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NEVADA T H E

M A G A Z I N E

Featuring Vernon County’s People and Towns

Girl

emPOWERMENT

THROUGH the

Kitchen Door

INTERNATIONAL Secret

Vol. #2 ISSUE 4

m

2014

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$3.99

Connection of Green Spaces and ADHD According to the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, an estimated 2 million children in the United States struggle with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Unfortunately, many of the traditional treatments come with a high price tag and limited effectiveness. However, there may be a simpler solution. A scientific study conducted at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, suggests symptoms of ADHD are relieved after spending time in green spaces. How can this be? Children get fatigued after concentrating on things such as homework assignments and need to refresh their ability to pay attention. Playing outdoors in green spaces has proven to be effective in restoring focus and improving concentration. An added bonus is, being outdoors proves to be highly beneficial to a child’s healthy development.

As a supporter of the Healthy Nevada Initiative and the health of children within the community, the Nevada Parks and Recreation Department is pleased to announce the completion of planting sixty-eight trees in the Twin Lakes Sports Complex. A portion of the funding for this project was made available through the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Tree Resource Improvement and Maintenance Program.

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| NEVADA the MAGAZINE

Girl emPOWERment Club After more than a decade, the Girl emPOWERment Club continues to give middle school girls the tools they need to build bright futures.

By Nicole Garner

“It’s

funny because this club has been around longer than most of those girls have been alive.”

Dawn Jones, Nevada Middle School nurse, laughed about the 15 years that have passed since the school’s Girl emPOWERment Club started.

As one of the women who helps run the club, she smiled as she talked, alongside social studies teacher Kim Greer, about the program’s long standing.

In their eyes, age doesn’t matter, at least not for a club that teaches young girls a variety of self-esteem and self-awareness skills. But, it is a factor in equipping girls with the tools they need to navigate the busy hallways and nervous social settings of middle school, and later high school.

In 1999, Denise Nelson, the district’s Health Services director, spawned the idea of a group that could help middle school-aged girls make good decisions by improving self-esteem and selfawareness. The program started with monthly after school meetings that focused on values such as diversity, community, safety and education.

Girl emPOWERment also works to make sure girls are happy in their own skin and with who they are. Jones and Greer said establishing those good feelings before the pressures of high school hit are critical in combating eating disorders, peer pressure and other forms of emotional distress.

ABOVE: Troopers with the Missouri State Highway Patrol teach girls self-defense techniques.

RIGHT: Girl emPOWERment Club meetings are broken into values, and aim to teach girls about their community, themselves and the importance of education.

The program, which has since run for the past 15 years, operates without any school funding, but instead, community support. A recent Foundation for Missouri Women grant has helped rebuild some of the club’s infrastructure.

Jones, who was in the original founding committee, has worked with the program since.

Greer started later, and has worked to encourage and support girls for the past 11 years. They’ve seen the program grow throughout the years, and wane in some.

“We’re both veterans,” Greer said with a laugh.

Greer said the sixth-grade age group was selected because girls of that age aren’t traveling with sports as heavily as other age groups, and messages could make more of an impact. “We see it,” she said.

As she has continued on with the program, she thinks it impacts girls because each meeting is focused around instilling strong values. “What I like about it is it’s all very purposeful,” Greer said. To her, the most rewarding part of being involved in the program is seeing the girls make good choices, starting with getting involved in the club. “The girls that are there, it really means a lot to them.”

While Jones and Greer are both heavily involved in the club, women in the community also play a role.

Women with non-traditional jobs, such as Meagan Duffee, a licensed falconer, take time to meet with girls to show a variety of interests, while officers have met with girls to teach self-defense classes.

Denise Hedges, director of the Cottey College Center for Women’s Leadership, teams up with the program to help provide programming and events that girls can participate in. An annual banquet held at Cottey College for Girl emPOWERment members gives them a chance to practice manners and etiquette skills, while honoring a female role model or family member with a chance to participate.

Licensed falconer Meagan Duffee talks to Girl emPOWERment members about her career path.

Jones said getting the girls into a college setting helps to “plant a seed,” giving them an idea of what the world has to offer, and what they can achieve.

“The value the program has to me has been those connections. Having them think about their future,” Jones said. Related lessons show women in non-traditional roles, setting goals and giving back to the community through service projects.

