Warners to lead Nodaway County Fair parade

By SKYE POURNAZARI

The Forum

MARYVILLE, Mo. — The Nodaway County Fair Board recently announced Richard and Ruth Warner as this year’s Grand Marshals of the Nodaway County Fair Parade scheduled for Saturday, July 15.

The Warners, of Graham, spoke briefly with The Forum about their selection on Tuesday.

“I think it’s an honor,” Richard said. “... I think it’ll be a good deal.”

He said the vehicles are already selected by the fair board and he didn’t know what they would be riding in, but he’s hoping for the widest, softest back seat for the quick ride from campus to downtown.

“I haven’t been at the parade for probably 40 years,” Ruth said, noting that large crowds of people show up for the annual event. She and Richard agreed that it will make a big difference not having to drive in the parade.

Each year, the route has taken a similar route from College Avenue east down Fourth Street to Buchanan Street where it turns south.

The parade will start a bit later this year at 10 a.m. to help people who plan to stay downtown for afternoon events like the pedal pull and checkers tournament.

Richard joked that they must have been selected for their “good looks” and not the copious amount of service the two have provided during their lives to their community, county and country.

Biographies

Richard is a native of Hyannis,

Nebraska and is a self-employed electrical contractor with ties to many organizations in northwest Missouri.

He retired out of the U.S. Navy Seabees Reserves as a Chief Petty Officer with 24½ years of service.

Richard holds a life membership in American Legion Post 256, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 442, the Naval Enlisted Reserve As- sociation and LaSociete 40 and 8 (the elite American Legion).

He served as mayor of Graham for seven years and police judge for 2½ years. He also served on the township board for 12 years.

Richard joined the Graham Lions Club in the spring of 2007. He served as club vice president from 2008-2009 and president in 20092010. From 2010-2011 and again the next year, Richard served as zone chairman. He served as Lions second vice district governor from 2012-2013 and first vice district governor from 2013-2014.

From 2014-2015 and 20182019, Richard served as district governor of the Lions organization. To this day, he touts perfect attendance since joining the group.

He also attended the Great Plains Lions Leadership Institute in 2011, the USA/Canada Leadership Forum in Overland Park, Kansas, in 2013, and again in 2017 in Portland, Oregon.

Richard has also been a Boy Scout leader for 10 years and an Explorer Post Advisor for six.

He has been a trustee for the Maitland Methodist Church for 18 years, a trustee for the Nodaway County Ambulance District for eight and a 4-H leader for 14 years.

Richard has served on the Nodaway County Community Board for 40 years.

He has been active in the community projects in Graham Community Betterment and as chairman or co-chairman of the Graham Street Fair for 12 years.

Richard has been married to Ruth Jean (Groves) for 60 years. They have three children, eight grandchildren and seven greatgrandchildren.

Ruth graduated from Graham High School and also Northwest Vocation school. She had been employed at the Nodaway County Health Center as administrator and later worked at the Nodaway Veterinary Clinic for more than 20 years and is now semi-retired.

Ruth was a 4-H leader for many years, was on the Nodaway County Extension Council 4-H board and the Nodaway County Health Department board.

She was a member of the Maitland Methodist Church for many years before it closed and also taught Sunday School classes. She enjoys reading and working in her yard as well as walking.