He was a city boy — Gas — who always wanted to farm.
She was a farm girl, who, fortunately, was content to remain there.
Farming is not the only life Leon and Dorothy Catron have known, but it’s been the most rewarding.
The Catrons are being recognized this weekend as grand marshals for the 40th Farm-City Days along with Gary and Janice Parker and Paul and Dorothy Setter. The three couples were incremental in making F-C Days an annual tradition.
The Catrons live west of Iola on Missouri Road. Time was Leon farmed way more than their 160 acres, extending two miles west and south. They planted soybeans, corn and milo in addition to having 85 cows.
“We were pretty diversified,” Leon said. “I really missed farming until one day I saw my son mucking around in the mud. Then I felt pretty lucky to be inside when the weather turns bad.”
It’s been more than 25 years since Leon earned his labor off the land. You’d never know it. A bright yellow and orange tractor is parked in back of the house. The barn is still full of machinery and tools.
“I still feel like a farmer,” he said.
And he still works the land. But nowadays it’s to tend a massive garden and even more rose bushes.
“I’m still outside 24/7,” he said.
THE CATRONS have been married 55 years. They met after a year’s correspondence while Leon was stationed in the South Korea during the Korean War.
Leon’s sister arranged the correspondence course between her friend, Dorothy Smith, and her brother.
Both were old beyond their years.
At 17, Leon dropped out of high school to join the Navy, serving four years before he retired as a boatswain mate. He served on the USS St. Paul. While away, he earned his general education diploma.
Dorothy attended Enterprise Country School up until the eighth grade. She then was needed to take care of her elderly grandparents, John and Hannah Smith, who raised her as a child.
