140 years, 140 stories - celebrating 140 years of the kansas dental association 1871-2011

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FIRST EDITION

140 Years, 140 Stories

Celebrating 140 Years of the Kansas Dental Association 1871-2011

© 2013 Kansas Dental Association

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic means.

Published by Kansas Dental Association—5200 SW Huntoon, Topeka, KS

Printed by Jostens Commercial Printing



Publisher Sponsors

Editor Sponsor

Northwest Golden Belt Dental Society

Copywriter Sponsors

Ronald J. Finley, DDS Adam Lukens, DDS

Charles Squire, DDS

Kevin Cassidy, DDS



Forward

140 Years, 140 Stories incorporates different Kansas Dental Association member dentists and their stories. This book

features 140 photographs and stories about Kansas dentists and their unique hobbies, locations, practices and lifestories.

Every person who reads these stories will likely learn something new and perhaps friendships will develop based

on similar interests discovered in this book. It is our hope that this project encourages engagement, conversation

and a new connection with others in the profession.

We traveled the state, photographing KDA members at their offices, their homes and diverse geographic andhistoric locations in Kansas, each posing with their "number" that corresponds to the page in the book. For some

dentists, we focused on the unique sense of place in which they practice and live, as a way to celebrate Kansas.

We attempted to provide a snapshot of KDA member dentists as they exist in 2011. Today, the profession is more

diverse than ever before with a growing percentage of female dentists. We also tried to fairly represent the

membership of the KDA’s ten geographic component district societies and feature the vast differences in age of

our youngest dentists with those who have long since retired.

We hope we will add a new dimension to your knowledge of both Kansas and the dentists of our state throughthe stories and photographs we proudly bring you in this book.



Tim Herre 1

Exhibiting the past, present and future of the

Kansas Dental Association, Dr. Tim Herre of Leawood, a third-generation dentist, has

been surrounded by organized dentistry his

entire life. Tim is a University of Missouri -

Kansas City (UMKC) School of Dentistry

graduate, his father Craig is serving the 2012

-2013 year as KDA president and his grand-

father William retired in 1993 after forty

years of dental practice. Even his uncle

Scott Herre is a dentist.

For Tim, one of his favorite things about go-

ing to work is that he gets to work with his

father and have him there as a mentor. As a

third-generation dentist, he continues to

treat patients who started with his grandfa-

ther a half -century ago.

“Even though I’m not the first dentist in my

family, it’s an honor to be the first dentist inthe book. There are so many amazing as-

pects and opportunities that dentistry pro-

vides us all, and family is one of them. I’ve

been blessed with a wonderful opportunity

and look forward to carrying on my family’s

legacy for years to come.”



Mary Brummett Dr. Mary Brummett has a deep connection with the Kansas State Fair in her hometown of Hutchinson. Her father,

Leroy Troyer, served as the Grandstand Building Manager and she is seated on a bench honoring his memory that

sits just outside his former office.

She and her family regularly attend the state fair and buy ice cream cones from The Dairy Bar across the hall and sit

on this bench. Mary is holding some of the many ribbons she received from the Kansas State Fair for cooking and

baking, including first place for the prestigious “First Lady Candy Box” award in 1989, judged on creativity of the

box and the variety and quality of the candies. She presented her winning candy box to First Lady, Patti Hayden.

2



In 2002 Dr. Gina Pinamonti, a Pittsburg orthodontist, gave birth to triplet girls, Isabella Paige, Sophia Marie and Zoe

Ellen. Here, the girls pose alongside their mother as they did in a 2005 phonebook cover when they wore Pittsburg

State University cheerleading uniforms. Gina’s husband Brian was a captain on the Pitt State 1991 Division II Na-

tional Championship football team. The Pinamontis are proud Gorilla fans.

Timmons Chapel, in the background, was built from limestone in country English style and is a place for sanctuary

and meditation on the campus of Pittsburg State University.

Gina Pinamonti

3



Matt Krische Not far from the campus of the University of Kansas stands a Spanish Colonial home built in 1952. Since purchasing

the house a few short years ago, Dr. Matt Krische, a Lawrence dentist, has worked to complete an interior restoration

begun by the previous owners. We photographed him sitting on the staircase in the entrance hall of the house he

now shares with his wife he married in May, 2012. The staircase handrail is adorned with grapes, which might suggest a wine cellar. Sure enough, that project was al-

ready in the works when we met him for his photograph.

4



Dave Hamel

Eleven years before the Kansas Dental Association was founded, the Pony Express was born. One of the stops along

the Pony Express, which stretched from St. Joseph to Sacramento, was the trading post of Marysville, KS, home to

Dr. Dave Hamel for the past thirty-one years. The ten-foot tall and fifteen-foot long statue depicting a Pony Ex-

press rider weighs over 3600 pounds and stands in a park in downtown Marysville, just a few blocks from his office.

Active in his community, Dave has served as President of his Rotary Club and actively supports the Marshall County

Arts Cooperative.

5



Rawley Philpott Dr. Rawley Philpott of Manhattan is proud of her family ’s dental legacy which stretches back to her great-

grandfather Dr. Raleigh Gibson. Photos of Raleigh hang over a dental cabinet he used in his practice in Fairbury, NE,

now on display in her and her father ’s dental practice. While in dental school, the 1913 graduate roomed with leg-

endary baseball manager Casey Stengel who had aspirations of becoming a dentist, rather than a baseball player.

Rawley grew up in Manhattan, attended the University of Nebraska and graduated from the University of Nebraska

Medical Center (UNMC) College of Dentistry.

6



Rich Darnall Dr. Rich Darnall completed parts of his dental training while stationed aboard the USS Samuel Gompers which

served the Pacific Fleet as a floating repair ship. The ship completed twenty-eight years of active service before it

was decommissioned in 1995. It was sunk in the Atlantic as part of a fleet training exercise in 2003. The dental de-

partment provided dental services while the ship was docked or as long as the seas were calm.

Rich walked across the street to the Kansas Statehouse in downtown Topeka for this photograph following a meet-

ing of the Kansas Dental Board where he has served six years.

7



Scott and Nicole Rogers Dr. Scott Rogers knew he wanted to go back to his hometown of Arkansas City after graduating from UMKC School

of Dentistry. Now he and his wife Dr. Nicole Rogers, who met while in dental school, practice together with his fa-

ther, Nick. Nicole, who grew up in St. Joseph, MO, has a passion for working with children. In the basement of their practice, their daughter Addison has her own nursery so she can be near her parents dur-

ing the day. At the time of this photo, Scott and Nicole are expecting their second child.

8



Jeff Stasch Dr. Jeff Stasch of Garden City is a "jack of all trades." If you are looking for him after hours or on weekends, you

might find him in his shop, working on a car or even restoring an old dump truck. The UNMC College of Dentistry

graduate worked for the railroad during dental school. Though raised in a very rural part of Nebraska and will drop

an occasional "oh shucks", his worldly knowledge might surprise those who don't know him. Do not be surprised if

suddenly the conversation jumps to the Three Tenors or a classical novel Jeff has read.

Jeff is known across the dental profession as one of the founders of the Kansas Mission of Mercy and the America ’s

Dentists Care Foundation.

9



Joanne Brown

Dr. Joanne Brown named her Sphynx cat Dickson after Dickson Street in Fayetteville, Arkansas where she lived be-

fore coming to Kansas. Now the Leoti dentist, who was recruited by the community of Leoti ten years ago, is

known as a rural pioneer and serves as a community model for dentist recruiting.

Living in Western Kansas also gives her the opportunity to travel to Colorado to snow ski. She will often take

along her office staff on her vacations, including skiing in Colorado and a recent trip to Alaska. Joanne is also cele-

brating the ten-year anniversary of her practice she began in 2002.

10



John McQuillen

Dr. John McQuillen of Wamego has played the guitar since he was a kid when he would sneak into his brother ’s

room and play his guitar while he was gone. Legg Perthes, a disease that destroys the ball of the hip joint, kept him

out of school during fourth and part of fifth grades. The school installed a two-way intercom system so he could

listen to the lessons at home. During recess, he’d play the guitar and sing for the kids who had missed recess.

We photographed John on the stage of the historic Columbian Theatre in Wamego, built in 1895, which houses ar-

tifacts from the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. John has played a number of gigs on this stage.

11



John Fales Dr. John Fales of Olathe brought Spencer into his pediatric dental practice in 2007 as a therapy dog. After training

through The Delta Society in the state of Washington, the six-year old Golden Retriever now joins John in his office

every day. He will greet patients as they pass by him and he’ll often walk around the office to “make sure everyone

is doing their job.” Spencer is certified to be in a clinical setting and will often sit by a patient who is anxious about

their appointment and will help calm their fears. Spencer even has his own website.

John sings in his church choir and enjoys playing drums and the guitar.

12



Julie Swift Dr. Julie Swift became hooked on piecing quilts from her mother, many years ago, a tradition carried on from her

grandmother. Julie has made close to eighty quilts in various sizes since 1996. We met up with Julie at the First Fri-

day Art Walk in Topeka, where she was photographed by her daughter ’s favorite quilt displayed in the show. Julie

has also exhibited her work at the juried Houston International Quilt Show.

Many of Julie’s quilts are unique because she uses the same printed fabric on the front as the back. She will use a

full, uncut piece fabric on the back, while for the front, she will cut and reorganize that same print into a new visual

experience.

13



Wendy Reynolds

Dr. Wendy Reynolds in the Wichita suburb of Park City is learning how to be a “Cheer Mom.” As a mother with

three daughters, Laureen, Aundrea and Lindsey, she keeps quite busy with their cheerleading activities. She also

dedicates a significant amount of time to her church.

Wendy currently serves on the Sedgwick County Extension Board and the UMKC School of Dentistry Alumni Board.

She enjoys shopping for old world furniture and is actively involved in 4-H with her two oldest daughters.

14



Stewart Crow

Like many communities, Independence has a town festival with floats and carnival rides, but few will match one of

the oldest and largest annual celebrations in Kansas. Neewollah (Halloween spelled backwards) began in 1919 and

is now a ten-day celebration in late October with three parades, a carnival, Queen Neelah Pageant, concerts and a

musical.

Dr. Stewart Crow was just one of about 75,000 people who lined up to watch the parade that passed by his office

on Pennsylvania Avenue, just a block behind him. His grandchildren walked down this street dressed in costumes

for the annual Kiddie Parade, shortly after this photo was taken.

15



On most Friday nights in the fall, Dr.

Ricky Smith will be perched in a pressbox over a high school football field,

calling games for the Burlington High

School Wildcats for 97.7 FM Radio.

Ricky, who practices dentistry in near-

by Gridley, has been calling games for

the Burlington Wildcats for four sea-

sons. When we photographed him, the

final touches were being placed on thestadium for the annual pre-season

scrimmage.

His wife Wendy, teaches not more

than a field-length away at the Bur-

lington Middle School. Still, some

twenty-five years after its construction,

the Burlington High School football

stadium is regarded as one of the best

in Kansas.

