Top Ten Perks of Working in Extension
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| Kathy Lupfer-Nielsen Celebrating 38 years |
As I’ve been getting ready to retire these past couple of months, I’ve been cleaning out files and piles and remembering past programs I’ve done across the district. I’m trying to throw materials away…but it’s difficult throwing away pieces of my past. Never fear though I’m sure I’ll take a few boxes of goodies home to sort through again in another few years.
I recently saw an article the top ten perks of aging and thought this would be a good title for a closing article as an extension agent. So here’s my top ten perks of working in Extension.
10) It provided me with an opportunity for a job right out of college. Maybe all of you knew what you wanted to do after spending your time in college, but not me. I went back home and worked in the local grocery store where I’d worked during high school and college summers. I quickly realized I didn’t want to live at home anymore and looking back maybe that’s probably why Mom encouraged me to apply for Extension…she wanted me out of the house.
9) This job in Lincoln County was a link to the Jetmore Presbyterian church. My Dad immediately remembered Hugh Berry who was a minister both in Lincoln as well at Jetmore. James Rhaesa was our pastor at Jetmore after he left the Lincoln church and helped us to build the new building there. Another church connection was Parker Smith who had preached at Jetmore while he was a student at Sterling College and then was pastor in Lincoln before I arrived. Good group of people to get to know when I first came to Lincoln County.
8) I went to work with a wonderful board…many of them 4-H parents, agricultural folk and EHU/ FCE people. I remember Bill Clark, Lois Rosebrook, Vern Lohmann and Keith Oetting, just to name a few.
7) Great mentor and coworker
What a blessing to start my career with Lillian Heinze-Reinert. I’m sure she wondered many times where KSU have located me. After all I didn’t graduate from there and there was lots that I learned on the job, mostly from her. At her funeral, her daughter Pat said Lillian had enjoyed me as her prodigy. But I laughed and said I was probably more her ‘project.’
6) Current co-workers, while I have great coworkers across the district, I’ll just expand upon Aliesa and Marci. Aliesa was one of my 4-Hers and I like to tease her about the quilted jumper her mother made for her to wear in her early 4-H Clothing Buymanship project. We also laugh at camp pictures of both of us…wonderful curly perms. I can’t forget Hannah’s comment upon first meeting Aliesa, “Wow Mom you could be her mother.” From the mouths of babes.
And Marci, while I’ve only worked with her for nine years, she has been a joy. She’s been my technology teacher/assistant, school food prep helper and we’ve enjoyed lots of laughing during the various projects we have worked on together.
5) Early board supporting me to let me take Leave without Pay for my IFYE trip to Mauritius, look that one up on the map folks. Life altering experience to learn more about the world living with a family on this small island. Then traveling onto India to visit the village where Merrill was in the Peace Corp and to Katmandu to visit my co-traveler’s friend who was in PC there.
4) Denmark Community and Church…early on, when I started dating Merrill, Ariel utilized my less that average musical skills to substitute for her playing the organ at church. All I can say is those Lutherans were very patient with me…I mean Presbyterians just do hymns not all that liturgy. Esther Nelson and I always had a joke going when I would be covering for Ariel as I had to practice the hymns…and I would call her and say, “trick or treat” it’s me playing again.
3) My family… I’m pretty sure I’ve never been the farm wife that Merrill might have envisioned. I did grow up on a farm in SW Kansas and could drive a stick shift (and that’s about my qualifications) …but I’ve helped some, mainly as the “go for” and the community volunteer for our family. Many times Merrill has helped load and unload work items, either at home, the office or the fair. And my three children are the very best blessing I’ve had by coming to Lincoln County…can’t say enough about how proud I am of all three of them…and I’ll spare you the details about my three grandchildren except, it’s great for them to visit and great to have someone else be responsible!!
2) Life Long Learning. The absolute best part of working for the Kansas Extension Service has been all the professional events and workshops that I’ve been able to participate in over the years. I especially appreciated the opportunity to complete a Masters in Adult Education from KSU in 1999. I have had so many mentors from across the state that have provided educational programs to help me do a better job as a FCS agent. And again I would be remiss in not giving a big shout out to my current coworkers in the district as well as the office professionals. Office professionals are my heroes, making sure all of the agents look good with all the events and workshops that we do. A word of advice for everyone working, get along with the office professionals and the janitors and you’ll always have folks in your corner.
1) Volunteers across the county and the district. No matter how important the Extension university administration thinks they are, I have lived to tell you Extension is nothing without the volunteers that helped me over the years, like the open class gals still working at the fair. Or the great 4-H volunteers who helped host IFYEs when they came to Lincoln County or when Kay Good and I were decorating for the 4-H Fashion Revue (that used to be on the fairgrounds) and the wind was blowing ninety mph. Or the time we all had to move the fashion show into the 4-H building one year because it was raining. Or the time Vicki Lebien and I did Native American fry bread at the LES special day. Or when Jeanne Crangle and I cooked aebleskivers at the LES in the gym with not the best electrical situation.
More recently, like within the last ten years, the local Master Gardener volunteers, office staff and courthouse folks, helped Elsie and I “chisel” in the Courthouse Landscape (we should have added composted soil). And all who have helped with the yearly clean up over the years such as the third graders (and teachers) and Jr. High and High School students and staff that also help us out. Thanks for helping making the courthouse landscape project look nice. (By the way, community folks, we could use helpers and/or funding for plants when we need to replace rose bushes, etc.)
There were and still are several women that I considered my Lincoln County “moms” who would listen to me whine or commiserate about life…I remember with great fondness, Lucille Scott, Jeanne Spear as well as Gloria Cheney and many others who shared laughs and conversations.
Thanks to all for the wonderful opportunity of working for you here in Lincoln County.
