eFreePress 06.24.10.pdf - Blue Rapids Free Press

NEWS EWS Blue Rapids Free Press - Thursday, June 24, 2010
Kansas Profile - Now That´s Rural:
John Brewer - Wyldewood Cellars
By Ron Wilson, director of the
Huck Boyd National Institute
for Rural Development at
Kansas State University.
Let’s go to the 2002 Winter
Olympics in Utah. There is only
one wine being served here in the
Olympic Village, and it was
selected through a national tasting
competition. Where do you suppose
that wine came from? Would
you believe, from rural Kansas?
John Brewer is owner of
Wyldewood Cellars, the awardwinning
family-owned winery
which produced the winning wine
for the Olympic Village and has
garnered many other awards.
John’s story begins on the family
ranch in the southern Flint Hills.
After growing up there, he studied
physics at K-State and then got a
doctorate at Arkansas before
entering a career in the scientific
equipment business.
While still in graduate school,
he dabbled in making wine. That
interest increased when visiting
his wife’s best friend from college
who married Mike Martini in
Napa, California. Martini is one of
the best red wine makers in the
country.
Meanwhile, John was thinking
about how to make the home family
farm more profitable. He started
doing market research on producing
wine as an alternative crop.
“I would ask people about their
preferences among French-
American hybrids, and people
would say, ‘Yeah, those are good,
but what was really great was
Grandma’s elderberry wine.’ Well,
after I heard that about eight or
nine times, I finally caught on that
this had potential,” John said.
“I got hold of my mother and
said, ‘Do you know anything
about elderberries?’” he said. “She
said, ‘Oh, I’ve been meaning to
talk to you about that. We have
those growing all over the ranch.’”
Karen Vina Merrill
Karen Vina Merrill, 68, Blue
Rapids, died peacefully at home
Saturday, June 19, 2010, with all of
her family nearby.
A service was at 2 p.m. Wednesday,
June 23, at the United Methodist
Church, Blue Rapids. Margaret
Luplow officiated.
Burial was in Prospect Hill
Cemetery north of Blue Rapids.
Karen Merrill was born July 26,
1941, at Blue Rapids, the daughter of
William Arthur and Bernece Geneva
Wilkinson DeWalt.
She married James Blevins in April
1958. They had four children, Laura,
Ray, Jimmy and Teena. They later
divorced.
She married Melvin Merrill in May
1964, and they had one son, Melvin Jr.
They officially adopted a daughter,
Charlene.
Loren Burton
Loren E. Burton, 74, of Marysville,
died Friday, June 18, 2010 at his residence.
A funeral service was held at 10
a.m., Monday, June 21 at the United
Methodist Church in Frankfort. Rev.
Norma Jeane Miller officiated.
Janet Plegge played the organ while
Steve Gleason sang “The Old Rugged
Cross”. Steve played the guitar and
sang “Daddy’s Hands”. The congregation
sang “Amazing Grace”.
Burial was in the Frankfort City
Cemetery.
The pallbearers were Rod Craig,
Bob Koch, Jim Harper, Jim Keller,
Ron Wilson
It was the beginning of something
great. After years of
research, John and his sister
Merry opened Wyldewood Cellars
and started producing and marketing
elderberry wine and related
products. In January 1995, the
business began in a 3,500 square
foot space in downtown Mulvane.
In January 1999, a fire broke out
in a building next to the winery
and everything burned to the
ground.
But John found opportunity in
the disaster and built a much larger
facility near Interstate 35 west
of Mulvane. In the ensuing years,
he continued to grow the business.
Now Wyldewood operates in
more than 36,000 square feet –
more than ten times the space
where it began. As his wine
gained fame, John himself became
an international wine judge – for
years, the only one in Kansas.
One key to business growth was
the health benefits of the elderberry
product.
“We found elderberries were
highly medicinal. They are the
only clinically proven natural
antiviral product, so they prevent
colds and flu. They are a natural
antihistamine, so they stop asthma
in its tracks,” he said.
According to
Education was very important to
Karen. Her family was very proud of
her when she went back to school and
obtained her GED, then took classes
to become a certified nurse’s aide, a
certified dietary manager, and finally
certified medication aide. She started
working at the Blue Valley Nursing
Home in 1976, working in all of these
positions throughout the years. She
later worked at Cambridge Place in
Marysville until she retired in January
2006 due to health issues. She had
previously worked at a spittoon factory
in Barnes.
She kept very busy all of her life.
She enjoyed bingo, fishing, collecting
old dishes and red glass, hunting
arrowheads, mushrooms, old bottles
and visiting with her many friends.
Survivors include her sons Melvin
Merrill Jr., Blue Rapids, and Ray
Blevins and wife, Jenny, Seneca; her
daughters, Laura Pinnick and husband,
Jack, Blue Rapids, Teena
Larry Hicks, Casey Jones, Mike
Caffrey and Chad Rhodes.
Loren was born September 11,
1935 at Lillis, KS, son of D.H. and
Hazel (Black) Burton.
On November 2, 1958, he married
Norma L. Kenworthy at Beatrice, NE.
He was an over the road truck driver
for 25 years for his brother Ralph
and Studer Truck Line. He then
worked 18 years driving a truck for
the Marshall County Road & Bridge
Department.
Loren lived in Frankfort until moving
to Marysville in 2005. He enjoyed
his grandchildren, fishing, the casino,
drinking coffee and visiting with
friends.
He was preceded in death by his
www.elderberry.net, elderberries
are used for their antioxidant
activity, to lower cholesterol,
improve vision, boost the immune
system, and improve heart health.
They are used for coughs, colds,
flu, bacterial and viral infections
and tonsilitis. Recently, elderberry
flavonoids have been found to
fight the H1N1 virus. Elderberry
juice extract has become a major
seller for the company.
