Wade Barnett, longtime businessman and community leader was an active member of his community. He served on the Goodland city Council for two years (1965-1971). He was elected to the first Goodland City Commission in 1983 when Goodland voted to change from the Council to the Commission form of governing. He served on the Goodland City Commission for ten years, six of them as Mayor. It was during one of those terms as Mayor that National Sun made the decision in 1991 to open a sun flower plant in Goodland. The Goodland Daily News paper stated that the addition of National Sun Industries may have the most impact in the future of the Goodland business community. Slomo Nadel, the National Sun Engineer/Manager stated that Mr. Barnett played the integral part of their making the decision to locate in Goodland, Kansas. Wade Barnett, Mayor and Keith Jantz, City Manager, secured an agreement from a Kansas National Guard Adjunct General, to establish a National Guard Unit and build an Armory in Goodland, Kansas. The National Guard Armory was dedicated May, 1990. Mayor Barnett was also instrumental in getting the City and County officials working together and successfully getting Roadway Trucking, one of the top three freight carriers in the United States, at the time, to locate a relay station in Goodland in 1992. The Goodland Chamber of Commerce presented Wade the Ambassador Award in 1992. Wade was also given the Sherman County Agri-Business Person of The Year in 2004.
Wade Barnett died Wednesday, April 6, 2011, in Hays, Kansas, following a lengthy illness. Wade Barnett was born February 27, 1924, in Brownell, Kansas, the son of Nellie (Adkinson) and William Roy Barnett. He attended elementary school in Brownell, Kansas. In 1937 he moved with his family to Scott City Kansas where he entered high school as a freshman and graduated from the Scott Community High School. On September 7, 1947, he and Juanita Marie Oliver were married in Scott City, Kansas, and to this union four children were born; a son David Gordon, in 1948, three daughters; Kimberly Ann in 1952, Darcille Lou in 1955 and Kiera Sue in 1963. In October of 1950, Wade moved his family to Goodland, Kansas to become an agent for the Standard Oil Company. At that time, he was the youngest agent in the Kansas City District. In 1976, he bought out the interest of the Standard Oil Company in Goodland and established the Barnett Oil Company, marketing Amoco Oil products. He retired in 1995 at the age of 71. As stated above, he was active on the Goodland City Commission. He was also a member of the First United Methodist Church. He was a member of the Elks Lodge, BPOE # 1528 and served as Exalted Ruler in 1960-1961 and the Board of Trustees when the new Goodland Elks Club was built on Arcade Street in 1963. He was awarded the Elks Life Time Membership award. He also belonged to the Sugar Hills Golf Club and earlier belonged to the Goodland Chamber of Commerce and the Goodland Kiwanis Club. Wade Barnett was recognized in Field Trial Circles. He trained many Field Trial Labrador Retrievers. He received national recognition with his retriever, Martens Stormy, who qualified for two national field trials, winning second in one of them. Mr. Barnett was also a qualified field trial judge. His greatest love and enjoyment was his family. He was especially interested in the activities of his children. He helped with the Prairie Dusters, a Girls Riding Drill Team; the Little Britches rodeo and the boy scouts. He coached his youngest daughter’s soft ball team, was co-leader of a 4-H Leaders Club and followed the Goodland Swim Team in which three of his oldest children participated. He was a great supporter of the young people in Goodland and continued to follow their activities. He was an avid reader and enjoyed his large collection of music from country to semi-classical. He also enjoyed hunting and riding his Honda Gold Wing motorcycle. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Juanita M. Barnett of the home in Goodland, a son David and wife Janice of Yukon, Ok,; daughters Kimberly and husband David Northup of Stockton, Ks.; Darcille and husband Richard Rains of Yukon, Ok.; Kiera and husband Larry Pollard of Princeton, Mo.; grandchildren Brian Barnett, Yukon, Ok.; Gina(Tod) Yates, Yukon, Ok.; Tabor Northup, Austin Tex.; Shaudel (Joe) Bain, Tonganoxie, Ks.; Preston (Angela) Montgomery, Yukon, Ok.; Tiasha Montgomery, Yukon, Ok.; Rachael Pollard, Spickard, Mo.; and Jacob Pollard, Spickard, Mo.; great-grandchildren Parker Yates, Lauren Yates, twins Ella Bain and Ainsleigh Bain, twins Carolina Northup and Temprance Northup and Landon Montgomery; sisters; Lela Bishop of Pharr, Tex; Thelma Miller of Scott City, Ks. and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother Neal and twin grandchildren, Shane Shelby Barnett and Heather Barnett. |