Through Girl emPOWERment, girls are able to learn safe babysitting skills and donate time to Moss House. Some have worked at the animal shelter, recycling center or donated hair to Locks of Love.

The Nevada Soroptimists provide an annual grant to help keep the program running. And organizations like the Nevada Rotary, YMCA, Nevada Regional Medical Center and more help support the annual Girl emPOWERment fivekilometer run and walk (deemed GM5K).

Greer said the club inspires girls to understand they can make a difference, despite their age.

“We ask, ‘what can a 12-year-old girl do to impact her community,’” she said.

Jones said girls learn through community members that giving back is important, especially when women show up to support Girl emPOWERment at events.

“I tell the girls these women are here because they just can’t wait to see what you do. They think it’s exciting to see what you can become,” she said.

While Girl emPOWERment is available only to sixth grade girls, P.I.N.K. Ladies is a similar club geared towards seventh and eight-grade girls with similar missions. A high school program is in the works. Greer and Jones said they are always looking for volunteers to help give new insight to the program, and provide positive experiences for the involved girls.

NEVADA the MAGAZINE

|3

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M A G A Z I N E

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Floyd Jernigan Nicole Garner Martha Meinsen Scott Gloria Tucker

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Reproduction or use in whole or in part of the contents, without prior written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.

We hope you enjoy this issue of Nevada the Magazine.

Please let us know what you think.

Send comments to: fjernigan@nevadadailymail.com

FEATURES GIRL emPOWERMENT CLUB For Middle School girls .................................... 3

THROUGH THE KITCHEN DOOR with Erica Gravely.............................................. 6

FOR LOVE OF MUSIC Willis Brothers band ........................................ 8

AN INTERNATIONAL SECRET Don Agee’s museum....................................... 10

NEVADA SCENE Facetime in Nevada ....................................... 12

TRAVELING THE WORLD with a message................................................ 14

6

THE COVER

NEVADA T H E

M A G A Z I N E

Featuring Vernon County’s People and Towns

8

Girl

emPOWERMENT

THROUGH the

Kitchen Door

INTERNATIONAL Secret

Vol. #2 ISSUE 4

m

2014

m

$3.99

Becca Raper stands with her horse at the Vernon County Youth Fair.

Photo by Gloria Tucker

12

3

NEVADA the MAGAZINE

|5

Through the

KITCHEN DOOR . . .

Story and Photos by Martha Meinsen Scott

...and into the kitchen of

Erika Gravely

Frugal, Healthy and Homemade!!

Erika Gravely arrived in Nevada with her doctor husband from the East Coast about seven years ago.

“What keeps us here,” Erika said, “is how nice everyone is.”

And she is even willing to forego the accessibility of three Whole Foods Markets within an easy drive to stay in Nevada. That’s how much she likes Nevada.

Her cooking inspiration came from Jeff Smith, the “Frugal Gourmet,” by watching him on television weekly.

Her mother was a working mom and her mom would buy ingredients and Erika would make whatever she wanted to make.

So she would make a four-layer chocolate cake with real cream!!!!

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| NEVADA the MAGAZINE

Her current favorite TV chefs are Alton Brown for technicality and “The Barefoot Contessa” for “eye candy.”

They give her inspiration, rather than writing down the recipes. She also enjoys Lidia’s on PBS and has eaten at the Lidia’s Restaurant in Kansas City.

Erika, however, gets most of her inspiration from befriending different people — like Lillian Graham, who makes her own salad dressing.

And she also picks people’s brains for recipes and foods. A nextdoor neighbor was from Pakistan and Erika would go over daily and see what she was cooking.

Erika is a vegetarian but her family isn’t. Even though she’s a vegetarian, she still can make a mean “Philly Steak” sandwich.

She’s been a vegetarian for the last 14 years, even though she has a lot of friends in the meat industry.

She doesn’t really collect cookbooks, but her favorite is “Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian.” Erika said she likes international cuisine and feels that often American food is heavy on the fat, sugar and salt, while international dishes are not.

Erika takes her love and knowledge of food to her church, where she is director of Student Ministries. She pushes the boundaries of these students with food.

She doesn’t really have a favorite meal. A lot depends on what she is in the mood for but she is fond of margarita pizza, Indian curry and fried rice.

