Linda Boomer was club president in 2003-2004. She and her husband Ed moved to the Tri-Cities in 1994; and she became one of George Jones' many recruits in 1996. As 2004 was Kennewick's Centennial, there were lots of events the club participated in as a sponsor of that year-long celebration. One of the highlights was the grand opening gala of the Three Rivers Convention Center where, at the Woehler-Sauer table, the best of the best wine was served. A favorite project that year and during a few prior years was vision screening at Family A Fair. She and Gus Kittson (mostly Gus!) were the only ones who knew how to assemble and disassemble the big, ugly black felt-covered booths. Finally, she didn't think she would miss the chanting of "Boom-ER!, Boom-ER!, Boom-ER!" when she turned the president's gavel over to Bob Woehler, but confesses that she actually did (a little).

Don Olsen was asked to help Dick Peterson in the early 1980's when the club's emphases was going to be CPR training for the public. I was the training officer at the Kennewick Fire Department and was doing CPR class upon request. As a result of the Kennewick Kiwanis Club's efforts within a couple of years, with the assistance of Kennewick Fire Department, Columbia Basin College and Kennewick General Hospital we issued over 5,000 CPR cards in one year for those who completed the 3 hours of training.
I was President from 1985-1986 and the Lt. Governor (don't recall this name?) gave me the Distinguished President's pen for bring 2 new members to the club having the largest growth of any club in the division and completing a major community project.

• Our club worked with Washington State DOT to put up yellow flashers on the blue bridge that would warn drivers that the bridge had an accident on it. This allowed drivers to make decisions to another route and not get tied up in traffic.
• Our Club held a Steak and Beans membership drive thanks to my membership chairman Lee Haberling the club membership went from 66 at the start of the year to over 96 at the end of the year.
• We started a Santa Claus visit with gifts to the Bailies Youth Ranch and I know that it continued for several years there after.
• At Red's suggestion we started the Crazy Hat Meeting.

After taking a job at the Hanford Fire Department I had to leave the Kennewick Kiwanis Club, but when Lee Haberling became Lt. Governor for 1994, He twisted my arm to help him start a Kiwanis Supper Club. The Kennewick Kiwanis Club sponsored the Three Rivers Kiwanis Club and I was the first president of it for a term and half.

Steven A. Schmitz In January 1982 I had the pleasure of becoming a Kennewick Kiwanian and learning what community service was all about. Don Anderson nudged me towards Kiwanis, Dave Dickerson was the President, and Darrell Boone signed my active certificate. I have wonderful memories of working the parking lots at the county fair, wheelchair basketball, meetings at Leo's and the Parks Department building near the Columbia River, installation banquets at the Tri Cities Country Club, conducting weekly meetings as President 1987-88, and Fred Shields presenting me with the Lt. Governors pin in spring of 1988. As president of the club in 1987-88 the accomplishment that stands out in my memory is the initiation of the Kennewick Educational Foundation with the leadership of Ty Haberling and others. I am pleased and honored the Foundation continues to thrive today and serve the students of the Kennewick School District. I am in my 38th year as an educator (Central Washington University) and when recently visiting a Kiwanis Club on Bainbridge Island ran into longtime Kiwanian Bob Waller. Small world.

Steve Schmitz, Professor/Faculty
Department of Education
CWU Des Moines Center
206-439-3800 ext. 3830
schmitzs@cwu.edu

Laurie Tufford - Laurie joined the Kiwanis club of Kennewick in September 1997 when she was working with Sterling Savings Bank. George Jones brought her to the club. She worked through the leadership chairs and represented the club as president for the 2005-2006 administrative year. During her year as president Laurie made a commitment to attend all committee meetings to get a feel of the pulse of the club. She delivered packages to Jubilee Youth Ranch, established the giving program at the Finley Elementary and has even been recorded to play Santa on occasion. In June of 2006 the club split and the Horse Heaven Hills club was born with the president going to the new club. Laurie was elected to a second/half year as president.
Laurie holds the position of Chief Executive Officer of Consumer Credit Counseling Service of the Tri-Cities. She has been employed in this position for over 11 years
Laurie is a certified credit executive through International Credit Association. Her community focus has also been on the education as a guest speaker for area schools and colleges and participates in the adaptation of school curriculum for area high school students.

