Fred C. Germann

Funeral services for Fred C. Germann, 89, of Junction City will be held at 10 a.m., Thursday, September 23, 2010 at First Presbyterian Church with Pastor Matthew Glasgow officiating. Visitation will be Wednesday, September 22, 2010 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Penwell-Gabel Johnson Chapel, 203 N. Washington Street. Burial will be held at Upper Humboldt Cemetery. Mr. Germann passed away at Geary Community Hospital on September 17, 2010. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to the First Presbyterian Church, 113 W. 5th Street, Junction City, KS 66441 and the KSU Foundation, c/o KSU College of Agriculture, 2323 Anderson, Manhattan, KS 66502.

He was born March 3, 1921, at home in the Blue River Valley north of Manhattan, the son of G. F. and Blanche Clark Germann. He attended a one room country school, Blue Valley then graduated from Stockdale High School in 1939, where he was active in sports. Fred enrolled at Kansas State Agricultural College and graduated with a degree in Animal Husbandry. He was a member of the livestock judging team and Farm House fraternity.

Fred's biggest challenge was participating with his neighbors in opposing the construction of Tuttle Creek Dam, but lost the "Battle of the Blue", as it was called. The Corps of Engineers bought the fertile Germann farm land but not the adjacent pastures. Some of those Flint Hills were developed into building sites extending along the shore of Tuttle Creek Lake from Lakewood to Stony Brook. In 1957 he moved with his parents to Humboldt Creek in Geary County.
In 1959 he married Helen Van Buskirk at the Methodist Church, Howard, Kansas. They have two daughters, Debra Taylor, Manhattan, and Lisa Williams, Junction City, and three grandchildren: Tyler Williams, Deja and Jonathan Taylor and a son-in-law Johnny Taylor.

Mr. Germann was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, Junction City, where he served as an elder and deacon and taught Sunday school. He was involved in many community activities, serving on boards and committees and was one of the original board members of the First State Bank in Junction City and served for many years.

After the move to Geary County, Fred expanded his operation to raising SPF hogs focusing mainly on breeding stock. He also partnered with several local businessmen to form F & R Swine, Inc., where he served as president until 1987. He retired from the hog business in 1996. He then focused on farming and expanding his cattle business which continues today.

He is the only person to serve as President of both the Kansas Livestock Association and the Kansas Pork Producers Council. He and his wife, Helen were recognized as Kansas Master Farmer/Master Homemaker in 1974.
Fred and Helen traveled extensively for pleasure and for business throughout the United States and overseas.

Fred Germann was a modest man who said that his greatest pleasure was helping young people start a career in agriculture and watching them succeed on their own. On September 11, 2010, he was inducted into the Kansas Cowboy Hall of Fame, Dodge City, in the Rancher/Stockman category. Because of his health, he was not able to attend the ceremony.

Fred is survived by his wife Helen; his daughters and their families; his two sisters, Glenna Wilson and Rosalie Thompson, Manhattan; niece, Teresa Thompson Dunn, St. Louis, and nephews John Wilson, wife Peg, Topeka; Stan Wilson and Ron Wilson, wife Chris, Manhattan; and Tad Thompson, North Wales, PA.

He was predeceased by his parents, his in-laws Harvey and Hazel Van Buskirk, a son-in-law Larry Williams and two sisters, Arbelia Germann and Florence Lindstrom.