With her philosophy about food, it is no surprise that she has a garden. In that garden, she grows food and flowers and herbs together.

Erika’s husband Sean is an internist and she has a 7-year-old daughter, Kiera, and a 10-year-old son, Ethan. Ethan likes sushi and is always asking his mom to make fondue. Daughter Kiera likes mac and cheese straight from the box rather than her mother’s homemade.

“But she is, after all, only 7 years old,” said Erika. “But she does like sticky rice.” Both children like margarita pizza and will make their own using fresh mozzarella.

The Farmers Market in Nevada is one of her favorite food stops and makes a lack of Whole Foods somewhat bearable. Living in Nevada makes some foods a challenge because of lack of ingredients.

“You have to make things you would otherwise buy, things like pita and sushi.” She also makes bread sometimes.

Because of the difference between Nevada and Philadelphia, she brought with her a list of things that she knew she would have to make here rather than buy. The list still hangs in her kitchen and includes bread, cheese, bean sprouts, seitcon, komlaicha, granola, and pierogis.

She clips recipes and put them in folders, including things from the internet.

She sometimes likes to try new recipes and also likes to use ingredients in different ways.

Erika also teaches healthy cooking classes, sharing her philosophy of fresh, healthy cooking.

In the vein of healthy cooking, she dearly treasures her grandmother’s book, “Health and Longevity,” published in 1912 by the Home Health Society of Philadelphia.

Her family favorites include spring rolls, which she had to learn to make after moving here. They are really simple and all ingredients to make them can be found in Nevada.

FROM ERIKA’S KITCHEN SPRING ROLLS AND NUAC CHAM SAUCE Spring roll wrappers 1/3 head of green cabbage, chopped finely into strips 2 green onions 1/2 c. chopped cilantro 1 cup cooked thin rice noodles 1 large carrot, grated 24 shrimp, cooked and thawed Toss all ingredients together except wrappers in a large bowl. Submerge wrappers in hot water until pliable (about 15 seconds). Place about 1/2 cup of mix on wrapper and wrap your roll like a burrito, folding bottom edge up on mix, then sides and then roll up. Serve with nuoc cham sauce and enjoy.

ERIKA’S NUAC CHAM SAUCE 3 T. soy sauce 4 t. agave nectar/honey 3 T. lime juice or rice vinegar 1 clove garlic 1 t. ginger, chopped finely or grated 1/8 t. red pepper flakes

NEVADA the MAGAZINE

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Joe Willis performs for the Army during his service in the late ‘60s.

For the

J

oe Willis joined a band at the age of 9. It was not just any band, it was his father Joe’s road show variety band, which played in theaters across Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas and at KNEM on the Square on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights in the early 1950s.

His father got his start as a guitar player with his brothers in the Oklahoma Wranglers in 1932.

“The Willis clan were just all around good musicians,” Joe Willis said. “Dad made sure I turned out that way too. Instead of just fiddling chords, Dad said you ought to be able to play everything you play in every key. That got me off to the right foot. I remember the first two songs I learned were ‘Dear Hearts and Gentle People’ and ‘Crocodile Tears.’”

The Oklahoma Wranglers, James “Guy,” Charles “Skeeter” and Joe were regulars on the Shawnee, Okla., station KGEF through the decade.

In 1939, his father married his mother, Alice, and left the group.

Another brother, John “Vic,” joined, and the group became members of the Grand Ole Opry in 1946. In 1949, the group left the Opry and toured nationally with Eddy Arnold through 1957, picking up the name the Willis Brothers along the way.

“While all this was going on, Dad had a group in Nevada,” he said. “Dad’s band had piano, fiddle, steel guitar and guitar. They had a ventriloquist on the show. Mom danced and did comedy. Grandpa Dewitt played mainly fiddle.”

Willis said his grandfather could figure out how to play any instrument he picked up without being able to read a note of music.

“He taught all his sons how to play,” he said.

“He called the boys home on a baritone horn. When he blew the horn, if you were on your bicycle and it wasn’t going fast enough, you jumped off and 8 | NEVADA the MAGAZINE

Love of Music

By Gloria

Tucker

cut across yards.”

Though the family moved to Kansas City at different times, Willis graduated from Milo High School (and was a member of the high school band) and then joined the army in 1966.