Ricky Smith 16



Jay Sekavec 17 Colonel Jay Sekavec served as the Com-

mand Dental Surgeon at the United States

Air Force Academy Hospital and the US Air

Force Academy in Colorado. The decorated

Colonel wrote the first field manual for base

dental surgeons. While retired from the

military, he still serves on the Board of Cor-

oners in Wyoming and teaches dental hy-

giene at Colby Community College. Colonel Sekavec was the first dental officer

recipient of the medal for excellence inmedical service management awarded by

the Office of the Command Surgeon, Pacific

Air Forces.



18

Greg Peppes Dr. Greg Peppes was elected to the City Council of Leawood in 1996, was reelected twice then stepped down while

his kids where in high school. The mayor recently appointed him to fill an unexpired term. Greg has now served

twelve years on the council. He says he became involved in city politics because he wanted to get involved in the

community and Leawood was a growing area he has helped mold into what it is today. Greg was photographed in the city council chambers for the City of Leawood near Town Center, just across the

street from his office.



19

Angela Wilson

One of the questions we’ve asked many of the dentists photographed is, “What is a place in your community that is

important to you?” For Dr. Angela Wilson that location is her church, the Community Bible Church in Lawrence,

where she and her family have attended for eleven years. For the past four years, Angela has served as co-leader of

the Women’s Bible Study and also teaches her son’s Sunday School class of 4th, 5th and 6th graders. She is also

active with a local Christian school, where she mentors high school girls to support them as they are making deci-

sions about their future and dealing with the stresses of life while in high school.

She and her husband, Paul, have been married for sixteen years and have two children.



Tom Fankhauser It's not uncommon for a dentist to take up a sport of one type or another, but polo is probably not one that comes

to mind to many when thinking of those sports. Dr. Tom Fankhauser of Wichita began playing polo after he and his

wife bought a few horses about twenty-five years ago.

While they didn’t buy the horses for polo initially, “One thing lead to another,” he says. Though he has since retired

from the game of polo, he still enjoys horses and horseback riding. "While a polo pony is not in every horse,” he

says, “they seem to enjoy playing the game and they get excited when they see the field.”

20



Nancy Addy Dr. Nancy Addy of Leawood loves to show off her garden. As a twelve year Johnson County Master Gardner, she

goes to great lengths to keep her gardens and stone walkways immaculate. Stonework carves tiers across her gar-

dens and each plant and tree is grown and cared for with great passion and energy. For the past eighteen years,

Nancy has been in charge of the gardens at the Unity Temple in Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza. We photo-

graphed Nancy along a stone walkway in her garden where she often practices yoga in the mornings. When not gardening or working at her dental practice, she enjoys bird watching and horseback riding.

21



22

Linda Lollar If, as a first time deer hunter, you shoot a twelve-point buck, you might quickly become addicted to hunting. That

is exactly what happened to Dr. Linda Lollar of Erie. She has now traveled and hunted extensively, most recently in

Africa on her twenty-fifth anniversary trip with her husband Don, where she shot a zebra near Grahamstown, South

Africa.

While big game certainly brings her enjoyment, she likes wild turkey hunting the most because of the male turkey ’s

rituals and the strutting they do in response to the calls. Many of her patients are hunters and she enjoys talking

with them about their own hunting experiences. She has plenty of her own stories to share.



DeDe Behrens The chance to step onto the pitch of her beloved soccer team was a treat for the long -time fan of Sporting Kansas

City, the only professional top-level sports team in Kansas. Dr. DeDe Behrens of Kansas City and her family have

been season ticket holders since Major League Soccer began play in 1996 when the team competed at Arrowhead

Stadium.

DeDe holds number twenty-three, the number of her favorite player, Kei Kamara. The team plays in Kansas City at

the state-of -the-art Sporting Park, recognized in 2012 as the best stadium in the world at the TheStadiumBusiness

Awards in Italy.

23



Jason Wells Economic development is important to Dr. Jason Wells of Salina who serves his community as a member of the Sa-

lina Chamber of Commerce. Part of that economic development is created by the aircraft industry which serves

Salina and North Central Kansas. With a satellite campus located at the Salina airport, Kansas State University at

Salina has programs in aviation and engineering technology.

As a pitcher for the Kansas State University Wildcats in the 1990’s, Jason earned his first career victory against the

No. 1 ranked Wichita State University Shockers.

24



Kelly Henrichs Dr. Kelly Henrichs personifies Dodge City. The design of the lobby in his dental office includes the teller stands and

a safe from an old Dodge City bank. A saddle used during John F. Kennedy's Inauguration Parade is also proudly

on display.

The Dodge City Rodeo, one of the biggest in the world, is an important part of Kelly's civic involvement where he

has served on the Board of Directors of the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo. Here he is posed with one of his horses at

his home, just a short drive from his office.

25



Kevin Cassidy Dr. Kevin Cassidy of Topeka is known among the dental profession for his knowledge and involvement in Kansas

politics. When he decided to build a new dental practice overlooking the Governor’s Mansion known as Cedar

Crest, at least a few dentists probably wondered if he chose that location just to keep a closer eye on things.

Kevin built his new practice shortly after his father Michael retired in 2007. They practiced together for eleven

years, from 1996 when Kevin graduated from orthodontic school at the University of Tennessee Health Science

Center College of Dentistry.

26



Sara Meng

Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disorder which has affected Dr. Sara Meng's family, including her brother and

cousin. Each year she participates in the Great Strides Walk for CF in Wichita, where she practices dentistry. Her

brother named the team the Phlegm Fighters (a take off of the music band The Foo Fighters) and it now includes

members of her extended family who have joined her cause.

Sara is a Kansas native and grew up in the country near Abilene where she will proudly claim with a wink that she is

a world champion goat milker. Sara is seen here with her team t-shirt worn in the 2012 walk.

27



For more than twenty years, Dr. Kirk Collier

of Shawnee Mission has been driving racecars. His love for racing was influenced by

his uncle who was a race car driver when

Kirk was in college.

Kirk races the Sports Car Club of America

(SCCA) circuit at tracks across the country,

including Heartland Park in Topeka. He

looks forward to racing on the Circuit of

America track in Austin, Texas in 2013 with

eighty-nine other cars.

While he enjoys the thrill of racing speeds

up to 130 mph, the friends and other race

car hobbyists he knows through the sport

are his greatest joy.

Kirk Collier 28



Eric Fayziev 29 When Dr. Eric Fayziev came to the United

States from Russia in 1997, he was just

nineteen years old and spoke very little

English. After completing a degree in ac-

counting and working for a few years in the

profession, he felt that something was miss-

ing and decided to become a dentist. “I always liked building things and working

with people. Practicing dentistry allows me

to see a plan for a patient and the joy of

completing that project,” says Fayziev. In 2004, Fayziev’s parents moved to the

United States and in 2005, he became a US

citizen. Eric now practices in the City of

Mulvane, 5439 miles from Moscow where

he was raised.



Pam McCullough Playing competitive tennis and teaching children the game are only part of Dr. Pam McCullough's passion for the

sport. She has traveled the world to many of the great tennis tournaments and competitions and enjoys combining

her love for travel with her family and the sport of tennis. When she visits Wimbledon, she will have completed the

Grand Slam circuit which also includes the Australian, French and United States Opens. Tennis has taken her and

her family to play on the famous grass courts of Newport, Rhode Island and the clay courts of Marbella, Spain.

We met Pam for this photograph at the Blue Sky Sculpture in her hometown of Newton.

30



Dennis Myers President Abraham Lincoln only came to Kansas once. That was on December 1, 1859 and he only made it as far as

the Northeast Kansas town of Troy where Dr. Dennis Myers has practiced dentistry for twenty-seven years.

History is an important part of the civic minded Myers who has restored a number of old buildings in Troy that

stand across the street from the Troy town square. He recently restored a forty year old shrimp boat and lays claim

to creating the only commercial shrimping operation in the area. An antique map showing the United States and

its territories hangs in his office over a roll top desk.

31



32 When Mr. and Mrs. Majors bought an up-

right piano for their living room in 1979,

they didn't know that this would make suchan impact on their oldest son. When Dr.

Chris Majors of Wichita was nearly eight

years old, his parents noticed that he really

was spending lots of time on their new

"furniture piece".

Six months later, he took his first piano les-

son. Ten years later, Chris auditioned for a

piano scholarship at the University of Kan-sas. He was awarded a full scholarship to

study piano performance his freshman

year.

After two semesters as a music major, Chris

decided he needed to find a career that

would support his love for playing the pi-

ano. So, he changed his course of studies

and began his journey into dentistry.He still plays today and has focused his ef-

forts more on cultivating music in the lives

of his four children. The Majors’ children

are active in music and he feels blessed to

have “his own family band.”

Chris Majors



Steve Epler 33

Dr. Steve Epler has practiced in Yates Center

for thirty-three years. He wanted to practice

in a small town, but Valley Falls, where heand his wife Mary grew up, already had a

dentist. As a result, he moved to Yates

Center and opened a practice across the

street from the Woodson County Court-

house where we took this photograph.

When he was not able to find a hygienist,

his wife Mary went to dental hygiene school

and has been with his practice ever since.

We discovered during the photo shoot that

Mary’s mother stayed with a relative, Suzy

Corpstein, after her house burned down in

the 1930’s. Corpstein is the grandmother of

Jennifer Jones, co-author of this book.



34

There are countless examples of athletes

who become leaders. The former Kansas

State University football player, Dr. BertOettmeier, Jr., has taken his leadership to

the American Dental Association where he

has served as the Chair of the ADA ’s Coun-

cil on Dental Benefits. We photographed

the Leawood dentist “in action” while chair-

ing a meeting for the KDA.

Bert had an opportunity to play in the Ca-

nadian Football League following his careerat K-State in the early 1970’s as a defensive

end. Instead, he turned that down and

went to dental school.

He was a member of a slow-pitch softball

team that finished fifth in the Super Major

tournament. As a pilot, he often flew

around the country to play in softball tour-

naments. Bert also coached high school

football for four years.

Bert Oettmeier



Mark Herzog 35

Dr. Mark Herzog of Ellsworth poses while

holding a family portrait he had recently

taken with his wife of thirty years, Tracy,and their five adopted children.

Two of their children were adopted from

foreign countries. Gabriel the youngest,

who Mark calls the most affectionate, is

from Mumbia, India while Isaac, sixteen,

was adopted from Russia at age eighteen-

months.

Kelsea, the oldest at twenty-three, is in

graduate school at Wichita State University

studying International Studies. Son Jordon

attends Kansas State University. Both were

newborns when adopted. Fifteen-year old

Rachel was adopted in Kansas. Both she

and Isaac are active tennis players.



Lori Engelmann Like many parents, Dr. Lori Engelmann of Leawood spends much of her time at her children ’s sports practices. In

her case, the sport was swimming where she spent thirteen years at this pool at the Leawood South Country Club as

a swim mom while her two children, Jenna and Garrett, participated in competitive swimming.

