Pub. 7 2018 Issue 6

l e a d i n g a d v o c a t e f o r t h e b a n k i n g i n d u s t r y i n k a n s a s 16 Briefly... In Kansas Banking Wessel Retires from Farmers and Drovers Bank After 43 years working at Farmers and Drovers Bank in Council Grove, Linda Wessel is retiring. She started in the bookkeeping department and retired as EVP and CFO. Darrel Miller Joins First National Bank of Hutchinson Darrel Miller recently joined The First as Senior Vice President, Commercial Lending. Prior to working at The First, Miller was a Commercial Loan Officer at Central Bank and Trust in Hutchinson, KS. Miller earned an Associates of Applied Science Degree in Banking and Finance from Hutchinson Community College, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Friends University, and is a graduate of Commercial Lending School at Oklahoma University. Miller has been heavily involved in numerous community organizations and has volunteered his time to serve on various local boards, including his church, the United Way of Reno County, and The American Red Cross. Tony Libel, Community Banker, Volunteer, Named True Leader Tony Libel, of Wathena, was this year’s True Leader award recipient at the annual business appreciation breakfast. The award is presented in honor of the late Jack Euler. In looking back over Tony Libel’s life, it was in 1967, when his father died unexpectedly at the age of 53, that he took over as president and CEO of the Farmers State Bank at Wathena. He was only 25 at the time. Tony is the third generation at the bank. His grandfather, Lambert Anthony (L.A.) Libel, helped form the bank in 1903, and was the original cashier and manager, at the age of 23. It was thought to be at the time, and probably still is, that he was the youngest bank manager in American history. Growing up around the bank, Tony began full-time, out of college, in 1964. That’s 54 years in banking, and president for 51 years. Libel received the Kansas Bankers Association ‘Century of Family Banking’ honor for his family’s 100 years of dedication to the community. The bank has now been serving the Wathena community for more than 115 years (with Tony’s involvement for almost half of those years). Two of Tony’s sons, Brandon and Brice, are now the 4th generation, and grandson Ross is the 5th generation to work at the bank. In 2004, Tony was appointed to one of six positions on the Kansas Bankers Association’s governing council. Community banks are the lifeblood of Kansas communities, not only for the access to financing they provide, but also for their service to the community. “Like his father, and grandfather before him, Tony has been the quintessential community leader, fostering not only the economic development of the area, but also serving the community as a leader and volunteer,” said former president of the Kansas Bankers Association, Jim Maag. Ashley VanDeventer joins The Trust Company of Kansas Ashley VanDeventer joined The Trust Company of Kansas in July 2018 with a background as a corporate paralegal. She’ll be working closely with Paul F. Fowler and Tasha Bucher, who are both Vice Presidents and Trust Officers. Ashley is excited to be part of the TCK team and is looking forward to serving our clients as a Trust Administrator in our Wichita office. Obituary: William Bennett William Lawrence Bennett Sr., 94, passed away Saturday, June 23, 2018. He was born September 1, 1923 near Newton, Kansas, to parents William W. and Estelle (Biggerstaff) Bennett. He was raised in his early years on a farm near Halstead, KS and attended elementary school at district No. 15 for a few years. The family moved to a farm southwest of Conway Springs, Kansas in 1932, where Bennett attended Springhill rural school and graduated from Conway Springs High with the class of 1941. He attended Kansas State University, and in November of 1942 married his high school sweetheart, Leila R. Lewis and they were fortunate to be with one another for 75 years. To this union three sons were born. Bennett enlisted in the United States Navy in January of 1943 and was a plank member of the U.S. Midway aircraft carrier during WWII. He was honorably discharged on April 16, 1946. In 1950, Bennett began working at the 1st National Bank in Conway Springs. He served the Conway Springs community in banking for the next 50 years and was the bank President and Board Member during his tenure. He served on a number of state and regional committees of the Kansas Bankers Association and was honored for his 50 years in banking.