as C.V. Johnson, Joe Carl, Doc Ransom, Lyle Glass and Railey Steele.
Fred never had a passion for local politics, but he fervently believed you buy local, even if you paid a little more. It was a good investment.
It has been estimated the shop and the truss plant has employed close to 200 people over the years.
The saying, “He was a jack of all trades and a master of none,” does not apply to Fred Adams, he was indeed a master of any trade at which he endeavored.
He would be humbled and honored for this recognition tonight; but knowing his sense of humor, he would insist it was all Erma’s fault !
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Tuffy Heald
Tuffy Heald was born Dec. 21, 1914. He and his wife, Velma, moved to Gentry from Oklahoma City in September of 1945 with their young sons, Larry and Allen.
In 1947, they bought the inventory of the Texaco Service Station and ran it as Texaco for 18 years, then changed it to Derby.
Larry graduated from Gentry High School in 1959 and Allen in 1963.
Tuffy and Velma ran the service station for 22 years, then Allen took over for another seven years. Tuffy served the city in many ways. He was on the city council and the Gentry School board, and he was also a volunteer fireman for 20 years. He was a member of the Gentry Methodist Church and the Gentry Masonic Lodge.
When talking about Tuffy, the one comment that was repeated over and again was that he served the community in many different ways - city, school, businessperson, friend.
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B.C. Wiles
Byron was born in 1922 and lived in Springtown until 1941. He attended Springtown Public Schools and Gentry High School. In 1942, he married Norma Taylor. She had attended Gentry Public Schools 12 years and both had graduated together in 1940.
The couple had three sons, Clinton, Bruce and Dave, who all graduated from Gentry High School. B.C. served in the Army from November 1942 until February 1946. He was stationed in New Guinea, the Philippines and Japan.
B.C. began serving on the Gentry City Council in the 1950s. In 1976 B.C. finished Mayor Daggs’ term and then was reelected two more times.Some of the councilmen were Dick Carlson, Jimmy Hendrix, Jack Hogue, David McNair, Rick Parker, J.D. Smith, Melvin White, Roy Jech, Jack Bailey, Bob Abrahamson, Chester Mattox, Gary Case, Larry Curran, Norma Burden, Ray Morris, Jack Hogue, Bill Eaton, Terry England, Don Kratky, Paul Church, Eddie Morefield, V.E. Morefield and Robert Bever, Jr.
The new city park began to take shape, with much of the work being donated. The old fire house wasrenovated into the Gentry Library. The city occupied that location until 2007, when it moved to the old Carl Hardware Building which was also renovated. Ralston Purina sold its turkey hatchery to Cargill in February 1975. Highway 12 bypass over the railroad tracks created a new route around Gentry, bypassing the current Main Street. Under Wiles’ leadership, Gentry landed two large employers, SWEPCO (now AEP electric) and McKee Foods Corporation. Because of the new funding from SWEPCO (which the school later lost) and all the new businesses, Gentry Schools and Gentry population began to grow.
B.C. believed in progress, whether he served on a committee or as mayor. According to a piece written by his wife Norma, “He strived to obtain wise counsel, then worked tirelessly to move forward.”
In his last years, he enjoyed working on the Millsap Dairy Farm, where he loved the Millsap family, the equipment and found joy in being in the fresh air and open spaces.
Tonight, Donnie and Sandy Millsap are here to represent Mr. Wiles and the Wiles family.
Past recipients of the award inclde: J.R. Bever, Sr. - 1988;
Rai Steele - 1988; F.G. Twiggs - 1988; Kathryn Elsner - 1988; Bob Curran - 1988; Bob Carl - 1989;
Maurice Lamberson - 1989;
Dr. A.L. Peacock - 1989; John Parks - 1990; Marvin Phillips - 1990; Roy Backer - 1992;
Tom Burns - 1992; Clyde Glass - 1992; Pat Parks - 1992; John Schaffer - 1993; Paul Sugg - 1993; Joe Carl - 2005; Clegg Ratcliff - 2007; John Binns - 2007;
Dale Carpenter - 2007; Art Steele - 2007; J.D. Smith - 2007; J.R. Bob Bever Sr. - 2008; Lyle Glass - 2008;
Railey Steele - 2008; Oral Sullivan - 2008; Roy Bolin - 2008; Doris Carter - 2009; Mildred Backer - 2009; Dr.
Bob Weaver - 2010; and Ross Wilmoth - 2010.
Other award winners at this year’s banquet included the following:
2010 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - Kelsey Classen, owner of Garden Gate Flowers
Kelsey is a strong businesswoman who has to juggle inventory, orders and employees, sometimes at a moments notice. Kelsey is always smiling and willing to go above and beyond to make sure her customers are taken care of at all times. She truly believes in giving her customers more than they pay for. Her beautiful shop is a jewel on Gentry Main Street. She invests lots of time and money in making sure the store front is always inviting, welcome, in season, colorful and fun. Besides supporting the Gentry Chamber and the Gentry community, Kelsey also is a very active member of the Mennonite Youth Group. This group can be seen regularlycleaning up the highway right-of-way on the east side of town - or caroling at Christmas.