Lori, her husband Jeff and children regularly travel to Germany where she spent time growing up as a military

daughter. Her father was a physician and she knew in college that she either wanted to practice dentistry or medi-

cine. Whichever she decided, she wanted to stay in the Kansas City area to be close to her family and the friendly

people of the Midwest.

36



Joseph Laudie

Each April Dr. Joseph Laudie, from Emporia, receives a six -pound package in the mail. Inside it are approximately

10,000 Italian honey bees. These bees are popular among beekeepers because they are not overly protective of

their hives. Joseph has been raising bees for three years. His twin brother Jacob, a dentist too, also raises bees.

During the queen bee’s three-year life, she will lay two-thousand eggs a day and each colony will consist of 40,000-

60,000 bees at any given time. In all, the bees in the hive will visit about 225,000 flowers per day. The worker bees,

which live about six weeks, will only collect about one-twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in their lifetime. “Honey pro-

duction is all about the numbers,” he says.

37



Dr. Chris Leiszler is an active supporter of the Lumberyard Arts Center housed in the near century -old Ives-Hartley

Lumber Company building in Baldwin City. In 2002, the revitalization of this local downtown landmark began. To-

day, the Arts Center is a thriving community center used to promote visual, performing, literary and heritage arts.

Phase II of the renovation will add a 184-seat theatre to the building.

In addition to his support of the center, Chris is a Big Brother for the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program.

38

Chris Leiszler



Guy & Kathryn Gross, Allison Lesko, Ken Guest

39

Heartland Dental Group in Salina recently organized a community project to encourage activity and develop suc-

cess, designed from the book Take the Stairs, written by Rory Vaden. This phrase has both a literal and figurative

meaning. Taking the stairs means not taking shortcuts or quick fixes, which among other things, leads to procras-

tination, compromise and mediocrity. It also has a physical health element to literally take the stairs rather than

the escalator.

Drs. Guy and Kathryn Gross along with Dr. Allison Lesko and Dr. Ken Guest, who is also Kathryn ’s father, posed

outside their office wearing the t-shirts they made specifically for their team.



With a dental practice on the fourteenth

floor of the Epic Center in downtown Wich-

ita, Dr. John Lewis has a different view outhis window than most dentists in Kansas.

When he is not practicing dentistry, you

might find John in the basement of a li-

brary, blowing the dust off old books and

documents as he traces his family tree into

the Dark Ages to the year 750. John has

traced his ancestry lines to the House of

Plantagenet and includes Kings andQueens of England, France and Spain. John will often spend his weekends camp-

ing with the Boy Scouts, where he has

spent ninety nights over the past few years,

about a half of those were below freezing.

John Lewis40



41 Stephanie Warden For many driving through Johnson County,

the suburbs seem to run together, separat-

ed only by a street or a street sign. But forlifetime locals, like Dr. Stephanie Warden of

Prairie Village, the uniqueness and history

of their cities become a part of their identi-

ty, not unlike other communities across the

state of Kansas. In the 1940’s J.C. Nichols, who also devel-

oped Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza,

looked to develop a planned community forsoldiers returning from World War II. In

1951, Prairie Village was officially recog-

nized as a city. Stephanie enjoys spending time with her

family and is an active tennis player. She

plays competitively through the United

State Tennis Association and TenCap Dou-

bles League.

She is photographed alongside her Golden

Retriever Roxy. They take classes together

and are working toward the Canine Good

Citizen qualification.



Maya Nunley A Wichita native, Dr. Maya Nunley returned home to complete her Advanced Education in General Dentistry resi-

dency at Wichita State University. We met Maya at the grand opening of the AEGD building in Wichita recently con-

structed on the campus of WSU. Maya says that she opted to attend the AEGD program upon graduation from UMKC School of Dentistry because

she felt she needed more experience. When she heard of the WSU program, she knew she wanted to be a part of

it.

42



Larre Betsworth

Dr. Larre Betsworth of Topeka had no quarrels about us snapping a few photographs of him upside down doing a

handstand or as he’s posed here, performing an “L-Seat” on a dip bar in his basement.

Larre, who was a state high school All-around Champion in Topeka, went on to the collegiate level and would com-

pete for the University of Kansas Jayhawks as a gymnast. Along with running thirty-five miles a week and regularly

lifting weights, he continues to stay active in gymnastics with routines on the rings, parallel bars, vaulting, and even

floor exercises.

43



44

Lucynda Raben

Finding a location to photograph Dr. Lucynda Raben and her three dogs was not much of a challenge. She often

walks her three dogs along the paths of the 282 acre Chisholm Creek Park in Northeast Wichita, not far from her

office. The park has 2 1/2 miles of paved trails with wetlands, ponds and woodlands. What was a challenge, how-

ever, was getting all three dogs to look the same direction and not at the other activity even on this 100-degree

plus day during the summer.

Lucynda has been very active physically and has completed endurance bicycle rides and distance runs.



45

Austin “Bud” Helm On April 1, 1945, while unloading ships on an island near Saipan in the Pacific Ocean, Japanese pilots began an aer-

ial attack on the US Navy. Dr. Austin “Bud” Helm of Belle Plaine climbed to the top of the ship and directed the

fighters to the incoming planes. As the Japanese strafed the boats on shore, a bullet ricocheted and hit Bud in his

chest. As he looked down expecting to see blood, he saw none. He reached into his pocket and removed a ciga-

rette lighter with a bullet lodged inside. His life had been saved.

Bud keeps the cigarette lighter alongside other World War II medals and mementos, including photographs of his

late wife, who wrote to him every day when he was in the service.



Dr. Effie Gaskill was born and raised in

Western Kansas and now practices in the

small Southwest Kansas community of

Hugoton.

Effie and her four children are actively in-

volved in 4-H and she is a club leader. She

and her family embrace the Western Kansas

lifestyle and enjoy horseback riding togeth-

er. Having her children participate in 4-H

was especially important to her and she

jokes that she put it in her pre-nuptials with

her husband Dax.

Effie is standing next to her horse Rocco.

He is particularly mild mannered, especially

around her children. She will even keep

him in a separate pen because the other

horses tend to pick on him.

Effie Gaskill 46



Eric Johnson 47 In the fifth grade, Dr. Eric Johnson began

playing the guitar. While in dental school at

UMKC, he and a few of his classmates be-gan playing in a band for fun and to relieve

the stresses of studying. Now, he uses his

love for music and the guitar to teach

school kids the importance of good dental

health. He often visits schools around his

hometown of Topeka. “I take one of my favorite songs and swap

out the lyrics and make songs about caringfor your teeth. I always enjoy watching as

the blank stares on the students turn to ex-

citement as they understand the message.” We photographed Eric at the KDA office.

After we finished, he played one of his fa-

vorites, “Teeth Clean and Bright”, a take off

of Bon Jovi’s “Dead or Alive.”



Not far from the geographic center of the

contiguous forty-eight states is Smith Cen-

ter, home of Dr. Bill Grimes. Bill and his wife

Pat stand next to the Old Dutch Mill con-

structed in 1879, one of only two such mills

remaining in Kansas.

Bill has been a Rotarian for forty years and

served as a District Governor. He has trav-

eled to Panama twenty times for work with

fellow Rotarians and five trips to provide

dental care.

The Grimeses are fans of the local high

school football team, the Smith Center

Redmen. The team was featured in the New

York Times Best Seller Our Boys: A Perfect

Sea-son on the Plains with the Smith Center

Red-men written by Joe Drape.

48 Bill Grimes



Ron Katzer 49

Dr. Ron Katzer of Topeka enjoys the great

outdoors. For many years he and his broth-

er have gone on a two-week, unguided, wil-

derness adventure.

After a bush pilot drops them in a remote

area of Alaska, they spend two weeks with

nothing but a backpack with dehydrated

food, a tent, medical supplies, the clothes

they are wearing and a gun at their hips to

protect themselves. “We take with us what-

ever we would need to survive,”

Ron says.Their last Alaskan adventure was a rafting

trip. Flooding from thirty days of rainfall in

the mountains made for a harrowing expe-

rience. Dodging trees, rocks, and brush

piles proved more than they bargained.

“It was very dangerous and with no com-

munications, if something had gone wrong,

it could have turned into a very bad trip.”



Ryan Kohlmeier After a two-year stint in the majors as a pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, Cottonwood Falls native Dr. Ryan Kohl-

meier went to dental school and now practices in nearby Emporia. Ryan returned to his home town for his photo-

graph in front of the Chase County Courthouse built the same year the KDA was founded, 1871.

Ryan pitched as a reliever and recorded nineteen saves, all for Baltimore. One of his best memories was when fu-

ture Hall of Fame player, Cal Ripken, Jr., introduced himself and welcomed him to the Orioles ’ clubhouse. “Even

when we played at Yankee Stadium, fans would stand in long lines to get his autograph. It was awesome to be able

to see that from a player’s perspective.”

50



Dan Bock

Dr. Dan Bock stands next to a statue of an Apache warrior on the campus of Haskell Indian Nations University

where he practices dentistry for the Indian Health Services. Haskell, located in Lawrence, is a tribal university for

members of federally recognized Native American tribes in the United States.

Dan annually travels to Islamorada, Florida, coined “the sport fishing capital of the world.” He says his greatest

catch is a 150-pound tarpon he caught last year.

51



Don Essington

Few communities have preserved the history of Nineteenth Century architecture quite like Council Grove, Kansas.

Council Grove was a vital stop along the Santa Fe Trail for traders and pioneers and its visitors are quickly taken

back to that era. Nestled in the Kansas Flint Hills is Dr. Don Essington, who along with his wife Connie, purchased

the historic Victorian Cottage House Bed and Breakfast in 1982 and owned and operated it for twenty-eight years.

Don was photographed on the front porch of the Cottage House where he would often bell hop when needed,

even while practicing dentistry. Scenes from a 1987 miniseries, Murder Ordained , were filmed at the bed and break-

fast. Down the street is Hays House 1857 Restaurant and Tavern, a can’t miss stop in the Kansas Flint Hills.

52



Amy Hahn

It’s not unusual to find a dentist with a pilot ’s license. What is unusual is to find one who is a female. So unusual,

Dr. Amy Hahn of Olathe is the only female member of the Flying Dentists Association, a national organization that

combines flying with the opportunity to earn CE at fly-in meetings across the country. As the daughter of a dentist

and a pilot, Amy has been around planes her entire life and her love for the air is unmistakable.

Amy is a mother with two young children. She calls herself a tech geek and has been teaching other flying dentists

how to better use technology in their dental practices.

53



Hal Hale Dr. Hal Hale of Wichita has been a member of The Scottish Rite of Freemasonry since he was nineteen years old.

Freemasonry is one of the oldest and largest organizations in the world and many of America ’s Founding Fathers

were members. As he studied American history, the principles of Freemasonry became even more important to him. Hal is actively involved in the Scottish Rite and the regalia he has earned and is wearing is that of a 33rd Degree

Scottish Rite Freemason, the highest degree that can be attained in Masonry. Hal came from a Masonic family and

even his mother and grandmother are members of the Order of the Eastern Star.