Wyldewood Cellars now produces
over 40 different types of
Kansas wine and has won more
than 400 international awards.
The main production facility is
located near Mulvane, a south
central Kansas town of 5,245 people.
That’s rural – but there’s
more. The business has expanded
to include retail outlets in Wichita,
Legends Mall in Kansas City,
Kan., St. Joseph, Ill., and along I-
70 at the rural community of
Paxico, population 210 people.
Now, that’s rural. Wyldewood
Cellars’ products are sold wholesale
all over the U.S. For more
information, go to www.wyldewoodcellars.com.
John is passionate about his
product, and also about the opportunity
which alternative crops can
provide to producers. He said, “If
the grower can generate three or
five or even ten thousand dollars
per acre in alternative specialty
crops, a medium-sized farm can
be viable and we can enhance
rural life.”
It’s time to leave the Olympic
Village, where wine from Kansas
was exclusively served. We commend
John and Merry Brewer and
all those involved with
Wyldewood Cellars for making a
difference with innovation and
marketing of this specialty crop.
For rural Kansas, that’s a success
story of Olympian proportions.
Chapman and husband, Eugene, St.
Edward, Neb., and Charlene
Engleman and husband, Levi,
Beatrice; her brothers, Mark DeWalt
and Bill DeWalt; her sisters Myrna
Johansen and Barbara McGahey, both
of Tulsa, and Theola Heath, Blue
Rapids; 17 grandchildren; 12 greatgrandchildren;
and numerous nieces,
nephews and friends.
She was preceded in death by her
parents; her husband; her son Jimmy
Blevins; her step-sons, Allan Merrill
and Randy Merrill; her sisters Lynn
Stegeman and Jeanne DeWalt; her
step-grandson Jared Merrill; and
great-grandson Garrett Gronquist.
Memorial contributions may be
made and sent to Meadowlark
Hospice, Clay Center, due to their
outstanding care and compassion for
her and her family. Midwest
Cremation Society was in charge of
arrangements.
parents; six brothers, Bill, Ralph,
Dan, Tom, Emmett and Bob; one sister,
Hazel Marie Wuethrich; and one
grandchild, Tyler Land.
Survivors include his wife, Norma;
one son, John Burton and wife Lori,
Topeka; two daughters, Diana Land
and husband Mitch, and Sandy
Botkin, both of Blue Rapids; three
sisters, Kelma Burry, Arvada, CO,
Margaret Perry, Pueblo, CO, and
Nellie Warders, Pratt, KS; eight
grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
A memorial fund has been established
and will be designated at a later
date. Contributions may be sent in
care of Kinsley Mortuary.
Marshall County Jail Report
Marshall County Sheriff’s
Department
107 South Thirteenth Street
Marysville, Kansas 66508
Phone: (785) 562-3141 * Fax:
(785) 562-2743
Jail Activity Sheet
Activities for the week of: June
14, 2010- June 20, 2010
Name: Brady Smith
Address: Everett WA
Date of Birth: 9-16-1982
Gender: Male
Charge: Riley County Warrant
Date of Commitment: 6-15-10
Date of Release: 6-16-10
Conditions: Released to Riley
County
Name: Antonio L. Dunn
Address: Kansas City MO
Date of Birth: 9-8-1959
Gender: Male
Charge: City of Marysville
Warrant
Date of Commitment: 6-15-10
Date of Release: 6-19-10 ?
Conditions: Unknown at this
Obituaries
Time
Name: Richard Branch
Address: Oketo
Date of Birth: 3-6-1988
Gender: Male
Charge: Two Riley County
Warrants
Date of Commitment: 6-16-10
Date of Release: 6-16-10
Conditions: Bonded on Both
Warrants
Name: Bryan Chapman
Address: Marysville
Date of Birth: 4-17-1990
Gender: Male
Charge: Marshall County
Warrant
Date of Commitment: 6-16-10
Date of Release: 6-18-10
Conditions: Bonded $5,000 c/s
Name: Joshua May
Address: Marysville
Date of Birth: 1-21-1989
Gender: Male
Charge: NB Warrant
Date of Commitment: 6-16-10
Date of Release: 6-17-10
Conditions: Released to Gage
County
Name: Steven Kling
Address: Marysville
Date of Birth: 3-10-83
Gender: Male
Charge: Driving While
Suspended
Date of Commitment: 6-19-10
Date of Release: 6-20-10
Conditions: Bonded $300.00
c/s
Rockwell’s
Heels, Soles,
Baseball Gloves Relaced
Zipper put in coats
(overalls etc.)
Hours m-f 8-5
Sat. 8 - 12
ROCKWELL’s
Shoe Repair
1200 Walnut
Marysville
Terry-Christie
Funeral Home
2A
308 West Walnut, Waterville and 302 East 4th
Street, Blue Rapids; 785-363-2627
“A Personal Approach to Service at a Very
“A Personal Approach Personal to Time” Service at a Very
www.terrychristefuneralhome.com
Personal Time.”
Blue Rapids Auto & Hardware
NAPA Auto Parts
Do It Best Hardware
Hunting & Fishing Licenses
Hydraulic Hoses • Saw Chains
Corn Stoves • Ammunition
Infrared Heaters
10 Public Square, Blue Rapids, Kansas 66411
785-363-7384
Blue Valley Nursing Home
710 Western Ave.
Blue Rapids, Ks 66411
785-363-7777
“We have a warm friendly home like environment that
you feel when you enter the door.”
Route 77 Corner Stores
Blue Rapids 785-363-7364
Waterville 785-363-2641
Roy and Mandi Hartloff