Red Rutherford - Victor “Red” Rutherford, president in 1979, was born and raised in Oklahoma. In 1946, Red married Sally whom he met working in the shipyards in Portland, Oregon. Red and Sally moved to Kennewick in 1948 to work at Hanford and he started selling mobile homes part time. Red began selling mobile homes full time in 1949 and owned Red’s Trailer Mart from 1949-79. The first Kiwanis Club Red joined was the Columbia Club. They met in the evening and Red was later kicked out for poor attendance!
Dave Piccoli asked Red to join the Kiwanis Club of Kennewick, they met at noon, and Red has been a member since 1970 and with perfect attendance! He is a generous giver and fund raiser of our Kennewick Kiwanis Foundation.
Red has served our club as organizer/manager at the fair for 30 years. And for 27 years he co-managed the Kiwanis Clubs’ fairs role a with Dick Petersen.
Red visited the Yakima Kiwanis Club in l995 and found out about their foundation. After considerable discussion, Red convinced Dick Petersen to help him start our Club's Foundation.

Richard “Dick” Petersen - Celine and I moved to Kennewick in 1966 when I was transferred here from Seattle as a pharmaceutical representative. Jim French and George Jones brought me into Kiwanis in March of 1976. I served as president in 1979-1980. In 1979 we were meeting at the Heritage Restaurant on Highway 395. After it burned down we moved to the Tri-City Country Club, Clover Island, and finally settled at Leo’s Catering where we are still meeting nearly 30 years later. I have enjoyed working the Benton-Franklin Fair since 1976 and as a supervisor for 27 of those years, but I think I will always remember as my most rewarding activity, when Red Rutherford and I started the Kennewick Kiwanis Foundation in 1996. My only regret is not having started it sooner.

Stan Case - Stan was president in 1993-94. He was born in Pasco and moved to Oregon at 3 months of age. He grew up in Pendleton and attended Eastern Oregon College (now University) in La Grande where he met his bride, Joanna. He lived in northern California for ten years, and then returned to the Tri-City area in 1973 while working for International Harvester Company.
When IH closed he went to work for Kennewick Irrigation District, retiring in 2006 after 25 years. Stan joined the Kiwanis Club of Kennewick during a membership roundup in the summer of 1983. His sponsor was Lin Tinsman, a board member for Kennewick Irrigation District.
During Stan’s presidency, a car raffle took place that benefitted the Tri-City Cancer Center.
Stan and Joanna have four married children and 14 grandchildren. One of Stan’s sons, Tod, was president of the Pendleton Kiwanis Club at the same time Stan was president in Kennewick. Stan also served the Club for 8 years as treasurer. Stan enjoys being a Kiwanian and says that this is a great group with whom to share lunch and work projects.

Glynn (Colonel) Wheeler - The colonel was president in 1964. He was born in Tonasket In 1918, the family moved to Union Gap, where Glynn went to school. Four years after high school graduation Glynn married the girl he walked down the graduation isle with, Ella Mae Clark.
In August of 1940 with a wife and young son, Glynn was called to active duty in the Army. He served until 1947. During the war he was a young officer that fought in the Philippines and his outfit had terrible losses. When General Douglas McArthur stopped to congratulate the unit prior to taking Manila from the Japanese he found they didn’t have many officers left. He gave on the spot field promotions to Wheeler, who eventually became a colonel in the Army. It was a meeting he has always cherished. In 1951-54, he went back into the Army and served in Germany. Glynn, his wife, son and daughter moved to Kennewick in 1957 and he purchased the Roto Rooter Service in 1958. He owned the business for 21 years.
Pastor Ron Yates asked Glynn to join Kiwanis in 1961 and it was an honor for him to serve as club president in 1964 and Lt. Governor in 1980. He has been a member of the Kiwanis Club of Kennewick since 1961 and is presently our longest tenured club member.