54



55

David Parsons

Many dental offices across the state have played a part in the preservation of community history. The dental office

of Dr. David Parsons in Winfield is now in the space of what was once the children ’s section of the Winfield Public

Library, presented to the people of Winfield in 1912. He bought the building in 1990, remodeled the interior and

now practices on the lower-level. His father Ray, who served as President of the Kansas Dental Association, prac-

ticed with him for a short time before retiring.

It is not uncommon to hear the dancing of young ballerinas through the ceiling of his dental office from the dance

studio which occupies the main level.



Glenn Hemberger Dr. Glenn Hemberger bikes to work in the mornings; but, it’s not just a short commute. He usually leaves his house

at 4:45 in the morning to take his twenty-mile route to his Overland Park pediatric dental office. He rides upwards

to two hundred miles each week and he plans to ride the Bike Across Kansas in June of 2012.

While expensive to travel with his bike, Glenn will often take it on trips. He enjoys riding in different parts of the

country and finds it “an excellent way to view and enjoy the scenery.” At the end of each day, Glenn rides his bike

home, but takes a shorter seven-mile route, usually in rush hour traffic.

56



Crystal Obee

Dr. Crystal Obee stands next to an antique McCormick-Deering stationary engine she bought at an auction about

thirty years ago. Crystal belongs to a “tired iron club” and its members collect things like vintage farming equip-

ment and as she says, “we’ll get together and show the young people how we used to do things.”

The engine is small enough that they can throw it in the back of a truck and take it to a show. It is also easy to

maintain and run, although the parts can often be difficult to find. She now has five engines that are in working or-

der, but the McCormick-Deering is her favorite.

57

58



Andrew Moore Dr. Andrew Moore of Shawnee sits next to his drum set prior to a gig he and his band, Perpetual Change, played

recently in Kansas City. While he was in high school, the band recorded a single, “Heartbeat Away”, which received

airplay on some local radio stations. While they never got their big break, they did open for The Outfield and Deb-

bie Gibson.

The band broke apart for a while and their guitar player moved to Los Angeles and played briefly for the band, The

Outfield. Five years ago, at a high school reunion, the band got back together and now play at least once a month.

58



59

Sidney McKnight While he doesn’t spend as much time on the links as he once did as a golfer for the University of Kansas Men’s Golf

Team, Dr. Sidney McKnight can still be found on a course with his clubs. While he considered taking a chance and

making golf a profession, he opted instead to take the route of his father and become a dentist. At a tournament in

Santa Cruz, Sidney once played against future PGA Tour professionals, Phil Mickelson of Arizona State University

and David Duval of Georgia Tech. Today, Sidney and his wife have two boys, aged nine and thirteen and fly fishing has become his passion. He prac-

tices in the Prairie Village dental office his father started in 1968.

60



Dr. Gary Conover of Wichita was photo-

graphed by The Keeper of the Plains, a forty

-foot statue that stands tall over the Arkan-

sas River near downtown Wichita. While it

watches over Wichita, the statute commem-

orates the rich Native-American culture in

Kansas. It was erected in 1974 to celebrate

the United States Bicentennial and stands

on the grounds of the All-American Indian

Center.

Gary has been a member of the Kansas Golf Association (KGA) for thirty years. He be-

gan officiating amateur golf tournaments in

the 1980’s. While serving the KGA and the

United States Golf Association, including

one year as president of the KGA, his duties

were to host local qualifying tournaments

such as the US Open and the US Amateur

tournaments.

60 Gary Conover

61



61 Lynne Baker

While attending college at Kansas State

University, Dr. Lynne Baker studied abroad

in Giessen, Germany at the Justus LiebigUniversitaet as part of her modern lan-

guage studies. While there, she began knit-

ting and quilting. Lynne, an oral surgeon in

Topeka, donates a great amount of her time

to community projects and organizations in

the Topeka area.

Lynne is pictured here with some of her

knitted projects. Draped around her shoul-ders is a dual colored, full length scarf. In

the foreground is a variegated sweater with

rib-knit cuffs and band. On the chair to the

left is a more complicated patterned sweat-

er.

She and her husband Marc, have three

sons, Levi, Riggin and Cole.

62



62 While growing up, Dr. Susan Krotzinger of

Leawood always had a hat, but seldom ever

wore them. Until one day about ten yearsago, when her church was having a garage

sale, she discovered a very large box of old

hats. As she went through them, she found

several that were in good condition and she

thought she might have an outfit to go with

each hat. Soon, that hat collection grew. She enjoyed

wearing them and began finding more vin-tage hats in stores around Kansas City and

even more as she traveled to other cities.

Friends often find hats to add her collection

as well. Her hat collection now consists of

over 150 hats, some of which hang on the

wall behind her in her home where we pho-

tographed her.

Susan Krotzinger

63



Kristi Melcher 63

Dr. Kristi Melcher received an email from

the Rawlins County Dental Clinic in Atwood

soon after graduation from dental school atUNMC College of Dentistry and her wed-

ding. The opportunity to participate in a

loan repayment program was too much to

pass up for the young couple, and soon,

they were on their way to the small North-

west Kansas town.

When we photographed Kristi, she was just

one-week from her due date and ironically,

she and her husband were living at a retire-

ment community center in Atwood. While

they knew that when their child was born

they would need to move, she said the la-

dies in the community center were excited

to have a baby around.

64



You probably won’t find Dr. Cindi Sherwood leave her house without a book in hand, whether it’s her favorite novel,

Jayne Eyre, or a contemporary crime novel written by Sue Grafton. In June of 2012, she will celebrate her 30th

anniversary of dental practice in Independence, where she was born and raised. She began her dental career as a

dental hygienist and after three years, began dental school at UMKC.

"Reading really helps me relax and keeps me from worrying about things," she says. "In the next life, I'd like to be

a prosecuting attorney, I really like reading all the details of that profession."

Cindi Sherwood

64

65



James Gertken The Skylab space station orbited Earth from 1973 until 1979. A workshop that allowed scientists to perform experi-

ments in space was a major component to the precursor of the Space Shuttle program. As the Kansas Cos-

mosphere in Hutchinson grew from a planetarium established at the Kansas State Fairgrounds, a local dentist, Dr.

James Gertken, was approached to help identify the instruments found in the Skylab emergency dental kit. While the Cosmosphere could not keep the kit, replica instruments were procured with James ’ connections with

dental supply companies. James is photographed at the Kansas Cosmosphere with those instruments.

65

66



Jon Tilton While in the Navy in 1975, Dr. Jon Tilton read about a stained glass class at the University of California, Berkley and

quickly discovered that it was something he enjoyed. When he moved to Wichita soon after, he pursued more clas-

ses and even taught the craft in the early 1980’s. For a short period, Jon had a small glass business and sold at craft

shows. The Wichita dentist has since made hundreds of stained glass works and began doing lamps, like the one

he is seated next to, about ten years ago. Now he primarily does stained glass for gifts and fundraisers. Jon is one of the founders of the Kansas Mission of Mercy and the America’s Dentists Care Foundation.

66

67



Kami Ross Dr. Kami Ross of Olathe, joined the United States Air Force before graduating from the UMKC School of Dentistry.

She says that serving in the military gave her a deep sense of community and patriotism. Kami served as a dentist

for active duty and retired personnel and she especially enjoys the retired personnel and the stories they told of

their service. She recounted the US response to the September 11th attacks which she uniquely observed while sta-

tioned at Whiteman Air Force Base.

Kami has four children and practices with her husband, Dr. Karl Breuckmann. She enjoys photography, interior de-

sign and gluten free cooking.

67

68 Ed W bb



68 Ed Webber

Perhaps looking at this photograph, you

would not guess that Dr. Ed Webber is the

president of the classical music SunflowerMusic Festival or a fifteen-year board mem-

ber of the Topeka Symphony. That might,

however, just describe the varied interests of

the Topeka dentist.

Ed built a log cabin by himself in 1980,

north of Topeka, where he enjoys fishing

gardening, beekeeping, canoeing and

mushroom farming. Ed stocked his pond

with bass and built a gazebo on the water to

enjoy the evenings without mosquitoes.

We met him at his cabin for this photo

where he annually hosts the Topeka District

Dental Society. He remains actively involved

and recently served as the district president.

D id J 69



David Jones 69

Dr. David Jones of Chanute will travel just

about anywhere to fish, and he has. The

angler has traveled the world, visiting twen-ty-five states, eight Canadian provinces and

seven countries, including Brazil, Chile and

the Republic of Kiribati’s Christmas Island.

While posing for this photograph on a fall

morning at the Chanute City Lake might not

have been the most exotic location David

has ever fished, he still couldn’t help but

smile and enjoy the chance to cast a line.

70 R Hild b d



70 Ross Hildebrand At the midway point of 140 Years, 140 Sto-

ries, we located a dentist as close to the cen-

ter of Kansas that we could find. We photo-graphed Dr. Ross Hildebrand in a garden

that he plants and maintains behind his

dental office in Great Bend.

Just east of Great Bend is the 41,000 acre

Cheyenne Bottoms, said to be the largest

wetland in the interior United States. To the

west is Pawnee Rock, a popular stop upon

the Santa Fe Trail and was considered the

halfway point between Independence, Mis-

souri and Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was also

a dangerous spot where angry Pawnee Indi-

ans could spot and attack approaching cara-

vans. Ross enjoys spending time on his house-

boat at Lake Wilson with friends and family.

He says he is at that age in life where he

spends time with his granddaughter, and heis excited about another grandchild on the

way.

Mi ld M 71



Miralda Moreno 71

There are big changes happening in down-

town Kansas City, Kansas. The area that for

years has suffered economically, is now be-ing redeveloped and Dr. Miralda Moreno is

happy to be a part of that renewal and the

multi-cultural community that lives there.

Among the eight murals in Kansas City’s

Avenue of Murals, initiated in 2004 to cele-

brate the history and culture of the area, is

a WPA style mural showing a printer at a

hand press. The mural was designed withthe help of retired printers who worked at

the Kansas City Kansan newspaper.

We photographed Miralda in front of this

particular mural as a reflection on the

printing and publishing of this book, 140

Years, 140 Stories.

72



Joe Gatti

Bicycle enthusiasts will often watch the Tour de France and imagine the difficulty of the mountain climbs. Few riderscan say they’ve conquered these mountains, including the legendary Cols du Telegraphe and Galibier, both fea-

tured in the 2012 Tour, and the Aple d ’Huez.

Dr. Joe Gatti of Lawrence, along with two of his cycling friends, took a six -day tour of France and experienced the

challenges of climbing these mountains. Joe rides regularly with a cycling group and in the summer will often ride

between two and three hundred miles a week. He also bikes to work and says he only drives his car to his office

about three times a year.

72

73



Paul Jones

73

Forty-five minutes south and west of Hays, Dr. Paul Jones and his family continue to ranch the land his ancestors

homesteaded a century ago. He now raises cattle and sells the meat in his market, Hays City Quality Meats, next to

his native stone dental office. The building where he and his brother Jarrod practice was originally built in 1873 as a

home.

