Kissiars named Texas County Farm Family at Extension meeting
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Kyle Wake, MU Extension 4-H Youth Development Specialist, presents Patsy and Wesley Kissiar with an award for Leadership and Service.
The University of Missouri Extension Council of Texas County held their annual meeting Thursday, March 27, at the Lone Star Annex Community Room in Houston. During the meeting, Mr. and Mrs. Wesley and Patsy Kissiar, of Licking, were presented the Texas County Farm Family of the Year award.
Wesley and Patsy Kissiar owned and operated Kissiar Equipment Company, a John Deere implement dealership, in or near Licking from 1965-1995. The Kissiars have also been active in their community throughout the years, and have built a legacy of hard work, perseverance and service. Their daughter, Janet Kissiar Crow, described them as embodying the values of resilience, sacrifice and an unwavering commitment to something greater than oneself, dedicating their lives to agriculture and their community.
“For Wesley, there was no place he would rather be than in the seat of a tractor, surrounded by the fields he worked so hard to cultivate. That was his happy place – out in the open air, tending to the land that meant so much to him. But wherever Wesley was, Patsy was never far behind, working from daylight to dusk. Whether it was helping on the farm, running the equipment business, or raising their three daughters, she did it all with strength, dedication, and a love for her family that never wavered,” Crow wrote.
They accepted their award in the presence of their three daughters and sons-in-law: Trish and Paul Knight, Janet and Blake Crow, and Jean and Jeffrey Potts.
In other actions at the meeting, newly elected council members Shawn Brown, David Keeney and Ross Richardson were sworn in by Texas County Commissioner John Casey. Other new members not present were Susan Haller, Kristie Miller and Racheal Pursifull. These six council members will serve along with Jeff Gettys, Robert Rouse, John Casey, Dee Ann DeCote and Dr. Justin Copley.
Guest speaker at the meeting was Ben Steelman, a Houston High School senior, who shared his experiences and involvement with Texas County 4-H Shooting Sports. Steelman is FFA Chapter President at Houston High School and Area 13 Vice President.