“I was in Fort Rucker, Ala.,” he said. “While in basic training, I was a little slow getting up from the table, so one of the sergeants assigned me a punishment detail. That afternoon, special services was giving us a show, so I had to help set up the stage.”

When the director of special services had trouble setting up a microphone, Willis showed him how to do it.

“He arranged to get a guitar from the workshop, and I was on the show that day,” he said. “I played rock and roll — a lot of the Beetles and Rolling Stones. From that time on, it went easy. When I went through the chow line, they gave me extra food.

“After I got out of basic, I got a group together called the Thymes, and special services would have us play for dances. I would also do advertisements for activities; meanwhile, I’m getting paid for all this.

“We played Florida and all around Alabama until I left the service in 1968.”

Fresh out of the army, he learned the Willis Brothers were in need of a bass player.

“Well, I had never played bass in my life, but I had their records,” he said. “So I put the records on, listened and figured out the notes on guitar. I contacted them, and they said they’d give me a try.”

Moving to Nashville, Tenn., with his wife Pat (they’d married the year before), he became one of the Willis Brothers.

“One of the first shows we played was at the Continental Inn, just below the capital building in Nashville,” he said. “As we went in, Skeeter said, ‘Well, you may be our nephew, but the first mistake you’re out.’ I said, ‘You mean if you make a mistake, then you’re no longer with the band?’

He said, ‘That’s right.’ I said, ‘Well, Skeeter, I’m going to be here longer than you will.’ He and I always got along after that. He would always give you guff and if you gave him guff back, then you got along.”

Regulars at the Grand Ole Opry, Joe performed with the Brothers for 11 years on and off.

“Back during that period, the Willis Brothers always wore colorful cowboy outfits,” he said.

“They taught me that to be professional, first you have to look professional. If you can impress people on first sight, it’s downhill from there.”

Meanwhile, he fronted Roy Drusky’s group for more than four years.

“We averaged between 120,000 to 140,000 miles a year on the road,” he said. “We’d be at it 180 to 190 days a year. I think my longest tour with Roy Drusky was eight weeks. We went to England, Germany, Greece, Turkey and Italy. We did two shows a day. That was a hard grind.”

Tiring of life on the road, Willis enrolled at the University of Tennessee in Nashville and earned a degree in nursing.

ABOVE: Joe Willis and the Charlie Horse Band

They’re going to have to pry this guitar out of my cold, dead fingers,” he said and laughed. “That’s how you keep young — you keep busy doing something you love.

“After that, dad passed away, and mom wanted to come back to Missouri,” he said. “Mom was from this area. I got an offer from the state hospital that was hard to refuse. That’s when I came back to Missouri.”

Working as a registered nurse, he left music for about 20 years. Until, he filled in for a friend at a show in Fort Scott, Kan., in 2004.

“Jason Richison also came to fill in,” he said.

“We clicked like we had always played together.

He thought we should get a band together. I asked Rick Bevenue if he was interested. Rick had a band that opened for Ray Price in New York when he was only 19 years old. We talked to more friends, and we decided to have a jam session. We played eight hours of solid music without repeating a song.”

The Charlie Horse Band began with members Willis, Bevenue, Richison and Doug Hudson.

“Within this group, we had over 100 years of experience playing professional music,” he said.

“It’s family oriented, traditional country and rock.

We do a lot of cookouts, festivals and fairs. If people hear us, they usually want us back, so we must be doing something right.”

Not content with one band, Willis also formed the Geezers and Straight Run. While Straight Run performs as dinner entertainment, the Geezers play country and big band in nursing homes as a form of reminiscence therapy.

“If anybody in the nursing home asks for a song, we do it,” he said. “A lady was having her 92nd birthday, and she asked for a song with her name in it. When we did the song, she just glowed.

That’s what’s beautiful. We’ll do the old songs, and the light will go back in their eyes because the music triggers positive feelings.”

Willis, 72, said he plans to continue performing the rest of his life.

“They’re going to have to pry this guitar out of my cold, dead fingers,” he said and laughed.

“That’s how you keep young — you keep busy doing something you love. The road is hard, but there are a lot of highs. I was a shy kid; this is my compensation.”

ABOVE TOP: Joe Willis becomes a part of his father’s band at the age of 9.