We drove with Paul to his ranch and just as the rain was beginning to fall from a spring thunderstorm, we were able

to photograph the fourth-generation rancher with the cattle he raises. He, along with Dr. Kurt Martin, compete in

BBQ competitions throughout the region.

74



74

Sarina Harman-Tinnel

Dr. Sarina Harman-Tinnel of Overland Park stands on one leg, with arms held high above her head in a Vriksasana

or Tree Pose. Sarina has been practicing yoga for six years. In addition, she ran the Kansas City Half -Marathon as a

member of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program. Her father is a lymphoma survivor.

Sarina was involved in a vehicle accident when she was a teenager and suffered injuries to her mouth which re-

quired extensive dental work. She says she learned early on how much a smile can impact a person ’s self esteem.

She made a promise to herself that she would not only go to dental school, but would provide quality, compassion-

ate care to her patients.

75



Don Luellen

Dr. Don Luellen of Wichita stands in a field behind his house, holding his .30 -30 caliber TC Contender he used to

win the 1988 national champion National Rifle Association long range silhouette standing competition. In 1989 he

followed his championship with a third-place finish.

He will also proudly tell you that he shot his first three deer with that handgun. While attending the University of

Kansas in the 1960’s Don was a member of the Jayhawk rifle team and competed in the Intercollegiate smallbore

rifle competition.

75

76



Lisa Metzen

Dr. Lisa Metzen and Dr. Ashley Swisher practice together in Minneapolis. Both are raising families and were photo-graphed at a spot known as Rock City, just a few miles outside of Minneapolis. The area, with two hundred large

spherical boulders is designated as a National Natural Landmark.

Lisa and her husband Joe have a daughter and are owners of a nearly one-hundred-year old home, which they are

currently remodeling. Both she and Joe grew up in small communities and enjoy the small town life that Minneap-

olis offers.

76

77



Ashley Swisher Dr. Ashley Swisher grew up in a small town and when the opportunity arose to purchase a practice in Minneapolis,she took it. The practice quickly expanded and Dr. Lisa Metzen, her classmate and friend, joined her. Since both Ashley and Lisa are mothers with young children, they schedule their practice hours so they can spend

more time with their families. She and her husband Keir, enjoy that time together with their new child, two Wei-

maraners, along with running and biking.

77

78



Nevin Waters

We’ve all faced challenges in life, but few have faced the same challenges Dr. Nevin Waters of Olathe has. Nevinwas diagnosed with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) in 2004 and with one possible match of the six-

million people on the transplant registry, he received a stem cell transplant from a man in Norway on June 16,

2005. After undergoing treatment for four months in Seattle, Nevin returned home and soon to his practice.

Today, Nevin continues his support of a medical mission to Mexico. Because of his work and the support of teams

he helped coordinate, there is now a year-round medical and dental clinic in Tochimizolco, Mexico.

78

79



Brett Roufs

Dr. Brett Roufs of Newton views his “wheels” differently. His 2005 little red Corvette is his favorite and he wished,worked and saved for a long time to get it. A three-wheeler accident in high school left him paralyzed below the

waist, making his wheels an essential part of Brett’s life and allows him the ability to keep pushing forward.

While often an obstacle and never a stop sign, Brett’s wheels (he has five chairs that he uses regularly) allow him to

play basketball, tennis, and even snow ski. A four-wheel drive power chair allows him to participate in more serious

outdoor activities like hiking and fishing.

79

80 Ron Neugent



When the United States boycotted the 1980

Summer Olympic Games in Moscow, USSR,

most Americans simply missed out on aspectacular of athleticism. But for Dr. Ron

Neugent of Wichita, the boycott meant the

twenty-year-old would not live the dream

of being an Olympian 1500-meter swimmer.

Congress authorized the production of 466

Congressional Gold Medals, the highest and

most distinguished civilian award, to be giv-

en to the members of the 1980 Olympicteam to recognize their sacrifice. However,

the team did not know the significance of

that medal (left) that ironically was simply

gold-plated bronze and called a “special

gold medal.” Ron worked with the United

States Congress to clarify the historical im-

portance of the award and it is now listed

correctly in the Congressional Record.

The other medal Ron is wearing was pre-

sented by the U.S. Olympic Committee for

making the 1980 team.

80 Ron Neugent

Rob Herron 81



Rob Herron 81

When a tornado struck Joplin, Missouri, in

May of 2011, it didn’t just hit close to Dr.

Rob Herron who practices in nearby Colum-bus, his wife Lori was working at Joplin’s

Mercy Hospital when it suffered a direct hit.

She was fine, but for days, Rob posted pho-

tographs of vehicles in ruins as he searched

for her car. A few days later, he found the

tornado had carried it a few blocks from

where his wife had parked it.

Rob enjoys dyeing silk scarves and t-shirts.

The shirt in his photograph was dyed using

a common kitchen fork and twisting the

shirt around it. His interest in dyeing start-

ed when he decided to make t-shirts for

staff appreciation.

Rob’s Columbus practice sits near the Mis-

souri and Oklahoma border in the south-

east corner of Kansas.

82Jarrett Grosdidier



Dr. Jarrett Grosdidier holds number eighty-

two, the number he wore as a tight end at

Kansas State University from 1994-1997 as

a 6-5, 250–pound collegiate athlete. The St.

Paul, Kansas native jumped from the ranks

of 8-man football to earning an honorable

mention All-Big 12 selection and Big 12 all-

academic team honors. Jarrett is well re-

garded as one of the top high school foot-

ball players in Kansas history.

Jarrett scored a touchdown with his first ca-reer catch, a twenty-five yard pass from

quarterback Brian Kavanagh in a 59-3 rout

over Indiana State. He scored again later in

the game on his second catch from four

yards out. His most memorable game was

defeating Syracuse to win the 1997 Fiesta

Bowl.

Jarrett now practices in Overland Park. He

and his wife Kim are the parents of four

daughters.

82 Jarrett Grosdidier

Greg Kilbane 83



Greg Kilbane 83

In the 1880’s a Englishman by the name of

Francis “Ned” Turnley bought hundreds of

acres of land in Kansas with the idea of re-cruiting a colony of English sons of wealthy

families to learn the art of farming. Those

who came from England were largely se-

cond sons of wealthy families who came

not to learn farming, but to escape the Vic-

torian atmosphere of England and for some

good old-fashioned partying in the com-

munity known as Runnymede. Not long

after, Turnley’s plan failed and Runnymedebecame a ghost town.

St. James Episcopal Church was moved

from Runnymede to nearby Harper, where

Dr. Greg Kilbane now practices. When we

talked to Greg about the stories in his com-

munity, he brought the story of Runnymede

to our attention. Naturally, we photo-

graphed him on the steps of the church.

84



Mark and Melodee Armfield

Drs. Mark and Melodee Armfield of Augusta began scuba diving in 2010, just prior to the American Dental Associ-ation’s Annual Session and did their first certified dive in Hawaii at the meeting. To date, the couple have nearly

350 combined dives. They enjoy the underwater life and identifying the plants and animals they see. Their son

Collin also dives, but has only joined them once.

Their favorite diving location is Nassau, Bahamas. Mark says they can leave Wichita first thing in the morning and

be in Nassau shortly after noon, which makes for an easy three-day trip.

84

85



85

Bob Smith

Long before the World Wide Web, Dr. Bob Smith was interacting with people from across the globe. As a Ham ra-dio operator, Bob has always had an interest in technology and communications, once filming a spoof to the song

“Smooth Operator” in his office long before YouTube. He has competed in continuous wave and general DX—long

distance competitions. Assembling towers for these contests often takes weeks with the objective of talking to

people in as many countries as possible in one day. He once spoke to people in two-hundred different countries.

Along with Ham radio, he has competed in ballroom dancing, has built a wooden canoe and has flown as a pilot.

86



86

Phil Zivnuska

What began as simply taking pictures of his children playing sports, Dr. Phil Zivnuska of Wichita has now takencountless photographs of local high school and youth athletes. Many of these photographs hang on the walls of

his office, including that of three-sport athlete and highly recruited Derek “Bubba” Starling from Gardner-Edgerton

High School. One of the photographs of Starling, now an outfielder in the Kansas City Royals organization, was

used by Panini America (formerly Donruss) for his baseball card.

Phil’s photos have also been used in VYPE Magazine and MaxPreps along with area newspapers.

87



Greg Kelley

If a building can tell a story, the building which houses the dental office Dr. Greg Kelley of Independence, has a richstory to tell. In 1949, August T. Baden invented the Cinnamon toothpick and operated out of the second floor of

the building known locally as the Baden Building from 1962 until 1980. Greg moved into this building in 1991 and

remodeled the main floor as his dental office.

In the 1960’s this space was an appliance store owned and operated by Harold Harclerode, the grandfather of Greg

Hill, co-author of this book.

87

88



Grant Ritchey Practicing in what was once a building belonging to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Dr. Grant Ritchey of Tonganoxie has followed in his father’s footsteps as a dentist, since 1986. The building once housed a pool hall

and a bar and as such, like many buildings in Tonganoxie, has a rich history and many stories to tell. Grant is standing in front of a mural of a horse drawn wagon, depicting early settler life in downtown Tonganoxie.

88

89



Kim Hurn Dr. Kim Hurn is the only female dentist serving the Kansas Department of Corrections. She provides dental care toinmates at the Norton Correctional Facility in Northwest Kansas. We photographed Kim standing on the outside of

the fence and razor wire that secures the prison yard behind her. She has practiced at the facility for ten years. Norton Correctional Facility was previously the Norton State Hospital. It has a capacity of 707 inmates, serving both

medium and minimum security inmates.

89

90 Rita Burnett



The idea for the Kauffman Center for the

Performing Arts can be traced back to 1994,

when Muriel Kauffman first discussed theidea of a performing arts center in Kansas

City, Missouri. Seventeen years later, the

idea came to completion when the 285,000

square foot building opened to the public.

Dr. Rita Burnett of Kansas City, Kansas, sits

on the Board of Directors for the Lyric

Opera of Kansas City, housed in the Kauff-

man Center. Rita is a long-

time supporterof the arts in Kansas City and has been

a symphony season ticket holder for

thirty years and has attended the Lyric

Opera for twenty years. She too is a

musician and plays both the piano and

clarinet.

Rita is a breast cancer survivor and is a sup-

porter of the American Cancer Society.

90

91Sean McReynolds



91 y

The City of Humboldt’s Volunteer Fire De-

partment is located immediately behind Dr.

Sean McReynolds’

office. He gladly pulledthe fire engine from the garage and parked

it next to the town square and donned his

uniform for his photograph.

Serving as a volunteer fire fighter is just one

of the many ways Sean serves his communi-

ty outside of his dental office where he has

practiced for twenty years. He also serves

locally as an elected representative on the

Humboldt City Council as well as on theBoard of Trustees of the Allen County Hos-

pital. Sean began practicing with his father, Dr.

