Missouri Neighbors

When Darrel and Anita Franson started Shiloh Land and Cattle Company in Lawrence County nearly 19 years ago, their commercial herd consisted of 50 mismatched cows.

The Ozark hills are rich with hidden treasures and Marge Booton of rural Laclede County is surely one of them. Originally from Sylmar, Calif., 15 years ago, she and her husband, Harley, a retired Air Force major and Lockheed engineer, moved to a ranch tucked in behind Bennett Spring outside Lebanon, Mo. Today, they operate the Booton Ranch and offer quarter horse stud services, riding lessons, both English and Western riding and boarding. “We have about 25 acres here,” Harley Booton explained, “but we have access to another 1,500 for riding so that is a great help to us.”

For 22 years, David and Cherri Middleton ran a pretty traditional registered black Angus operation on their Lawrence County farm near Mt. Vernon, Mo.

In Christian County, near Oldfield, Mo., David and Connie Krider are raising a different breed of cattle. On their 220-acre farm, they are crossing South Poll and Tuli cattle. David said, “There are so few Tuli cattle in the United States. This is the only South Poll/Tuli cross that I’m aware of.”

Married 39 years, Stanley and Connie Bryan have lived on their 96-acre farm in Webster County near Seymour, Mo., for 37 years. They named it Post Oak Flats Farm. Stanley and Connie raise Scottish Highland cattle.

For Ed and Stephen Darnell country and farm life is all they’ve really known from growing up in Willow Springs, Mo. “Mom and dad bought this farm in 1972,” explained Ed. “So this farm is where I grew up and what I know best.”

Roger Kathka started life in northwest Kansas. “I think I’ve always had cows since I was about five years old,” he stated with a grin while feeding his 40 cow-calf pairs in rural southern Dallas County. His family moved to a farm outside Collins, Mo., when he was a teen and he finished school at Weaubleau. He went on to earn a degree in industrial technology at what was then Southwest Missouri State, now Missouri State University. Today, he resides just north of Springfield, Mo., with his wife, Karen. Both are retired teachers from the Fair Grove school system where Roger taught industrial arts and Karen was an art teacher.

Starting over now, from where he was 17 years ago would probably not work for Rick Scott of Purdy, Mo. He said with expenses being double or triple what they were then, it just wouldn’t work. The freedom he has as his own boss makes him glad that he did start then. Rick bought an old dairy farm and started with 20 head of beef cows. Today, he has 200 Brangus and crossbred cows.

Natural treasures are abundant in the Ozarks. Some of its most fascinating treasures are the people. One of those delightful gems is 96-year-old Howard Raysho Hawkins. Known as “Raysho” to family and friends, he lives on a farm near Lebanon, Mo., in Laclede County.

Chris Sinning and wife, Amber, live on an 80-acre farm in Wright County near Norwood, Mo., with their three daughters; Holly, Emily and Addyson.