Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

My sweet and tender-hearted big brother slipped away from all those who loved him on June 17, 2022.

Always thinking and planning ahead, Randy made sure he and his sweetheart Corda made it to their 55^th wedding anniversary the day before.

When I was two years old, I couldn’t talk plain, so when I wanted a drink, I would go to my brother  and say, “Nanny dink.” There was a ten-year difference in our ages and I remember asking my Dad in later years, “Why in the world did you and Mom have us so far apart?” Without missing a beat, his pithy answer was, “We didn’t want you two to fight.” Well, their scheme worked! We never had a fight, misunderstanding, or disagreement in all my 64 years.

However, he did have a mischievous streak because he once convinced me to taste dirt. I did it because I was little and stupid…and he knew it!

During our youngest years growing up together in California, he was an excellent entertainer. We had twin beds and he would make a bridge with his body between the beds and I would crawl across on his back from one bed to the other. Then when he was 15 years of age, we moved back to our folks’ roots (Stockton, Missouri) so Randy wouldn’t marry some California girl and get stuck out there. I thought that was really wise on my folks’ part and it worked out great for all of us. I got to go on some of Randy and Corda’s dates and that was really fun and made me feel special. Just seven-years old, I had no idea I wasn‘t supposed to sit in the middle of the lovebirds. But I got by with it because I was Randy’s little sister.

Through the years, I watched my brother devote his life to becoming a man that God could use to accomplish His will. Randy was a man after God’s own heart. He listened to the gentle whispers of God’s voice and then he simply obeyed. Many years ago, he had a super-nice bicycle that he enjoyed very much, but he gave it away to someone who needed it. “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” (1 John 3:17 NIV).

I watched my brother obey the vision and direction God gave him in 1993. Jailhouse Rock Ministries ships Bibles and Christian literature to jails and prisons across the entire State of Missouri. He had a heart for helping those who could not help themselves. “Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself.“ (Hebrews 13:3 NLT). I now pray, “Heavenly Father, let the man (whom You have chosen) hear and obey Your voice. I believe he is waiting in the wings right now, ready to stand in the gap for JHR.“

Just five days before Randy met Jesus face to face, he selflessly stood at the pulpit in Pittsburg, Missouri and delivered one of his most-anointed messages ever. I suspect he knew it was the last time, so God’s Spirit came down and helped him preach a home run. “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes — the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in His sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith“ (Romans 1:16,17 NLT).

My brother loved hard, prayed hard, and was passionate about sharing the uncompromised Word of God. He loved the Lord with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength. He stood with his feet on the Rock, defended the faith, and showed mercy to those who were going down for the last time. He ran hard and finished his race as a good and faithful servant of Jesus Christ.

The Key: Even though he was small in stature, Randy Hayward was a giant of a man.

The personal income of Bourbon County residents is of keen importance to all of us.  It determines the relative success of most of our businesses around town and sets limits on prices of real estate and the taxes that can be collected.  The Kansas Statistical Abstract of 2020 accumulates personal income by county and by category.  Here are some interesting observations from the data:

• At the 2020 census, 14,360 people lived in Bourbon County, a 5.36% drop from the last census. Of that number, approximately 8,200 of us are in the working age category of 19 to 64 years old.
• Total personal income for Bourbon County in 2019 was approximately $521.4 million. That breaks down to $63.6 thousand per working age adult and $36.3 thousand for every man, woman and child.
• Transfer payments (welfare, SNAP, grants and other government funding) totaled $149.4 million in 2019.
• Social Security payments were right at $48 million in 2019, which equals about $19.2 thousand per person who is 65 and over. Of course, some recipients receive benefits before age 65, some delay enrollment.
• Wages and supplemental payments, such as bonuses, commissions, etc., totaled $323.8 million which is about $39.6 thousand per working age adult.

How do we compare to other counties in Kansas?  Here is a sampling from 2019; all dollar numbers in thousands:

(1) All income earned, excluding government payments.

Two major points about Bourbon County: 1) Our earned personal income compared to working age adults is the best in the five county area. 2) Our percentage of working age adults compare to total population is last in the five county area at 57.1%. We have a higher than usual population under age 18 and older than 64.  The highest percentage of working population in the five county area is Crawford at 63.7%.  This is statistical proof that compensation is better in Bourbon County, which is why upwards of 2,800 workers commute to our county from other jurisdictions.  When it comes to employment, we are the county of choice in the area.

Bourbon County has a lot to offer, and some problems to tackle.  We at Bourbon County REDI are working to enhance and promote our strengths and to create coalitions to solve problems.  We believe in the future of our county.