Max McReynolds who is now retired.

92



Jason Barth Dr. Jason Barth of Salina is uniquely talented when it comes to art and woodworking. Along with creating severalpieces of art, both sculptures and paintings for his office, Jason built this elaborate tree house in the backyard of his

house. The whimsical tree house on the left, reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland, becomes a pirate ship, complete

with cannons and a crow’s nest, as you cross the bridge behind him. He built a temporary pool to soak the wood so

that he could bend it to create the pirate ship.

Jason and his wife Jenee have since moved from this home, but the new owners were more than gracious to allow

us to take the photograph. The couple now have four children.

92

93



Kristy Marker

While attending Southern Methodist University in the mid-1980’s, Dr. Kristy Marker studied ballet and music theatre

with the goal of one day becoming a professional dancer. When she saw an ad for tryouts for the Dallas Cowboys

Cheerleaders, she decided to give it a shot and she made the team.

While she enjoyed cheering at the home football games of the Dallas Cowboys, she said the most rewarding experi-

ence was traveling as part of the United States Department of Defense USO Tour which allowed her the chance to

spend a week onboard the USS Iowa in the Pacific.

She was photographed holding her Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader’s yearbook.

93

94



Melvin Dunn St. Francis is nestled in the northwest corner of Kansas, not far from where Kansas meets Colorado and Nebraska inthe Arikaree Breaks. Dr. Melvin Dunn is a dentist in that community and is a proud grandfather of seven.

While we spoke about several things, including hunting and camping which he enjoys, we never saw his eyes light up

in the same way they did when he showed us his “wall of fame” in the hallway of his office. We photographed him

next to those pictures of his seven grandkids.

94

95



John Carter

Dr. John Carter of Overland Park received his Bachelor ’s Degree in Fine Arts from the University of Kansas and has

used his design skills to enhance past editions of the UMKC School of Dentistry yearbook and to design the Fifth

District Dental Society’s lapel pin. He is posed here next to some of his work in the UMKC yearbook

John has been involved with Boy Scouts for more than thirty years. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout and is mem-

bers of the Order of the Arrow and Mic-O-Say.

95

96



Ken Cotton

Dr. Ken Cotton of McPherson admits he likes the time tested classics and given the chance, he prefers to reusethings when he can. In 2003, he moved his dental practice into what was built as a Church of the Nazarene in the

1950’s and later served as the Baptist Church. While he renovated the building and added the entryway, remnants

of the church, including some stained glass and the cross over the front door, remain.

Ken is photographed in front of his office beside his blue 1955 Chevrolet pickup truck that belonged to his father -

in-law for twenty years. Ken has owned it for the last four and often drives it to work.

96

97



Bob Beaver Dr. Bob Beaver of Wichita has been the proud owner of a 1931 Ford Model A, the successor of the Model T, formore than thirty years. From 1928 through March of 1932, nearly five million Model A’s were produced, in as many

as nine different body styles.

Bob and his wife Helen Louise drive the back roads of the United States and they have even driven their Model A as

far as Vancouver, British Columbia, with a caravan of other Model A car owners. “One of the most enjoyable things

about owning a car like this is talking to the people you meet along the way who admire the car,” he says.

97

98



98

Ron Wright

We met Dr. Ron Wright of Hiawatha just before the start of the 98th Halloween Frolic, held annually since 1914 andclaims to be the longest continuously held parade in the country. Ron is posed next to his 1967 Buick LeSabre con-

vertible he would later use to drive the Halloween Queen through the parade. The 2012 event was dubbed, “The

End of the World as We Know It,” a nod to the upcoming Mayan belief that the world will end on December 21st,

2012.

Ron has been practicing for thirty-one years in Hiawatha, but before dental school, he was the team captain for the

Tulsa Hurricane football team. He also holds a black belt in karate.

99



Allen Reavis

Dr. Allen Reavis will also answer to Mayor Reavis. Since 2011, Allen has served as mayor of Atchison, KS, known asthe eastern terminus of the Atchison, Topeka, and Sante Fe Railroad. It is also known well as the birthplace of Ame-

lia Earhart. “Civic involvement is part of how I was raised,” he says. “It’s important for me to give back.”

Allen was photographed on the front porch of Amelia Earhart ’s home in Atchison and holds the number 99 in hon-

or of the “99 Club”, a group of ninety-nine women aviators who formed the first flying club for women. Earhart

was the first president of the organization. Allen is also a pilot and flies single engine airplanes.

99

100 Ken Dillehay



If you are looking for Dr. Ken Dillehay on

the weekends, you might just find him on

his boat or his jet skis at “Alveolar Ridge”,so named by the resident dentists at Table

Rock Lake.

The Wichita orthodontist travels to Eagle

Rock, Missouri, where he spends his week-

ends with other Wichita dental colleagues

who also have nearby lake homes. It’s not

uncommon for Ken to bring out a larger

boat where he’ll

“crank up the stereo andentertain on it.” He also enjoys attending

football games at the University of Missis-

sippi, where he received his undergraduate

degree. In 2000, he served as American Dental As-

sociation’s 1st Vice President.

100

Ted Jowett 101



101 Dr. Ted Jowett and his wife Terri are trained

Animal Disaster Responders. They complet-

ed extensive training from the Capital Area

Animal Response Team (CAART) in Topeka

on how to respond and set up shelters for

animals following a disaster. Part of their

training with CAART was to participate with

other Shawnee County responder organiza-

tions and partner in mock disaster training.

They are now certified to be deployed

around the country when a disaster creates

the need for animal shelter and relief.

Ted is posed with Captain, his African

Spurred Tortoise. Captain weighs fifty

pounds and responds when his name is

called. He is about fifteen years old and has

a life expectancy of about fifty years.

102



Jake Juhl

Dr. Jake Juhl, who practices in Lakin, has a great appreciation for the rugged outdoors of Southwest Kansas. Whenwe asked him which of his vehicles he’d like to use for his photo shoot, he didn’t hesitate a moment, opting for the

Jeep over his 1971 Chevelle Super Sport. As it turns out, four-wheeling in his Jeep is a favorite activity and he knew

just the place.

We drove to the dry Arkansas River bed that cuts through Garden City where Jake lives. Once there, he positioned

the Jeep on the river bank to give it the most dramatic effect, making sure he dropped the front wheel into a rut to

show off its undercarriage.

102

103



Steve Haught Boy Scouts has been a part of life for Dr. Steve Haught of Emporia for more than fifty years as both a scout when hewas young and now a scouter as an adult. As a youth, Steve earned the rank of Eagle Scout with three Palms, rec-

ognizing additional advancement. For the Emporia orthodontist, experiencing Philmont Scout Ranch in Northern

New Mexico, both as a hiker and an administrator, has been one of his most enjoyable aspects of scouting.

Steve actively participates in community activities and is not shy about “being silly” for the sake of charity.

103



105



Pete Wiklund

Dr. Pete Wiklund of Lawrence took an interest in cooking while living in Europe for three years following his militaryservice in Vietnam. Unable to afford the five-star restaurants, Pete learned to cook to satisfy his culinary delights.

Pete was photographed in his kitchen where he has prepared many dishes over the years for his family and friends.

When we visited, Pete had just added a new cookbook, written by a local chef, to his vast collection and he was

anxious to try many of the new recipes.

105

106



Larry McGary Dr. Larry McGary grew up in Monroe, Louisiana, but came to Fort Riley while in the United States Army in 1978. Heserved five and a half years, rising to a Major at the time of his retirement from the Army. Now, he says he has

been in Junction City so long that it has become home. He has served his community as a member of the school

board and through the Geary County Health Department.

Larry is posed next to a monument dedicated to the military personnel from Fort Riley who served in Operation De-

sert Storm. The “Big Red 1” is the official nickname of the 1st Infantry Division stationed at Fort Riley.

107



Ron Strader In 1983 Dr. Ron Strader of Girard opened a sports card shop with his son Mike in nearby Pittsburg called Michael’sSports. Owning the store was not only an opportunity to run a business and enhance his own collection, it also

provided him the chance to travel the country with his family as they attended card shows.

We photographed Ron in Michael’s Sports card shop. Today, Ron owns the highest graded Will Rogers collection

in the country which took two years to collect. He says the items he enjoys collecting most today are The Lone

Ranger, Hopalong Cassidy, and Roy Rogers memorabilia which return him to the time when he was a young boy in

the 1940’s and 50’s.

108



Rob Dakin

Like many dentists, Dr. Rob Dakin of Wichita is actively involved in mission trips overseas. In his case, he has spenta great deal of time in both Turkey and Albania. What makes Rob unique is that he has taken many of the cultural

and superstitions of those countries and wrote a novel titled “Vale of Shadows”, which he is holding. This novel

won the Fall 2010 Pinnacle Book Award. Rob is working on the sequel to the novel and will often slip into his office

between patients and work on the manuscript.

He has also set up a clinic in Kazakhstan. The hand prints and the words of thanks on the painting behind him

were made by orphans and the large Russian letters say “thank you” pronounced "spa-see-bo."

109



R. Wayne Thompson

Dr. R. Wayne Thompson of Shawnee is a veteran marathon runner who has completed thirteen mara-thons and countless half -marathons, including Hospital Hill, which ends a short distance from this lo-

cation at Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri. R. Wayne will tell you of his great race when, as he

was sprinting toward the finish, former Olympian and Congressman Jim Ryun inched passed him at

the finish line. He will then confess that while Ryun ran the 13.1 mile, half -marathon, he only ran the

7.4 mile, 12K race.

R. Wayne served as ADA Trustee to the Twelfth District from 2007 to 2011.

110



Gilbert Omido

Born in Tanzania and raised in Kenya, Dr. Gilbert Omido of Wichita came to the United States in 1981 at the age of twenty-six to fulfill his dream of becoming a dentist after having already begun a career in banking.

Before coming to the US, Gilbert climbed 19,000-foot Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania with just a machete, three

matches and raw food. Along the adventure he encountered lions and other wildlife that required his team to seek

refuge in a tree. “Many of the lessons I learned climbing Mount Kilimanjaro are life lessons I continue to apply to-

day,” says Gilbert. He enjoys returning to the African wild to experience the animals first hand.

111



Terry Smith When we met Dr. Terry Smith of Larned, we originally intended to photograph him at the Santa Fe Trail Center justa few miles outside of town next to a train depot his grandmother had worked at years ago. When we arrived at his

house to look at his woodworking, however, we were amazed at the landscaping and woodworking projects he had

created over the years. As Terry sat on a bench he built next to a pond behind his house, we saw the tranquility this

space provides him.

When we showed Terry and his wife, Jill, his number, she told us the number 111 had a deep personal and almost

spiritual connection with them. They recounted countless moments when that number had appeared in their lives.

112



T.J. Foley

Dr. T.J. Foley (left) of Wichita and his brother David have been riding motorcycles since they were five years old.Today, they often compete together in races, like the St. Valentines Massacre at the Jeeps Motocross Club in

Wichita. The six-hour race has a five-mile track which will take almost fifteen minutes to round. As they alternate

riders, while using the same bike, they encounter jumps, high-speed straights, watery bogs, and sometimes snow.