RIGHT: Joe Willis performs as a teenager in the early ‘60s.

ABOVE: Joe Willis plays with the high school band in Milo.

RIGHT: Joe Willis, far right, as one of the Willis Brothers

NEVADA the MAGAZINE

|9

An

INTERNATIONAL

SECRET

ABOVE: Dan Agee’s 1927 IH salesman coupe.

RIGHT TOP: One of Dan Agee’s restored IH fire trucks.

RIGHT MIDDLE & BOTTOM: The interior of Dan Agee’s 1927 IH salesmen coupe.

Story & Photos By Gloria Tucker

Dan Agee grew up with International Harvester.

His father worked for the company (IH), an agricultural machinery, construction equipment, truck and household appliance manufacturer, from 1939 to 1985.

“He started out in service and then went into sales,” Agee said. “That’s how we got exposed to all the products.”

Agee’s home near Milo stands beside an imposing, brick 1950s fire station he built in 2004 and opened on what would have been his father’s 100th birthday.

The fire station museum features two restored IH fire trucks and everything else under the sun the company produced. IH memorabilia, toys, milk pails and freezers are tucked away along the walls and in the corners. Upstairs or up the brass fireman’s pole, Agee recreated a ‘50s style diner and firemen’s sleeping quarters, complete with beds and racks of firemen gear.

“I have no idea how big my collection is,” he said. “I’ve been seriously collecting for 30 years.

I’ve got eight show trucks besides the two fire trucks. I’ve got seven restored tractors.”

Agee’s backyard resembles a miniature junkyard with rows of trucks and tractors in the midst of repair or disassembled for parts. In addition to the fire station, he houses more iconic trucks and tractors in large sheds. His oldest piece is a 1927 IH salesman coupe pickup truck that salesmen would take on the road to farms for demonstrating how to use products. One of the many trucks, which date from the ‘30s to the ‘70s, happens to be an IH mobile museum with IH products like a refrigerator and lawn mower. He takes the mobile museum to schools and shows.

10 | NEVADA the MAGAZINE

Dan Agee’s father

“We usually do two or three antique tractor and machinery shows a year,” he said. “We used to do one in Nevada. People from five states would come, but only a handful from Vernon County, so we moved up to Adrian where they go all out to welcome us. This museum is one of Vernon County’s best kept secrets.”

Agee said the people are what make the collecting worthwhile.

“Every show you go to you meet somebody with a little different equipment,” he said.

“Everybody’s got a story. Each truck and tractor has its story.

We get to meet people from Connecticut to California, Canada and Australia. They’re all down-to-earth collectors; they all have the same interests. It doesn’t matter what brand you have.”

Fellow collectors become family, he said. A friend from Ohio had a friend passing through from Kansas who broke down outside Nevada.

Agee picked him up and helped him fix his antique truck.

“Our friend in Ohio takes a list of all his car show associates when he travels,” he said. “If he has a problem, he knows he can call them and they’ll help. That’s what it’s all about. If I were going to California, I’d take a list of different collector friends. You know you can count on them.”

Those same friends come to Agee’s museum, from New York, Florida, California, Colorado, Kansas, Michigan, Illinois, all over Missouri, Oklahoma, Iowa, Indiana and Minnesota, although few from Vernon County have visited.

Agee, 72, said the purpose of his museum is to foster interest in IH for young people.

“It’s to keep the hobby alive,” he said. “If we don’t get the younger generation interested, it’s going to die. It’s going to be like Avon bottles; right now you can’t give them away. The interest will be gone in another 20 years without the younger generation.”

The Agee Farm Museum is free and open by appointment, 417-944-2085.

Submitted photo ABOVE: Versa and Dan Agee stand outside their museum near Milo.

LEFT: Dan Agee shows a portion of his IH toy collection.

RIGHT TOP: Martina McBride’s bandwagon.

RIGHT MIDDLE: A rare IH 330 Farmall tractor.

RIGHT BOTTOM: Dan Agee drives his mobile IH museum to schools and antique truck and tractor shows.

RIGHT: Re-created firemen’s quarters LEFT: IH made a plethora of products including light switch covers.

ABOVE: Fire station brass firemen pole LEFT: Old trucks used for parts for Dan Agee’s

show trucks.

