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December 15, 2000
Blazing Farm Bureau Trails
For the ninth consecutive year, it is an honor for the state’s
largest farm organization to present another class of Texas Farm Bureau Pioneers.
Farm Bureau has always been about “building.” For more than six
decades, we have been building an organization that serves Texas agriculture
and farm and ranch families. This year’s “Pioneers,” and the
previous eight classes, are among the most important “builders”
of Farm Bureau. We owe them a great debt.
A Farm Bureau Pioneer has been named for each of TFB’s 13 districts and
one for the Texas Farm Bureau staff.
District
1—Elmo Dahl, Hansford County
Elmo Dahl has meant a great deal to the Hansford County Farm Bureau and its
membership. He has been a continuous member since 1953 and has turned in an
impressive record of near perfect attendance at the many events and activities
Hansford County Farm Bureau has held or sponsored over that half century of
Farm Bureau membership.
Mr. Dahl has served in every office of the county Farm Bureau, except secretary,
and on nearly every committee—including the state Resolutions Committee.
He has been a delegate to the TFB convention 23 times.
His county Farm Bureau board said this when they nominated Mr. Dahl: “For
45 years, Elmo Dahl and his family have been active participants in the way
of life most valued by Texas Farm Bureau—ensuring its continued importance
as a voice for the agriculturalist in North Texas.”
District
2—Delwin Jones, Lubbock County
Delwin Jones has been a Farm Bureau member since 1946. In more than 54 years
of service to his Farm Bureau and his community, Mr. Jones has made a difference
in countless ways for this organization.
He has served in numerous offices, including president, and was a tireless
worker in 18 successful membership drives during years of rapid growth. The
Lubbock County Farm Bureau board said in nominating him that Mr. Jones has
served on more county Farm Bureau committees than anyone can remember.
His years of service in the Texas Legislature have been of great value to
Texas agriculture and Farm Bureau members. At this year’s Farm Bureau
Leadership Conference in Austin, Mr. Jones said that farmers and ranchers
should belong to Farm Bureau. He also said Farm Bureau needs to meet often,
discuss the issues and work hard in the legislative process.
As chairman of the House Redistricting Committee, Mr. Jones continues to perform
outstanding service for all Texans, and is a true friend of agriculture in
Austin.
District
3—Ray Fenoglio, Montague County
Ray Fenoglio was there when the Montague County Farm Bureau was born in 1948—and
he became the organization’s first vice president. He has found time
to serve a total of more than 30 years as a director during a farming and
ranching career that now spans 65 years.
Today, at age 80, Mr. Fenoglio is still an active board member—active
in promoting and working for Farm Bureau. He has personally recruited more
than 150 members and his work on many membership drives has been described
as “tireless.” He has served as chairman of the Peanut Commodity
Committee and as a member of the Livestock Committee. Mr. Fenoglio has also
served as chairman of both the Tax Watchdog Committee and of the Nominating
Committee. He helped organize the Bowie State Bank and served as its chairman
of the board.
Mr. Fenoglio’s philosophy of agriculture is simple, but profound: “God
made the soil, and we must be caretakers of this soil for future generations.”
District
4—Homer “Cleo” Phillips, Parker County
The board of the Parker County Farm Bureau describes the role of Homer
“Cleo” Phillips as “fundamental” to the success of the
organization. The county Farm Bureau began in September of 1953 and Mr. Phillips
was there. He has “been there” for Parker County ever since.
He helped draw up the by-laws and was secretary-treasurer before an office was built. He stored the organizational records in a box under his bed and sent out membership notices, collected dues and did the banking for the Farm Bureau. He served as a delegate to the TFB convention 40 times and has made "99 percent of county board meetings." No wonder that Mr. Phillips' board of directors called him "Mr. Parker County Farm Bureau" when they nominated him for this much deserved award.
He has served as chairman of many Farm Bureau committees and embodies the spirit of this organization.
District
5—Thomas Peters, Delta County
Thomas Peters has been a member of the Delta County Farm Bureau since 1959.
He has also served on the board of directors for more than 17 years. During
that time, Mr. Peters has served Delta County Farm Bureau as president, vice-president
and secretary-treasurer.
