Dave and Mary Kay Heard, this year’s city marshals for the 39th Farm-City Days, personify faithfulness to Iola.
The Heards joined farm marshals Rick and Becky Robb in opening ceremonies for the annual fall festival Wednesday evening and will be featured in Saturday’s parade through downtown Iola.
The Heards are lifetime Iolans. She was born in Mexico, Mo., moving here with her parents at age 1.
They are best known as longtime proprietors of Iola’s Western Auto Store, which they sold last year.
The Heards connected in a happenstance sort of way.
“Dave was dating one of my best friends in high school and often I’d go along with them, to get a Coke or something like that,” Mary Kay recalled Wednesday afternoon at their home, 901 N. Sycamore St.
At some point Dave found his girlfriend’s friend more appealing. A little over a year after she was graduated from Iola High School they were married in November 1962.
But not before both went away to college, albeit for academic journeys that were little more than cursory.
“My folks always wanted me to go to KU and I did — for a semester,” Mary Kay said. “I was miserable being at KU while Dave was in juco here. I came home and when he graduated from juco, he went to K-State, where he also was miserable.”
After their marriage the Heards spent another semester in Manhattan, but then returned to Iola and joined her parents in the Western Auto Store, then at 15 W. Madison.
In 1963 the store was moved to the north shopping center and into larger quarters at 320 W. Garfield. Shortly thereafter the Smiths turned over management responsibilities to David and the store was incorporated in 1969.
“Dad wanted us to be a part of Western Auto all along and it worked out well for us all through the years,” Mary Kay said.
When Jon and Gail Dunbar purchased the store in 1969, it had been in the Smith and Heard families for 65 years.
The Heards received many awards for their devotion to the store.
“One of the most memorable was the prestigious Craftsman Silver Sales Award, along with the Western Auto Bronze Purchase Award for quality merchandise and salesmanship,” said Mary Kay. “We also received the top honor in the retail division of the 2000 Southeast Kansas Business Appreciation Awards,” on nomination of Iola commissioners.
“Until last year, work defined most of our lives,” she said. “We loved the history of Western Auto. We loved the people we worked with and waited on, and we loved being a part of Iola’s retail community. Both of us worked six days a week, Dave for 47 years and I after the kids were grown. Over the years we worked for our parents and our children worked for us.
“Most of our life lessons were learned right there in the store.”
THE HEARDS have been Iola Area Chamber of Commerce members from the get-go and still have an individual membership.
“Our business also was one of the original members of Iola Industries,” Mary Kay said.
She has served on the Iola Industries board for many years and has been chairman since 2003. Mary Kay also was on the founding board of the USD 257 Endowment Association, and its the first 10 years.
“I’ve done many things through the years, been involved with organizations and communities, but nothing has been has meaningful to me as what I’m doing now,” she said.
Mary Kay is a member of the Hospital Facilities Commission, whose members helped Allen County commissioners decide direction for a new hospital, and now she is among the most active of Allen County Healthcare Committee members, who are vigorously campaigning for passage of a quarter-cent countywide sales tax, the financial trigger for construction of a new Allen County Hospital.
“It’s really an honor to be a part of the commission and the campaign effort,” Mary Ann said. “I think it’s the most important thing I’ve ever done as a citizen.”
Dave is supportive of the issue and of his wife’s effort, and allowed “it’s going to get pretty quit around the house after Nov. 2,” when the sales tax issue will be decided.
“He’s right,” Mary Kay chimed in. “Many nights I go to bed thinking about the hospital and that’s what is on my mind when I wake up the next morning,” she said. “But, it’s that important. Nothing any of us will ever do will affect as many people for as long a period of time as a new hospital.”
WHILE it was seldom Dave wasn’t on hand when the Western Auto Store was open, he did concede time to play softball, initially as part of the Wesley United Methodist Church team in local leagues in the 1960s.
Western Auto sponsored a local slow-pitch softball team for 20 years. When he turned 55, Dave began playing with a senior slow-pitch team in Kansas City, where he drives twice a week to compete. He currently plays with a team for players ages 65 to 70, and did so as recently as Tuesday evening. Later this fall he will play in a national tournament in Phoenix, with the Kansas City team.
“More than 300 teams will be in the Phoenix tournament,” Dave said.
He won’t be the only Iolan. Wayne Ryherd and Dr. Norman Bunch also plan to participate in the national tournament, just as they do in Kansas City each week.
During the winter months, he plays basketball twice a week with a group at the gymnasium in Riverside Park.
Mary Kay, even with her crush of activities, has been able to shoehorn in time to play in three bridge clubs.
“My other favorite activity is reading,” she said, noting that the Iola Public Library is a great resource. “I’m a lifelong fan of the library and its great staff.”
To stay physically fit, she walks daily and practices yoga.
THE HEARDS have three children and five grandchildren.
Their older son, John, lives in LaHarpe, where he runs an Internet consulting business, Beyond Engineering.
Daughter Sharla is married to Tom Miller. They live in Iola. The Millers own a convenience store at Beto Junction and are partners in Cedar Valley Investments.
Their younger son, Scott and his wife, Robin, live in Gilbert, Ariz. He is a computer engineer with General Dynamics in Scottsdale, Ariz. Robin is a chemical engineer with Orbital Sciences in Chandler, Ariz.
John’s children are Savannah and Justin. Savannah owns TLC Garden Center in LaHarpe. Sharla and Tom’s children are Paige, Matthew and Jenna.
