By james art Communities rely on a variety of organizations, business owners, and nonprofits to function and thrive. Since 2017, a special niche of luminaries has emerged and local leaders have come together to honor them, the great women of Fremont County.
On Friday, people from all walks of life gathered to honor these women at FEW’s seventh annual banquet.
“[These women] are brave. They have changed the world for themselves and for others. They have left a lasting mark on their families, their friends and their community. They changed the world for the better, right here in Fremont County,” said event emcee Debbie Bell. “They include wonderful wives, wonderful mothers, superb sisters, delightful daughters, great donors and virtuous volunteers.”
Dozens of nominations poured into the FEW board throughout the summer, and after careful review and deliberation, 15 outstanding ladies were selected for final consideration in five categories—each named affectionately after a Fremont County lady who left an indelible mark on her community—by a judging panel of The Mariposa Safety Center in Pueblo.
The top five honorees were Kassidee West, Janet Gunkel Rising Star Honoree; Nancy Jensen, Minnie Harding Overcoming Adversity Honoreeat; Delores Comstock, Ruth Carter Excellence in Character; Millie Wintz, Cara Fisher, Community Service Award Winner; and Tara Kane, recipient of the Norma Hatfield Professional Achievement Award.
West, a recent graduate of Florence High School, performed countless roles while in high school. Honor student, top athlete, leader, and Future Business Leaders of America participant were just some of the words that describe her high school career.
However, her heart truly belongs to the Future Farmers of America program. She has held many leadership positions during her six years of membership – each showing a deep love for agricultural education.
In August, West was one of many FFA and 4H members who had to say goodbye to their beloved livestock and poultry during the 100th Fremont County Fair and Rodeo Livestock Sale. Although many tears were shed that day as children waved goodbye to their beloved animals, West spent the day building a unique bond with a local boy born with physical disabilities and one of the goats she had raised.
“This particular goat was Cassidy’s favorite and it was up for auction… But Cassidy made up her mind on the spot – instead of selling her goat, she asked the boy’s family if she could give it to him to keep as a pet,” Bell he said as he introduced West to the assembled crowd.
As she moves on to the next phase of her life, West has a special appreciation for those who have pushed her to where she is today.
“My parents blessed me by making sure I had every opportunity in life and allowing me to seek opportunity and try,” West said.
The other top winners of the Janet Gunkel Rising Star Award were Maya Guzman-Narvaez, Savannah Lynch and Jade Thompson.
For Jensen, recovery isn’t just a word, it’s a way of life.
“Recovery is about gaining control of the direction you want your life to go, not the direction your mental illness wants you to go,” she said of her own journey. “You can have life because you can control your life.”
With a history of many different forms of abuse, Jensen eventually ended up in residence at the Kaufman House in Kansas, where illegal and heartbreaking abuse took place over several decades.
Jensen was the first to report the Kaufmans and their abuse of countless clients, and although it took years, he eventually got justice when the center was closed and the Kaufmans locked up for the rest of their lives.
Since 2005, she has served as executive director of Caring Place, Inc., as a board member of the Kansas Consumer Advisory Council on Adult Mental Health, advocating for laws to prevent future abuse and neglect in future mental health scenarios and has worked at the Self Help Network and Center for Community Support and Research at Wichita State University.
She was also a Certified Peer Specialist and Peer Educator from 2008-2013 and was awarded the 2006 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Voice Award and the Center for Learning and Counseling’s Advocacy Award support in 2014 for her incredible work to improve the field of mental health.
“It’s such an honor coming from my hometown,” Jensen said. “I want to give a message to all of us to listen to those who come to you and say something is going on – please check it out.”
The other highest recipient of the Minnie Harding Award for Overcoming Adversity was Olga Brown.
At 81, Comstock is far from done making her mark on Fremont County.
In addition to working as a paraprofessional in Fremont County for nearly 30 years, teaching in after-school clubs and working in children’s ministries, Comstock has spent more than 60 years as a staple of local volunteerism. She has volunteered in 4H, youth development programs, the Fremont County Fair Board – several of which she has served in leadership roles – and continues to defy the times.
Countless generations of Fremont County students, 4Hers and fairgoers have been impacted by Comstock’s selfless work—something that comes from the bottom of her heart.
“I’d like to thank all the people who have helped me along the way,” Comstock simply said.
The other recipients of the Ruth Carter Award for Achievement in Character were Kelly Cosper and Trudy Gagas.
Another oldie but a goodie, Wintz, is well into her 90s, but continues to defy the adage of old age with her work in numerous conservation efforts in Fremont County.
She is involved in nearly every preservation effort in Fremont County and draws on both her ceiling-breaking experience in the architectural world and her love of historic buildings to remember Fremont County’s faded but priceless past.
Wintz was instrumental in opening the Florence Archives in 2012 and can be found volunteering at the Bell Tower and at the Pioneer Park Farmers’ Market in the summer.
She has also won the prestigious Doc Little Memorial Award and Florence’s Outstanding Citizen of the Year Award.
“This award is long overdue,” Wintz said. “Because if there was no community, there would be no community service. Thank you for giving me this opportunity.”
The other top recipients of the Kara Fisher Award for Community Service were Mary Kay Evans and Susan Fruscher.
Kane concluded the evening with her outstanding work as Executive Director and Victim Advocate at Family Crisis Services, where she works to empower survivors and transform her community.
Since 2002, Kane has advocated for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in Fremont County. One of her biggest impacts is the Courtroom Advocacy Program, which fills courtrooms with supportive attorneys, family members and friends – all to support the victim in the legal process.
She also co-founded the Kindred Kids Child Advocacy Center and has expanded Family Crisis Services to all in Fremont County.
Kane was unable to attend, but her award was accepted by her son, Christian Kane.
The other recipients of the Norma Hatfield Award for Professional Achievement were Peggy Gair and Kathleen Kennedy.
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