NEVADA the MAGAZINE

| 11

THE

Nevada SCENE 1

Vernon County Youth Fair 2

1) CATTLE: Clayton Bogardus (front) and Colton Byram await judging during a beef show at the Vernon County Youth Fair. Nicole Garner photo 2) SITTING ON PEN: Emily Volkman and Megan Ferris sit in the goat barn during the fair. Volkman showed rabbits, and Ferris participated in archery shooting. Nicole Garner photo

FAIR ROYALTY QUEENS: Vernon County Youth Fair Queen Maryann Schleuter stands with the 2014 queen candidates: Hanna Bates (West Point 4-H), Kianna Mogan (Hustlers 4-H), Maddi Gordon (Milo-Oakdale 4-H), Tayvia Meek (Clayton 4-H) and Cydnee Piper (Bronaugh FFA). Not pictured is Cara Comstock (Nevada FFA).

3

5 4

FAIR ROYALTY PRINCESS: 2013 Fair Princess Sydney Ernsbarger poses with the 2014 Youth Fair Princess candidates: Hadley Bruce (Walker 4-H), Taityn Charles (Hustlers 4-H), Kiley Gerster (Schell City 4-H), Sami Fine (Nevada Jr. FFA) and MaKayla Dulier (West Point 4-H).

3) LITTLE GIRL: Jaycee Shrewsbury plays in the straw at the Youth Fair.

Gloria Tucker photo 4) HOG SHOW: Youth Fair princess Kiley Gerster works the arena with her hog during a swine judging event at the Vernon County Youth Fair.

Nicole Garner photo 5) YOUTH FAIR: Ten-year-old Tarini Williams shows off her first Vernon County Youth Fair project, a Fairy Garden, that was selected to show at the District Fair. Ralph Pokorny photo

BASEBALL PLAYER: Joey Brown, one of the Hitmen, connects for a hit during Monday’s night’s co-ed softball game at Twin Lakes Sports Complex. The softball league is sponsored by the Nevada Parks and Recreation Department and plays on Monday evenings. Ralph Pokorny photo

THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH PRAISE TEAM performed for Music on the Square in Nevada, drawing the largest crowd thus far this summer. Members of the group are Brice Leonard - lead guitar and vocals, Erin Townsend – vocals, Allison Cheaney - keyboard and vocals, Delton Fast - bass guitar, Christy Bloom acoustic/rhythm guitar, and Amanda Fisher – percussion.

Pie in the Sky Benefit

Cheryl Griggs serves Catherine Bofetta during the Pie in the Sky benefit for Moss House.

12 | NEVADA the MAGAZINE

Richard Hovey, Betty Lewis and Dean Lewis participate in the Newlywed Game during the Pie in the Sky benefit for Moss House.

Jim Entrikin guesses his wife, Marilyn, views him similiar to Al who gets home improvements right the first time during the Newlywed Game at the Pie in the Sky fundraiser for Moss House.

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Nevada Medical Clinic Where you are a neighbor, not a number The Nevada Medical Clinic has been serving the health care needs of area residents since 1969. We have seven full-time physicians and three nurse practitioners. Whether you are in need of a physical checkup, prescription filled, x-rays, or diagnosis testing, Nevada Medical Clinic is here to serve you.

Sean Gravely, D.O. Rick Kellenberger, D.O. Jennifer Conley, M.D. Heather Russell, M.D. Cameron Crymes, M.D. Kristi Crymes, D.O. Jill Spangler, D.O.

Sherri Eador F.N.P Family Practice

Chastity McCullick F.N.P Family Practice

Kelly McLemore F.N.P Family Practice

Monday-Friday 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.

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Quick Care Clinic 7:00-8:30am No appointment necessary

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| 13

Traveling

with a

the World

Message

By Nicole Garner

Jennifer Kennedy Dean has traveled all over the world, from the small corner of southwest Missouri to the far east in Shanghai and back to her retreat-like mountain home in Marion, Ky. Many of these excursions have been on the faith and success of her books and speaking, which teach others about spirituality and the power of praying. Or in Jennifer’s words — taking prayer “beyond packaging words between ‘Dear God’ and ‘amen.’” Through the Praying Life Foundation, Kennedy creates a framework for delving into prayer and spirituality.

