The Community Service award winners are Lynette and Les McNally. Pictured from the left are Luke Grubbs, Lynette, Les and Ron Honig. Congratulations Les and Lynette!!!
The Stevens County Conservation District Board celebrated their 75 years of Conservation service with their annual meeting Saturday, February 1. Introductions were made by Luke Grubbs and Invocation was given by Loren Seaman.
Citizens State Bank sponsored the delicious meal prepared by Hunny’s. Hugoton FFA members helped with the serving of the refreshments. The Hugoton High School Show Choir entertained during the meal. Guest Speaker was Ron Wilson Cowboy Poet.
Loren Seaman introduced the Windbreak, Grassland and Soil Conservation winners for 2024. The awards were presented to the winners by Grubbs and James Murray. Brian and Aymee Harper were the Windbreak winners. The Grassland winner was McClure Farms Partnership (Joel and Karen McClure) and Mid America Cattle (Walter, Estella, Don and Walle Beesley) won the Soil Conservation award.
The conservation poster winners were introduced and given their awards by Nick Martin and Tom Lahey. Door prizes were handed out by Martin and Lahey.
Les and Lynette McNally were chosen this year to receive the Community Service Award.
Les and Lynette have been involved in their communities all of their lives. As with many married couples, one may have been on the board or in the leadership role, but they both “served and supported”.
Les and Lynette both grew up in Hardtner which is south of Medicine Lodge. They both received degrees from Kansas State University. Les received his BS in Agriculture Education in 1979 and Lynette received a BS in Animal Science in 1977 and a MS in Animal Nutrition in 1979.
Les was an Agriculture Education Teacher for Garden City High School from 1979 to 1982. He was a farmer and rancher and had a custom hay business in Barber County from 1982 to 2007. He then became the Ag teacher for Hugoton High School and Middle School from 2007 to 2024.
Lynette was a farm and ranch wife and homemaker from 1979 to 2007. She became a substitute teacher for South Barber School District. She was the secretary for the United Methodist Church from 1994 to 2007 and an office manager for Farm Bureau Insurance until 2007. She became a substitute teacher for Hugoton, Moscow, Elkhart, Rolla and Satanta Schools from 2007 to 2024.
In the Hugoton Community via the FFA Les has been involved in several projects. Projects included annually from 2007 to 2023 Fair Fun Night at the Stevens County Fair; 2009 to 2024 provided portable bleachers on a trailer to view corn and wheat crop test plots; 2014 to 2024 Project Hope Food Bank ($750 average from profit sharing); 2023 and 2024 High Plains Movie Theatre – FFA Chapter sponsored an Ag themed movie during FFA Week and the buyout of $1500 each year (all attendees got in free, 378 people); and 2024 $13,500 relief for Texas wildfires sent to canadian FFA Chapter, and Boys Ranch FFA Chapter.
Lynette has been busy in 4-H. She served as Stateline 4-H Club Leader 1987-2007, activities included picking up trash after the Hardtner 4th of July, Fair clean-up days, bake sales and 4-H week activities. Les has been the goat superintendent and on the Fair Board for the Stevens County Fair for the last 18 years.
Les was honored as a finalist in the Gold Owl Award in 2024. Both have been honored with Honorary Chapter FFA awards and Friends of 4-H awards in previous years.
Les and Lynette have three children, daughter Colleen and Allen Trater of Glen Carbon, Il.; two sons, Caleb and Janae McNally of Quenemo and their children Braelyn, Grady, Gentry and Paden and son Lucas and Toni McNally of Hesston and their children Sophia and Titus.