Two years ago the brothers survived extreme conditions and finished first in their age group and second overall.

T.J. and David followed their father Dr. Mac Foley’s footsteps and both became dentists.

113



Loren Loewen

Dr. Loren Loewen is a third-generation graduate of Tabor College in Hillsboro. His father and grandfather both

attended the private liberal arts college, founded in 1908 by members of two Mennonite churches. His daughter

now attends the college. Loren practices in both Hillsboro and Wichita.

Loren was photographed in front of the Lohrenz Building, one of the oldest buildings on campus. The sculpture is

part of a dramatic work titled Called to Serve, which was dedicated to the college during the Tabor College Cen-

tennial.

114



Harlan Boyce

In the late 1940’s, a conversion from steam locomotives to diesel engines was taking place in the train industry.During the same time, Dr. Harlan Boyce was taking quite an interest in model trains as a young boy. While he still

has his first model train set pristinely preserved in its original box, his hobby has evolved into a stunning re-creation

of Raton Pass in Colorado during the early 1950’s.

Harlan was photographed next to a section of his elaborate model railroad he has designed and built in his base-

ment of his Wichita home. His railroad even includes hidden tracks that simulate the coming and going of trains as

they pass through on their way to Chicago or the West Coast.

115



Kurt Martin

Dr. Kurt Martin of Hays, along with three friends, including Hays dentist Paul Jones, form Woody ’s Sweet Meat andcompete in Bar-B-Q competitions throughout the region. During the competitions, they will prepare brisket, pork

roast, pork ribs and chicken. As we photographed Kurt at his home, he couldn’t help but use his tongs to hold his

number next to his grill.

Each year, Kurt will prepare a meal for the Kansas State University football team. He says he plans for three pounds

of food per person on the team, six times the usual amount for catering.

116



Frank Johnson

Dr. Frank Johnson has spent his entire life within a few miles of Topeka High School. Having been a three-sport

athlete at the high school, including state runner-up in wrestling, he now coaches quarterbacks and receivers for

the Trojan football team. It’s not uncommon to see Frank jogging near his dental practice or on a bicycle. Besides

coaching football, he also volunteers on the high school PTO board.

Topeka High School was built in 1931 and its bell tower is a famous landmark in the capital city.

117



Susan Hall Life is

“golden

” in Lawrence for the third generation dentist, Dr. Susan Gillahan Hall. Susan loves dentistry almost asmuch as she adores these two sweet Golden Retriever pups, Honey and Boomer. Susan has been a general dentist since her graduation from UMKC in 1985. Along with her thriving practice she is

also teaching clinical dentistry at UMKC School of Dentistry. “The golden opportunity to share my skills with

younger dentists is very fulfilling,” she says. “Volunteering my time is one way I can pay it forward to the next gen-

eration of dentists.”

118



Earl McColm

As a member of the Jefferson County Historical Society, Dr. Earl McColm has a deep appreciation for the history of both his community and for the state of Kansas. Nineteenth Century buildings from around the county have been

moved to create Old Jefferson Town in Oskaloosa. Among the buildings in the ten-acre park are a blacksmith

shop, John Stewart Curry’s boyhood home and of course, a dental office.

Earl began practicing in Oskaloosa in 1997 and he enjoys the small town atmosphere. In his free time, he enjoys

traveling with his family and gardening. His wife Dr. Shelly McColm is a dentist in Lawrence.

119



Howard Schneider

When he was just a boy of six years, Dr. Howard Schneider of Wellington began shooting sparrows with his BB gun.Today, he has hunted six continents, including buffalo in Argentina, wolves from a helicopter in Siberia, polar bear

from Artic Dog Sleds on Banks Island in the Arctic Archipelago in Canada, and leopard and elephant in Zimbabwe.

He once shot a 9’8” bear while hunting in Russia. When he began taking it for dead, the bear rose and charged

him and his guide, but Howard was able to shoot it again and fend off the attack.

His home is filled with mounts, furs and rugs from the animals he has hunted and he has donated more than one

hundred to the Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure in Salina. He has been married to his wife Patsy for sixty-two years.

120 Lynne Schopper



When Dr. Lynne Schopper of Overland Park

graduated from dental school in the early

1980’s, there were only fourteen women inher graduating class of 160. When she be-

gan practicing with her father, George

Schopper, she says that having a female in

the practice was considered a novelty that

allowed their practice to offer the “best of

both worlds” to the community. Lynne believes that being a female dentist

gives her a special ability to create a calm-

ing environment for her patients that will

help relax and sooth them while they are

receiving dental care. She has been on mis-

sion trips to Belize and Guatemala and

there, has learned to take the vast imagina-

tion those children possess and to use her

calm and caring voice to create a magical

world to help relax patients here, while they

are treated.Lynne enjoys mountain biking and sailing

and the solitude and quiet of those activi-

ties.

Paul Kittle 121



Dr. Paul Kittle of Leavenworth earned the

rank of Colonel before retiring from the

United States Army in 1994. The founda-

tion for military service came early in lifefrom his father who landed on Omaha

Beach on D-Day.

As a pediatric dentist, Colonel Kittle is

deeply passionate about children and often

lectures for programs on child abuse and

neglect. He once delivered a baby in the

stairwell of a military base in Germany and

keeps a newspaper clipping of that storytaped to a window in his office.

This photograph was taken in front of the

living quarters at Ft. Leavenworth where he

lived while on the post.

122



Karl Neuenschwander Dr. Karl Neuenschwander only left Hoxie for eight years, just long enough to go to college and dental school. Sothe small Northeast Kansas town and its future is vitally important to him and his family.

When the Toothaker family ranch of 3760 acres was sold to Karl and his family in 1998, that money was left in a

trust to fund Willis and Imogene’s Toothaker’s main interests — education and helping people. The income gener-

ated from the sale funds scholarships to graduates of Hoxie High School and will support the Sheridan County

School System, library, hospital and historical society.

Karl raises pheasants, keeps bees, works an orchard and has an extensive vegetable garden on Toothaker Ranch.

123



Nick Rogers

After moving around when he was a kid, Dr. Nick Rogers wanted to find a place where he could“

put down roots.”

While he and his wife Christie where traveling through Southern Kansas, they happened upon the town of Arkan-

sas City and soon, Nick began practicing there. Nick helped develop the local Head Start program and his involve-

ment in the community usually makes its way to the kids. Nick emcees the high school prom and has been on the

school board for twenty-two years.

Nick is seen here at his farmland he calls Tooth Acres, “where all the worries of the world go away. ” He recently

completed a term as a Trustee on the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the first general dentist to do so.

124



Bob Harmon Each Thursday evening in a barn just a few miles outside of Osage City, dozens of area residents begin arriving justbefore seven o’clock. For the next two hours, they will be entertained by the bluegrass music performed by local

musicians, including Dr. Bob Harmon who hosts the weekly gathering.

Bob plays multiple string instruments and the dozen or so musicians will perform and sing to the delight of the

crowd. Bob is photographed here with a group of those musicians during their bluegrass jam session. He is in the

middle of the photograph, playing the mandolin.

125



Matt Harmon Dr. Matt Harmon of Osage City loves to hunt. When we visited his father

’

s house for a photo shoot on a Thursdaynight before the weekly bluegrass jam session, Matt had recently shot this buck and had not yet hung it in the loft

over his father’s barn. Friends and colleagues will often hunt alongside Matt and his father, Dr. Bob Harmon.

One of their distinguished guests has been Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassell and a photograph with him

proudly hangs on the wall.

126



Lisa Gonzales

When Dr. Lisa Gonzales began her dental career in Kansas City, Kansas, the Kansas Speedway and the surroundingentertainment area, was anything but a dream. Today, The Legends of Kansas City is a shopping and entertainment

mecca, featuring shopping, dining, and Sporting Park, which hosted a World Cup soccer qualifier the same week as

the Kansas Speedway hosted its second NASCAR race of 2012.

Lisa believes in helping her community and serves on various boards in Kansas City. The Kansas Speedway was

home to the second ever Kansas Mission of Mercy project in August, 2003, which Lisa served as co-chair.

127



David Bunkall Dr. David Bunkall moved to Dodge City after completing a missionary trip to Russia following graduation from

Brigham Young University in Utah, where he was raised. For David, Dodge City was a welcome opportunity to

move to a place where he and his wife Robyn could raise their four children. David practices orthodontics in both

Dodge City and Ulysses.

Dodge City is known around the globe as the Cowboy Capital of the World. David was photographed standing

next to “El Capitan,” a bronze statue that commemorates the 1875-1885 Texas cattle drives to Dodge City.

128



Dustin Kruse Dr. Dustin Kruse knew he wanted to practice in a small town. A Salina native, Dustin stayed close to his roots andtwo years ago, joined a practice in Clay Center.

Dustin will often be found in his duck hunting boat on Milford Lake or fishing for walleye and bass. A long rudder

on his boat allows him to maneuver into shallow water where the ducks will land to feed and rest. We photo-

graphed Dustin in his boat along with some of his decoys he uses while hunting.

129



Steve Thomas Soon after Fort Leavenworth was founded in 1827, military soldiers began hunting the area with foxhounds. A cen-

tury later, the Fort Leavenworth Hunt was officially established and continues this day as the last surviving US Army

foxhunt and is a certified hunt of the Masters of Fox Hounds Association. The sport was historically used to keep

soldiers and horses in condition when not in battle. Dr. Steve Thomas of Overland Park participates in the Ft. Leavenworth hunt and also travels to hunts around the

country. He is photographed with his horse, Patience, who he will spend his days off with, when he is not seeing,

you guessed it, patients.

130



Richard Bennett

When Dr. Richard Bennett’

s wife Rosemarie passed away in 2009, he began searching for something to fill that voidin his life. He had always enjoyed writing, but had no formal education in literature studies. He began auditing

writing classes at Emporia State University, just down the street where he and his son Brenton practice together.

Behind Richard is Plumb Hall, where he attends most classes.

Richard’s father, Arthur Bennett, was a dentist and practiced in nearby Madison for fifty-one years. Many memen-

tos of his father’s practice hang on their wall, including a tribute Richard wrote to his father upon his death in 1977.

A line from that tribute reads: “ Two and a half pounds at birth, for the first year of life his crib was a dresser drawer.”

131



Max McReynolds Dr. Max McReynolds will often be seen wearing a blue fishing hat. So it only makes sense that the retired dentist fromChanute would enjoy a little time at the lake with his fishing pole. We met up with Max and his fishing buddy, Dr. Da-

vid Jones at the Chanute City Lake in Santa Fe Park. Although Max is retired from his practice in nearby Humboldt where his son practices, he is heavily involved in the

Kansas Mission of Mercy and he and his wife, Mary Jo, spend a lot of their time traveling together on behalf of the

project. While they are on the road, they will usually work in a Kansas State University women’s basketball game.

