A Madison couple was honored at the Greenwood County Farm Bureau Annual Meeting on Saturday, Sept. 26.
Larry and Mary Fankhauser were introduced as this year’s Greenwood County Farm Bureau Family of the Year recipients.
Robert Kurtz, Farm Bureau Board Member, and the Fankhauser’s sonin- law read the following tribute to the Fankhausers.
“Larry’s love for farming began at a young age. In fact, he started farming alongside his parents practically as soon as he could walk and talk. Farming was not just something he learned, it became a way of life and a passion that would stay with him throughout his life.
In 1968, Larry and Mary were wed, and together they began building a farm of their own; eventually living in the house that they called home for over 50 years. Their farm that has been in the family since 1906 and is designated as a Farm Bureau Century Farm. While establishing their own operation, they continued to help Larry’s parents with their farming operation. From the very beginning, Larry and Mary worked side by side, building a life and a farm through hard work, dedication, and perseverance.
Larry and Mary were blessed with two children, Terry and Shari. They made sure their children grew up understanding the values that meant so much to them. They taught them the importance of hard work, responsibility, helping others, appreciating what you have, and taking pride in a job well done. Those lessons were not just taught with words—they were lived out every day on the farm.
Today, Larry and Mary continue that tradition. They raise cattle and produce the hay and forage needed to care for their herd. Through the years, they have experienced the long days, early mornings, changing seasons, and many challenges that come with farming, but they have remained committed to their cattle, their land, their family, and the farming way of life.
Their story is more than a story about a farm. It is a story about family, faith, hard work, commitment, and perseverance. It is about a young boy who learned to farm alongside his parents, a husband and wife who built a farm together, and parents who passed those same values on to their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.” In other business at the annual meeting, guest speaker Ryan Engle spoke. Engle is a commercial beef lender at Frontier Farm Credit. Board Members Abbey Wiggins and Kara Nutsch stepped down, and the board is currently looking to fill the positions.
The meeting was held at The Sauder Center in Madison and catered by TNT Catering out of Eureka.
(Courtesy photo)