He has been on the Texas Farm Bureau Resolutions Committee several times and has devoted his time to the legislative, membership, livestock, policy development and county Farm Bureau Executive Committee.
According to the Delta County Farm Bureau board, Mr. Peters has spent "countless hours" working to implement Farm Bureau policy at the local, state and national levels. He has worked with state legislators and members of Congress, proudly advocating Farm Bureau policy.
He has been a voting delegate many times and has attended several American Farm Bureau conventions.
District
6—Finis Harmon, Coke-Sterling County
The late Finis Harmon of Coke-Sterling County Farm Bureau was heir to the
tradition of a farm and ranch family, and he carried on that tradition with
pride and success.
Mr. Harmon was one of the first ranchers in the area to become a member of the Coke-Sterling County Farm Bureau when it was organized in 1945. He was elected to the board and served as both president and vice president during the seventies. He attended the American Farm Bureau convention in 1985. He served his county Farm Bureau at many Texas Farm Bureau conventions.
Mr. Harmon remained on the county Farm Bureau board until he chose to retire in 1992. The board, grateful for his years of service, named him an "honorary director" in recognition of his many years of devoted service to Farm Bureau members.
He was a county commissioner for several years and a member of the board for the Coke County Rural Water Association.
District
7—Andy Wells, Mills County
Andy Wells first became a member of Farm Bureau in 1953 in Coke County. In
1968, he moved his membership to Mills County Farm Bureau and began years
of active service.
Now 79, Mr. Wells served as county Farm Bureau president for seven years and twice as vice president. He has been chairman of the Economic Services Committee three times and he chaired the National Affairs Committee from 1985 to 1988. He has represented Texas Farm Bureau at meetings in Washington. In 1996, he served on the state Resolutions Committee. Mr. Wells has also served on the Sheep and Goat Advisory Committee. He is still active in Farm Bureau, attending most state meetings involving Texas Farm Bureau. He has served on the County Veterans Land Board since 1991 and he devoted 21 years to the Priddy Independent School District Board. He also served on the Mills County Tax Appraisal Board.
District
8—George Fillip, Falls County
George Fillip has been one of the "cornerstones" of the Falls
County Farm Bureau. He says he began to "taper off" on his extensive
cattle ranching operation 14 years ago, and has used the time to assume
leadership roles in many agricultural groups.
Now 83, Mr. Fillip has devoted 42 years to Falls County Farm Bureau and continues today in his role as secretary-treasurer. He also served 24 years with the Waco Production Credit Association and 29 years as president of the Tri-County Water Supply. He has been chairman of the county ASCS Committee. At one time, Mr. Fillip had more than a thousand acres involved in cattle production. He now ranches 274 acres and leases out more than a thousand acres. He still runs the ranch, with assistance from a grandson. He runs 500 to 600 stocker yearlings annually and maintains a herd of more than 100 mother cows.
District
9—Conway Abney, Jefferson County
The late Conway Abney was such a believer in Farm Bureau that he recruited
everyone he could to become a member and share the experience. He was described
as a "staunch" supporter of Farm Bureau.
Mr. Abney served on the Jefferson County Farm Bureau board of directors, beginning in 1975, holding all offices, including president. He served on the Rice, Soybean and Beef Commodity Committees and was state chairman of the TFB Soybean Advisory Committee. He also held a term as a member of the American Farm Bureau's Soybean Advisory Committee.
He also helped organize a county junior livestock show. He served with the South Texas State Fair Livestock Show as chairman, committeeman and barn superintendent. He was announcer for the youth livestock show for several years and was named the Texas Rice Festival Pioneer Farmer of the year in 1992. He was president of the Tri-County Little League, the local 4-H and the FFA Advisory Committee.
District
10—Kenneth Culpepper, Atascosa County
For many of us who knew the late Kenneth Culpepper, it was tragic to lose
him on the way home from the 1998 Farm Bureau convention in Lubbock. That
tragedy was, however, a monument to his work in Farm Bureau. He died returning
from what he considered his duty to his fellow farmers and ranchers.