132



Michael Browning It didn

’

t take a scheduling miracle to catch Dr. Michael Browning dressed in a costume. It’

s something that happensabout once a month in the office of Sunflower Smiles Pediatric in Topeka. Whether its Halloween, National Cowboy

Day or crazy hair day, Michael and his staff love to dress up in whimsical outfits and will even get their patients in-

volved. We photographed Michael just after Halloween dressed as Willy Wonka, sitting in 300 pounds of candy he

bought back from patients. Michael was recently named to the Jayhawk Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America’s Topeka’s 20 Under 40.

133



Gene McGill Many Kansas dentists pay homage to their ancestral roots. Dr. Gene McGill of Prairie Village is known by colleagues

across the state for his appreciation of his Irish heritage. Both sides of Gene’s family descended from Ireland and

the love for his native land is apparent in all that Gene does.

Rest assured, we had no trouble convincing him to dress in his Ireland football (soccer) jersey and to share a pint of

Guinness on his back porch. Gene is easy to spot at KMOM, just look for the Irish flag flying over his chair.

134



Gary Brown Fort Scott was established and garrisoned by the United States Army from 1842 to 1853 and soldiers at the fort as-sisted with the protection of the Permanent Indian Frontier. In 1853, the army abandoned the fort and when local

settlers purchased buildings, Ft. Scott became one of the largest towns in the Kansas Territory. As a town on the

Missouri border, Ft. Scott experienced much of the violence known as “Bleeding Kansas” preceding the Civil War.

Dr. Gary Brown’s office is only a few blocks from the Fort Scott National Historic Site where this photograph was

taken. No stranger to small towns, Gary was born in Pratt, lived in Minneapolis, Kansas, before settling in Abilene

when he was in the third grade where his father served as a school principal.

135



Erik PetersonThe community of Lindsborg, is known throughout Kansas for its Swedish heritage and is called “Little Sweden” be-

cause it was settled by Swedish immigrants in the late 19th Century. Much of the architecture, in particular that in

its downtown business area, reflects that heritage. Red horses known as Dala horses and the phrase “välkommen”,

meaning “welcome”, greet visitors.

Dr. Erik Peterson practices in Lindsborg. We photographed him in Swensson Park at the Viking Valley Playground.

In April of 2004, more than 1500 volunteers helped build this unique park in traditional barn raising style. Volun-teers worked five fourteen-hour workdays with tools Erik donated to the project.

136



Rob Herwig The UMKC School of Dentistry is a part of the history of many dentists in Kansas. Dr. Rob Herwig of Lenexa hasmade it part of his “present” as a clinic instructor at the school. As a private practicing dentist, Rob says that he

helps students understand what the private practice of dentistry is like and, he says, he enjoys the students ’ energy

and their enthusiasm which is a great environment in which to teach. Rob is photographed at UMKC School of Dentistry. His son Andrew, also pictured, will graduate from the dental

school in May, 2015.

137



Ron Ingram Dr. Ron Ingram might be nearing retirement from dentistry; but don

’

t think he is stepping away from his farm just afew miles south of Pratt where he practices. The day we photographed Ron on his farm, he was hosting a dozen

dentists for an annual pheasant hunt. When we called to schedule his initial photograph, Ron was on his tractor

during corn harvest.

Ron has been actively practicing dentistry since 1971, has four daughters, and five grandchildren. One of his

daughters, Dr. Allison Riekhof, is a dentist in Salina.

138 Brick Scheer



In our travels across Kansas, we have met

many second-generation dentists and even

a few third-generation dentists. In May of

2013, the Scheer family will represent four

generations of dentists when Dr. Brick

Scheer’s (pictured) son Brandon graduates

from dental school at the Indiana University

School of Dentistry.

Brick, his grandfather George and his father

Harold, all graduated from Washington Uni-

versity which closed its doors in 1991. Brick

is photographed with his grandfather’ssheepskin diploma from 1916. George be-

gan his practice on the fourth floor of the

Bitting Building in Wichita. When seven

stories were added in 1920, the building

became the tallest in Kansas. George

moved to the eleventh floor, making him,

“the highest dentist in Kansas” at the time.

Harold, who graduated in 1945, served aspresident of the Kansas Dental Association

in 1987.

Stan Wint 139



As we traveled the state, we found a num-

ber of dentists with plaques and ribbons on

the walls of their offices, recognizing their

successes in things outside of dentistry. Butthe walls inside Dr. Stan Wint’s office in

Overland Park, look like the hall of fame for

horseback shooting dog competitions.

Stan is an eight-time National Amateur

Shooting Dog Champion and has won over

three hundred field trials. One of his dogs,

Honky Tonk Attitude has been inducted in-

to the National Field Trial Hall of Fame.

We met Stan at his farm with his five-year

old English Pointer, Hell Creek Kate, and his

horse Jake, a six-year old Tennessee Walk-

ing Horse. Hell Creek Kate has won twenty

field trials.

140



Philip Newkirk When we photographed Dr. Philip Newkirk in Neodesha, he was just out of dental school, had just been married

and had joined a practice near his hometown. When we explained that he would be Number 140, he was deeply

honored to represent new dentists across the state who are beginning their careers.

He and his wife Heather are overseeing the building of their first home together and Philip says he is learning more

than he ever wanted to know about home construction. When out of the office, he enjoys playing both the guitar

and tuba and spends time with Heather and their dog, Juliet.



A Special Thank You to the

2011-2012 KDA Executive Committee

Dr. Hal Hale, President Dr. Craig Herre, President Elect Dr. Jason Wagle, Vice President Dr. Cindi Sherwood, Treasurer Dr. Steve Hechler, Secretary

Dr. Dave Hamel, Imm. Past President

KDA Staff

Kevin Robertson, Executive Director Greg Hill

Jennifer Jones

Niki Sadler

Index

Addy Nancy 21 Dillehay Ken 100 Haught Steve 103



Addy, Nancy 21

Armfield, Mark 84

Armfield, Melodee 84

Baker, Lynne

61

Barth, Jason 92

Beaver, Bob 97

Behrens, DeDe 23

Bennett, Richard 130

Betsworth, Larre 43

Bock, Dan 51

Boyce, Harlan 114

Brown, Gary 134

Brown, Joanne

10

Browning, Michael 132

Brummett, Mary 2

Bunkall, David 127

Burnett, Rita 90

Carter, John 95

Cassidy, Kevin 26

Collier, Kirk 28

Conover, Gary

60

Cotton, Ken 96

Crow, Stewart 15

Dakin, Rob 108

Darnall, Rich 7

Dillehay, Ken 100

Dunn, Melvin 94

Engelmann, Lori 36

Epler, Steve

33

Essington, Don 52

Fales, John 12

Fankhauser, Tom 20

Fayziev, Eric 29

Foley, T.J. 112

Gaskill, Effie 46

Gatti, Joe 72

Gertken, James 65

Gonzales, Lisa

126

Grimes, Bill 48

Grosdidier, Jarrett 82

Gross, Guy 39

Gross, Kathryn 39

Guest, Ken 39

Hahn, Amy 53

Hale, Hal 54

Hall, Susan

117

Hamel, Dave 5

Harman-Tinnel, Sarina 74

Harmon, Bob 124

Harmon, Matt 125

Haught, Steve 103

Helm, Austin "Bud" 45

Hemberger, Glenn 56

Henrichs, Kelly

25

Herre, Tim 1

Herron, Rob 81

Herwig, Rob 136

Herzog, Mark 35

Hildebrand, Ross 70

Hurn, Kim 89

Ingram, Ron 137

Johnson, Eric 47

Johnson, Frank

116

Jones, David 69

Jones, Paul 73

Jowett, Ted 101

Juhl, Jake 102

Katzer, Ron 49

Kelley, Greg 87

Kilbane, Greg 83

Kittle, Paul

121

Kohlmeier, Ryan 50

Krische, Matt 4

Krotzinger, Susan 62

Kruse, Dustin 128

Index

37Laudie Joseph 80Neugent Ron 64Sherwood Cindi



37 38 39 40

113 22 75 32 93

115 118 30

106 133 59 11

131 91 63 27 76 58 71 31

Laudie, Joseph Leiszler, Chris Lesko, Allison Lewis, John Loewen, Loren Lollar, Linda Luellen, Don Majors, Chris Marker, Kristy Martin, Kurt McColm, Earl McCullough, Pam McGary, Larry

McGill, Gene McKnight, Sidney III McQuillen, John McReynolds, Max McReynolds, Sean Melcher, Kristi Meng, Sara Metzen, Lisa Moore, Andrew Moreno, Miralda Myers, Dennis Neuenschwander, Karl 122

80 140 42 57

34

110 55 18

135 6 3

44 99 14 88

123 8 8

67 79

138 119 120 17

Neugent, Ron Newkirk, Philip

Nunley, Maya Obee, Crystal Oettmeier, Bert Jr. Omido, Gilbert Parsons, David Peppes, Greg Peterson, Erik

Philpott, Rawley Pinamonti, Gina Raben, Lucynda Reavis, Allen Reynolds, Wendy Ritchey, Grant Rogers, Nick Rogers, Nicole Rogers, Scott Ross, Kami Roufs, Brett Scheer, Brick Schneider, Howard Schopper, Lynne Sekavec, Jay Sherbondy, Cynthia 104

64 85 16

111 9

107 13 77

129 109 66 41 78 68 24

105 19

139 98

Sherwood, Cindi

Smith, Bob Smith, Ricky Smith, Terry Stasch, Jeff Strader, Ron Swift, Julie Swisher, Ashley Thomas, Steve Thompson, R. Wayne Tilton, Jon Warden, Stephanie Waters, Nevin Webber, Ed Wells, Jason Wiklund, Pete Wilson, Angela Wint, Stan Wright, Ron Zivnuska, Phil 86

From the Authors



I have always enjoyed listening to a good story. This project has not only given me a chance to hear 140 great stories; it

has given me the chance to reflect upon and to retell in words and photographs those things that are tremendously im-

portant to our members. Traveling the state of Kansas, from the eastern border with Missouri to the western with Colora-

do and to countless points in between, has given me a new appreciation for the beautiful state in which I have the pleas-

ure of living. Thank you to the members of the Kansas Dental Association for allowing me to take part in the telling of

your story.

Greg Hill

Co-author , 140 Years, 140 Stories

I express my heartfelt thanks to the Kansas Dental Association for the privilege to participate in the 140 Years, 140 Stories

project. This opportunity has allowed me to incorporate my interest and passion for travel, my joy of photography and

the arts, along with meeting Kansas dentists. The visual experience of traveling in Kansas is always new and unfolding.

From new towns to new geographic locations, landmarks and sites that may have been passed by in previous travels were

a delight to see. Each community visited and each dentist photographed was part of the journey of discovering more

about our state. Most of all, the stories you shared about what is dear to you and your communities were a pleasure to

hear and have allowed me to grow as a native Kansan.

Jennifer Jones

Co-author, 140 Years, 140 Stories

140 years, 140 stories - celebrating 140 years of the kansas dental association 1871-2011

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