Arkansas Neighbors

An old Chinese proverb admonishes that a gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a person perfected without trials. Ramona Grigg Rathjen of Huntsville, Ark., is a walking, horseback riding and sometimes cane using testament to those words. Diagnosed three years ago with Multiple Sclerosis, Ramona's attitude shines through in even the simplest communication. "Every e-mail she sends has a tag line that says “MS doesn't define who I am.” Her quick wit and sense of humor are still intact, as she jokes about a shirt she'd love to have that says, “I'm not drunk, I just have MS.” Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic, often disabling disease that effects the central nervous system. Symptoms may be mild, such as numbness in the limbs, or severe, such as paralysis or loss of vision. The progress, severity and symptoms of MS are unpredictable and vary from one person to another.

Woody Crest Farm was founded in 1985 when Cy and Linda Elmburg initially purchased a 130-acre farm near Grand Lake, close to Grove, Okla. Attracted to the registered Angus breed, a small herd of Angus was purchased with the intent to develop a local and regional market to support the ongoing changes in the cattle industry.

George Anderson had a varied career in the poultry industry. Coming out of college he worked as a field man for Tyson's for a couple of years, and then four years for George's. However, he soon found that being his own boss was more to his liking. “I don't play well with others, I don't think. It took me a long time to figure out if my boss did something stupid, he didn't want me to tell him,” joked George. So, for the past 15 years he's been a grower for George's at his Dogwood Farm in Lowell, Ark., and his second location in Clifty, Ark.

Husband and wife team Tom Huls and Dr. Diane Balich, DVM, don't ever stay still for long, but that's just the way they like it. The couple owns the 350-acre Sugar Springs Angus Ranch in Lincoln, Ark.  In 1983,  the pair moved to Arkansas from Yankton, S.D. They decided on Lincoln when Diane saw an advertisement for a job opening with a new vet clinic in Lincoln. “They were looking for a veterinarian with an interest in dairy, and I have my master's degree in dairy science, so I came down and he offered me the job. I wasn't really sure I wanted to leave yet, but he kept calling me and calling me and talked me into it," shared Diane.

Billy Joe and Courtney Wilkins live on a 250-acre ranch in Lutherville, Ark. They have worked this ranch, its  six chicken houses, 80 or so cows and four or five bulls, for three years. The Wilkins have two little girls, Josie, who's 3 years old, and Abby their 4-month-old baby. Courtney works second shift, twelve hours a shift at Tyson’s. Also she’s in the process of getting her master's degree. Billy Joe calls her super mom, which she denies quietly, with a smile. Billy Joe works the farm full time now.

Jason Robinson of J&H Farms thinks he was surely born around 100 years too late. He could definitely live without all of today’s modern conveniences. In his opinion, life is better seen from the back of a horse.

Travis Chism and his wife Christy are living the American dream. Well, that is if that dream carries with it the care and raising of Butterball turkeys and a herd of cattle.

"Girl, set me up on my horse, come on, and get the dogs,” Those are the words of Beth Ferguson's grandfather, even after he was diagnosed with cancer. “He rode up until just weeks before he passed away. I hope that I can enjoy things as much as he did. That was a good life.” Beth's life has revolved around horses since before she can remember. “My mom said when I was little she'd drive down the road and I'd just start screaming. She couldn't figure out what was wrong at first, but eventually she figured out it was horses. Every time I would see one, I'd just get excited and start screaming. I've always loved them, for as long as I can remember, and from what she says, even before I can remember.”

Hurricane Rita came blaring through in 2005 destroying the hospital in Orange, Texas where John Pickering was Maintenance Director. “I helped close it down. When the last helicopter took our last ICU patient, I left right behind them,” John said. “There were only three people that stayed to make sure all the patients got out. John was one of them. He saved a lot of lives. He is my hero,” Cheryl, John’s wife, said. Cheryl wanted to come home to Arkansas after the hurricane. John had to return to the hospital the following day to start rebuilding it. He stayed, working 12-hour days for the next six weeks, getting the hospital back up and running. After Rita, John and Cheryl officially moved to Arkansas for good. But they have been back several times since, most recently after Hurricane Ike, to help John's father.

In 1997, Holly and Matt Linck's daughters, Rachel and Shelby, were attending school at Southside, Bee Branch, Ark., and were involved in 4-H. They had pastureland that was mostly browse at their 40-acre farm on Harmony Mountain Road near Choctaw, Ark., and the girls wanted to get involved in showing livestock.