2010 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - Michelle Finnell, owner of Ten Tiny Toes
Michelle is also a very tough businesswoman that just doesn't know the word quit. After buying her business building on Main Street, Michelle and her husband Jason remodeled the building into a very nice gift shop. Even though she had very nice and affordable gifts, the store just didn't make a profit through these past very tough years. After two years of struggling during these times, most people would have closed the doors, but not Michelle. She wants to have a successful business on Gentry’s Main Street. She did lots of research and found a business that she thought would be a good business venture and also help many young families in the community - a children's consignment shop. So she and Jason enlarged the display room, shopped for months for inventory and in October she reopened the store. She sells gently used but nice children's clothing, furniture, strollers and accessories. Michelle is active in the Chamber and worked in some capacity in every project the Chamber has had for the past three years. In 2010, she served as pageant director for Little Miss and Mister Gentry at Freedom Fest. She helps with Afton's school activities. Michelle, just like Kelsey, strives to keep the exterior of her building as a comfortable and clean welcome center for her store.
ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR - Gentry Masonic Lodge
The Gentry Masonic Lodge may be the oldest organization in Gentry. It first organized in Springtown in 1869. When the railroad came through Gentry and this community became larger than Springtown, the lodge moved to Gentry in 1895. For the next 60 years, the Gentry Masonic Lodge met at the Brogden Building, where Tri Square Wood Working is today; over the Carpenter Building where Main Street Antiques was recently located; in a room at the old high school northeast of town; over the old Twiggs store that is now Twice But Nice; in a room above the Gentry School that was built by WPA and over the Gentry Hardware.In 1963, O.W. and Mae Feemster deeded the land of the present building on Highway 59 to the lodge. The current Lodge was built from October 1974 - 1976. Today, the Gentry Masonic Lodge members can be seen at almost every Chamber and United Way event, as well as the Masonic Lodge activities. The group will be serving barbcue sandwiches, selling drinks and just helping with any task necessary. Each year, the Masonic Lodge gives scholarships to Gentry seniors to continue their education. The past several years, they have awarded three $500 scholarships. The Masonic Lodge holds an annual awards ceremony eachyear at which they honor community folks for outstanding service. At the fall festival this year, while most of the groups were working to make money for their individual organizations, the Gentry MasonicLodge donated 100 percent of the proceeds they made from their booth to the Gentry United Way. They help many needy families, they help children with doctor bills and services, they help families that have lost their homes to fires or floods and they help families with funeral bills. They do these deeds and very few people know about it - and they do it very regularly. If my math is correct, they have been helping folks and serving this area for 142 years. This is a great legacy for these community volunteers. I hope they are still doing the same thing 142 years from now right here in Gentry.
2010 CITIZEN OF THE YEAR - Janice Arnold
For many years, Janice Arnold has served on the Gentry City Council. She served on the Gentry Planning Commission and the Rural Fire Committee. She has been instrumental in many of the park projects that have improved the quality of life for Gentry citizens. She is an active member of the Methodist church and has served the Red Hat group as Queen Mother. Janice was a professional fisherman for many years and has won two national titles. She always gives praise and credit to her home town, Gentry. She was born in Gentry, graduated from Gentry High School, and when you talk to her, she'll tell you she will die in Gentry. She drives a school bus and supports many of the Gentry Public Schools' projects and activities. This past year, Janice and her husband Ray were seen planting trees at the schools on Arbor Day and planting seedlings around little Flint Creek. For years the couple has been seen cleaning the park, helping the Chamber sell items for fund raising at Freedom Fest, cleaning the streets and windows at Fall Festival, working the annual quilt fair, serving dinner to the community at Thanksgiving and helping with the annual Christmas Open House and Parade. While Janice doesn't do anything for fame or honor, it is the Chamber's honor to name her as the 2010 Citizen of the Year.
2010 BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR - Steve and Cheryl Smith
The Smith's were nominated because of their generosity and help to the community. Over and over again I've heard of how many folks that the Smith's help with their medicine - whether they have the money to pay or not, they make sure the medicines are delivered to those who have a problem. Their benevolence is a daily activity at the drug store. Steve andCheryl have supported Gentry since they first opened the doors of Smith Drug in March of 1980, as well as helping at many, many other community and school events and activities. Both were instrumental in raising money for the new Gentry Library. Steve was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Cheryl in Springdale. Gentry is very lucky they selected to live, work, worship and raise their family here. They have three children, Ruston, Emily and Corbin.
GENTRY SILVER SERVICE AWARD - Vester Cripps
Just before his 27th anniversary on the Gentry Fire Department, Vester Cripps was named Gentry's fulltime fire chief. Vester has served the community in many capacities all his life. He is a member of the First Baptist Church, where he is very involved with the music program. There is a long, long list of homes and property that Vester has helped save while working on the fire department and lives that he has helped save as a paramedic. To think about all the emergencies Vester has responded to for 30 years is overwhelming. My personal involvement with Vester comes from Freedom Fest, Gentry’s biggest annual celebration. Every year for as long as I've been involved, Vester has always been there at Freedom Fest - in the park - helping with all the activities during the day and the celebration in the evening. To say "help" with the fireworks is an understatement. Vester does everything from selecting and ordering the fireworks to recruiting enough volunteers to shoot off the fireworks, both quickly and safely. I've had other towns tell me their fireworks displays cost two and three times what Gentry's does because they have to pay folks to do this job. He supports me and the Chamber in all our activities with a steady peaceful attitude, something I appreciate very much. He is respected by those he works with and those who work for him. Gentry is a better place because of Vester Cripps.
News, Pages 8 on 03/02/2011