BURCHETT, Wayne Oscar & Gayle Elaine (CARNS)

CARNS, BURCHETT, MCCABE, BARTON

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 3/2/2015 at 03:13:50

Biographical note ~ Wayne Oscar & Gayle (Elaine (Carns) Burchett

Grand River, Iowa

Wayne Oscar Burchett was born December 25, 1920 to Orval and Alice Burchett at their family farm near Grand River, Iowa. Gayle Elaine Carns was born March 31, 1925 to Francis and Lucille Carns in Adams County, Iowa. Wayne graduated from Grand River High School in 1938 and Gayle from Murray High School in 1942.

Gayle and Wayne married on July 18, 1942 and had two daughters, Anne Barton and Cathy McCabe. The family lived on their century farm, Orval Burchett and Sons Hereford Ranch, near Grand River. Wayne raised Herefords on the farm which had been in his family for three generations, and was also a member of the American Hereford Association. In addition to the century farm, Wayne owned and operated several accounting, insurance and tax service businesses throughout his career (including the Wayne O. Burchett Agency Ltd. in Murray and Kellogg, Iowa and the Burchett and Overholtzer Agency in Grand River, Iowa). In 1998 Wayne served as president of the Iowa Accountants Association. In addition to his professional activities, Wayne was also active in his community and interested in creative pursuits such as oil painting, carpentry, leathersmithing, building, invention and music. When he was young, Wayne was a 4-H member and showed prize-winning Hereford cattle at the fair. As an adult, he served as a 4-H leader and County Fair Board member.

From birth until 1995, when he underwent surgery, Wayne never missed attending a single Iowa State Fair.

In addition to being a homemaker, helping Wayne on the farm, and raising their two daughters, Gayle served as a girls' 4-H leader in Decatur County for the Richland Ridge Runners. Gayle loved to dance, sing, and play the piano and banjo. When her daughters Anne and Cathy were older, Gayle worked at several jobs to earn extra money, such the Snowden lingerie factory in Osceola, the O'Bryan Brothers in Leon and at the Clarke County Hospital.

The Burchett's ranch began as a farm in 1890 when Marshall and Sarah Burchett purchased the land, located six miles north of Grand River, and started a farm and blacksmithing operation. Marshall began breeding Herefords after hearing about and investigating the new breed in the United States. Marshall purchased five heifers, and the herd descended from these five original heifers (the female line remained closed throughout the farm's operation). In 1920 their son, Orval, took over the farm with his wife, Alice. Orval and Alice had four children: Wayne O., Wanda, Wilda and Orval Wade.

Wayne and Orval Wade ran the ranch with their father until World War II when Orval Wade left for military service, returning in 1946 with his wife Yvonne. In 1950 Wade left the ranch, selling his share to his brother Wayne. Wayne was the sole owner and operator of the farm until his retirement. Gayle Burchett was later forced to sell the family farm in order to pay for Wayne Burchett's medical expenses.

Wayne died March 23, 2001 in Mount Ayr, Iowa and was followed by his wife Gayle on February 6, 2008, also in Mount Ayr.

~ daughter Anne (Burchett) Barton

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