Over the last 40 years, she’s written more than 30 books on the topic, and been all around the globe, sharing her thoughts and experiences with spirituality and prayer. But, the start of her adventures was in Nevada, where she and her siblings were raised.

“Nevada was such a great place to grow up, such a community. It gave us a strong foundation, a good education and an understanding of community,” she said. Many of her memories of the town, she said, are tied to her brother, Roger, who died from leukemia in 1973. “It holds a particular place in my heart,” she said.

After graduating from Nevada High School in 1972, Jennifer ventured south to Waco, Texas, where she pursued a degree in journalism at Baylor University.

At Baylor, she “stumbled” into speaking, which landed her a book contract — the first of many books to come. When asked what got her started talk about writing about prayer, Jennifer points to two people.

“Many people in Nevada will remember my mother being very passionate about prayer. She had prayer groups in our home and she taught about prayer, and she did that wherever she went,” she said. “Then my brother died of leukemia.

It had quite an impact on the community, and certainly on me. It launched my personal search to understand prayer. I mark that as my beginning of a pursuit that has remained my passion for all these many decades.”

Kennedy Dean said scripture talks of a seed that falls into the ground, and it makes her think of her Roger.

“Everyone that reads and is impacted — that seed is from Roger. He remains very alive from that in my ministry all the time,” she said.

14 | NEVADA the MAGAZINE

Jennifer’s first job after graduation led her to Atlanta, where she met her husband, Wayne Dean (the two returned to Nevada to get hitched). He worked for Coca-Cola for some time before the couple made a shift centered around Jennifer’s writing. Wayne became her full-time manager, and the two moved back west.

“We realized we could live anywhere we wanted to,” Jennifer said.

And that was Kansas City, Mo., closer to Jennifer’s family. Wayne and Jennifer started a family, and had three sons: Brantley, Kennedy and Stinson.

But, yet, her travels continued, and her manuscripts and career blossomed, specifically, her “Live a Praying Life” books.

“It grew from the first time I wrote the concept.

It was my second book and it had 97 pages in it.

Now, it’s a great big bloom of a book.”

Jennifer said as she gives lectures on prayer, she opens the floor for questions. Those inquiries for insight helped her add more detail to her book, letting her know “where the gaps are,” she said.

Her book, “Heart’s Cry: Principles of Prayer,” has become the National Day of Prayer Task Force recommended resource.

But while she’s been writing and speaking on prayer for decades, Kennedy Dean said she wouldn’t call herself an expert on the topic.

“I don’t know all the answers, but I do know all the questions,” she said with a laugh.

“Still there are always, always, new things to understand or new ways to understand old things.

It never gets old.” And much of that is because of the people she speaks with.

“The interesting thing, to me, is I speak all over the world to every kind of audience,” she said, going on to describe audiences filled with everyone from the newly-interested to the theologically-trained, in places such as Norway, China and South America.

But, another trip with a different purpose relocated Jennifer to the Bluegrass state. In October 2005, Wayne was diagnosed with parietal temporal glioblastoma, a brain tumor that quickly grew and left doctors with no known cure. He died nearly two months later, in December.

Jennifer said many in the Kansas City community grieved with her, but she felt stuck after several years. It was then that she and her parents packed up and headed to Marion.

“It was a great adventure,” she said. There she leaped into learning how to do all the jobs Wayne did, and managing many of the tasks she previously didn’t have to, including the ones she wasn’t so good at.

“It was very much our ministry and business, not mine,” Jennifer said. “Now, it’s been a shift for me to learn to make what was ours, mine.”

Eight months after moving to Marion, Jennifer’s father passed away. Jennifer said she’s happy her father had the chance to leave a mark on her new home, and where she and her mother, Audrey, continue to live. The two are neighbors in what Jennifer called her retreat-like mountain home. Her sons reside in New Jersey, Indiana and Missouri, with their families.

Jennifer continues now to spend time traveling, speaking and readjusting to the small-town life she started with.

“At this stage in my life, it’s so quiet and peaceful and un-rushed. There’s no rush hour,” she said.

And with another book on the way, “Live a Praying Life in Adversity,” she said it’s continuing the passion she’s had for years.

“I’ve been fortunate to do all these years what I want to do. It’s been good.”

Photo is of Jennifer Kennedy Dean, courtesy photo.

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