Larry Sannes - Larry was president 1978, married his wife Darlene in l955 in Spokane, Washington. They have a son and a daughter and moved to Kennewick in l967. Larry was in the insurance business with AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) for 20 years. They bought a 7-Eleven store in 1987 on the corner of West Kennewick Ave and Yelm Street. They ran the 7-Eleven for 10 years. When they sold the store, they bought a motor home and have traveled to every US state except Alaska. They now reside in Spokane. Many Kiwanians knew Larry’s wife, Darlene, who worked at Albertson’s for 19 years. Dr. Maynard Campbell sponsored Larry in the club in the early 70’s. Larry remembers working at the fair, the boat races, Up with People and other youth groups. He enjoyed his many Kiwanian friendships and has many fond memories working on community service projects.

Ty Haberling - I served as President in 1994-95. I joined the club in 1986. I am a son of Lee Haberling, past president and past Lt. governor. I am a grad of Kamiakin HS class of 1978. After high school I enrolled at CWU and graduated with accounting and finances degrees. My company is named Haberling Financial Group. I met my bride, Noelia, in Brazil on a vacation of New Year's eve of 1986. We were married August 20th of 1988. I have two children. I joined the club through the prodding of my father Lee Haberling. Dad took the lead for membership growth during the mid 1980's. The club went from 50 members to over 100 members in less than a couple of years.
Humor has been a constant theme in my life and I have led several roasts of leading Kiwanians. We had great fun in roasting Steve Schmitz, my father, and Amon Mueller, and others. During these events I played the Carnac from the Johnny Carson show. My favorite sealed envelope joke was about Amon Mueller of Mueller's Funeral Home. "What does Amon Mueller say after reading the obituaries?" IT'S MUELLER TIME.
I had barely been a member when "Super" Dave Dickerson gave me instructions to be the inner-club chairperson. Shortly thereafter he became Lt. Governor and prodded me to make certain he had a large band of Kennewickians to follow him around the district. My final memory goes to the fair parking lot. Some 15 or more years ago Gary Puckett tricked me in helping him work the parking lot .

Russ Burtner - Served as president from 1998-99. I was a military “brat” lived mostly in western states and spent several years in Japan. US Army Veteran (1964-1967). Most of the time spent in Karlsruhe Germany. Idaho State University Alumni (1967 - 1971) Married 41 years to Kitty, an RN at Tri-Cities Chaplaincy and Hospice. We have to sons.
Moved to Tri-Cities from Boise, Idaho in 1978 to open a regional office for JUB Engineers. Employed by the City of Kennewick since 1987 in a variety of positions. Presently serving as the Director of Municipal Services. My passions include Kiwanis, Boys and Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties, coffee, cycling, skiing, backpacking, camping, hiking, sailing, and other mostly outdoor activities.
First associated with Kiwanis in 1973 as a member of the Reno, Nevada “Sunrise” club. I was Kennewick Kiwanis president in 2001. Current president of the Kennewick Kiwanis Foundation. Served on the Quad Cities Kiwanis Foundation (Camp Kiwanis) and have also been City Liaison to that committee for 20 plus years. Where possible I have tried to involve the club in participating in community activities (Family Fishing Pond, Playground of Dreams, Sport-field Irrigation improvements, Camp Kiwanis updates) and events (4th of July and several other individual events) through my employment with the City.

Pete Baumann - I graduated from high school at Central Valley in 1949, Gonzaga University in 1952 and St. Louis University Dental School in 1956. Met the love of my life, Betty, in St. Louis and we married in 1955. Served in U.S.Airforce 1956-1958. Bought a practice in Kennewick in the fall 1958 and moved our family here from Travis Air Base in California. Betty and I have four children 2 sons and 2 daughters.
I joined Kennewick Kiwanis in 1971. Duane Pepiot was my sponser. I became Club President for the Kiwanis year 1975-76. Pep was my mentor for the whole year. I recall Joe Osborne introduced Miss World USA as our program at one of our club meetings. Also speaking at one of our meetings was former Gov. Dixie Lee Ray. I will never forget our former Kiwanian Tim de Jong , engineer extraordinare, who developed our first juvenile fishing pond in Columbia Park. Tim did it all… from design, permits and lining up the contracters, the McMillin brothers, who donated their equipment and labor. Our club was meeting at the Heritage road house on Highway 395. When the restaurant burned down we moved our club meetings to the Clover Island Inn. What a great year!