The late Kenneth Culpepper joined the Atascosa County Farm Bureau in 1974 and served on the board of directors until his death. He attended every county convention during his 24 years as a director and he missed very few state conventions. As National Affairs chairman, he visited Washington, D.C. several times, working to implement Farm Bureau policy. Mr. Culpepper was a director of the Atascosa County Soil and Water Conservation District and a director of the Atascosa County Cattleman's Association. He was an active volunteer leader in 4-H and a director in the junior livestock show.
In nominating Mr. Culpepper for the Pioneer Award, the Atascosa County Farm Bureau board recalled the old saying, "When you find a good horse, you ride him!" He was a fine "horse" and an outstanding leader.
District
11—Waldo Luedeker, Austin County
Waldo Luedeker has been a member of the Austin County Farm Bureau since the
1950s, and he has been instrumental in building the organization into the
economic and political force that it is today.
Mr. Luedeker served on the board for 37 years, from 1958 until 1995. Pecans were of special interest to him and he worked on marketing, production and legislative issues that dealt with that commodity. He served on the Fruit and Nut Advisory Committee at both the county and state levels.
He has been an active participant during membership drives and other Farm Bureau activities. Mr. Luedeker also helped contact legislators and others to implement Farm Bureau policy. He attended many state conventions as a voting delegate and several state conferences. He served 14 years as a scoutmaster in the Boy Scouts organization.
He lists "improving the land" owned by he and his wife as a personal priority.
District
12—Roger Wehman, Karnes County
Roger Wehman has been a dedicated member of the Karnes County Farm Bureau
since 1954. During those 46 years of service, Mr. Wehman has left an indelible
mark on his county Farm Bureau.
He has served the last eight years as president and has also been National Affairs chairman and Beef Commodity chairman. He served three times each on the State Affairs and Public Relations Committees and has attended all TFB Leadership Conferences since 1988. He has served on the State Resolutions Committee and has been a voting delegate at the TFB convention for the last 12 years. He has been involved in many local membership drives.
Active politically, he worked for the election of Governor Bush and Rick Perry as agriculture commissioner. He was instrumental in the establishment of Farm Bureau's "Agriculture in the Classroom" program in all four schools in Karnes County. He also helped establish a scholarship given to a Karnes County high school senior from a Farm Bureau family.
He is a regular volunteer when called on to work in the Farm Bureau display at the San Antonio livestock show.
District
13—Roger H. Williams, Starr County
Roger H. Williams joined the Starr County Farm Bureau in 1963 and went to
work right away to make sure his county Farm Bureau served farmers and ranchers.
In 37 years as a Farm Bureau leader, he has served as a board member for 31
years and president of the organization for six years. He is the current chairman
of the Vegetable Advisory Committee and has served at various times on many
others. Mr. Williams has been instrumental to the growth of Starr County Farm
Bureau. He was there at the start, when the county Farm Bureau was organized
in 1963, and he has played a key role in the growth from a few hundred members
to more than 3,500 today. He was important to the effort to build a new office.
Mr. Williams is described by the Starr County Farm Bureau board as a "consistent leader who constantly promoted the cause of agriculture."
He served as president of the Rio Grande Valley Dairy Herd Improvement Association and as president of the Starr County Food Pantry.
Staff
Pioneer —Roy Custer
We lost Roy Custer this year, but not before he knew that Texas Farm Bureau
had honored him with the Staff Pioneer Award. His courageous battle against
illness said much about the man we knew and admired.
Roy Custer came to us following military service in World War II and Korea and from a career in livestock publishing and later, farm radio. Before becoming a field representative for Texas Farm Bureau in 1957, he was a valued reporter on Farm Bureau Roundup, the TFB radio show.
He represented the High Plains of Texas with enthusiasm, devotion and a great deal of skill. He had a way of inspiring people to do their best, a knack that may have been due to his legendary sense of humor. He had a way with people and a love for everything that had to do with farmers, ranchers, agriculture and Farm Bureau.
Roy Custer set the bar high for the staff that followed him. He and others like him led by example. He lives on today in the work of your Texas Farm Bureau staff.