Russ Edwards - Russ was born in Fresno, California. Following high school, attended Whitworth College in Spokane, graduating with a BA in Drama and Speech in 1972. Married the first time the same year, moved to Kirkland. In 1976 he entered Palmer College of Chiropractic, graduating in1979 as a Doctor of Chiropractic. He practiced in Kirkland, where he joined the Kiwanis Club of Kirkland in 1981, moving to the Tri-Cities following his divorce and remarriage to Kristie in 1997. He and Kristie ran Edwards Adult Family Home until closing that business in 2008.
Russ joined the Kiwanis Club of Kennewick in 2008, and after attending most board meetings since that time, serving as a member of and chair of membership along the way, then as president in 2007-2008. Some of the highlights of his year “Kids, Kennewick, Kiwanis” were, a refocusing of the club on “things Kiwanis,” the further development of the administrative committee, a directed effort for the support of the SIGN program, and a restructuring and defining of duties for the president-elect and vice president in the administration of committees.

Larry Hansmeier - I am a native son of the Evergreen State, being born and reared in Aberdeen Grays Harbor County, where I graduated from Weatherwax High School in 1962. After attending college and seminary in Oregon, and Oklahoma respectively, I served pastorates in California in Sacramento, Woodland, and Modesto; and a seventeen year pastorate in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In November 2001, my wife, Jonna, and I relocated to Kennewick where I assumed the pastorate of the historic First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) congregation. The chairman of the search committee was none other than "the Colonel", Glynn Wheeler, who served as the president of the Kennewick Kiwanis Club in 1964. Glynn became my kiwanis sponsor and mentor, and I officially joined the Kiwanis Club in early 2002. I served a partial term as club president in 2006/2007, until being installed as the charter president of the Kiwanis Club of the Horse Heaven Hills on June 4, 2007, a new "daughter" club sponsored by the Kennewick Kiwanis Club. The new club has appreciated the financial and emotional support offered in its infancy period by the fellow Kiwanians, and especially the growing relationship being demonstrated by the members of the Kennewick Kiwanis Club. I do miss the barbs and antics of the famous "Heretics Table" members at our weekly meetings.

Gus Kittson - I was club president in 1991-1992. A Kennewick native I graduated from Kennewick High in 1973. Don Anderson, who followed me as president, was the Kennewick School Superintendent and signed my high school diploma. Following high school I attended Columbia Basin College for a year and then transferred to Washington State University where I graduated with a BA in Business Administration.
I returned to Kennewick and entered into employment with the family business Kennewick Industrial & Electrical Supply (KIE Supply). George Jones started to ask me to attend Kiwanis in 1981. I joined on November 17, 1981 when Dave Dickerson was President. In 1989 I was named Kiwanian of the Year and was elected as 2nd Vice-President.
Memories from my year as president include John Yegge as Lt. Governor; start up of the division council, co-sponsoring the Kamiakin Key Club, Doug Holle as club secretary and getting the Club Corporation license reinstated.

Gary Puckett - I was president in 1985. As of April 1, I will have been in the Tri-Cities for 30 years and the " Hey Culligan " for the same amount of time. My wife (Mary) and I have been married for 41 years and we have 2 children ( Kim and Todd ). Both of our children are married, live local and each have blessed us with 3 grandkids, making a total of 6 and they are evenly divided, 3 girls, 3 boys. I am not sure who handle parking prior to our club, but whoever it was, quit about two months before the fair was to start, and the fair board contacted our club. We were going to turn it down, but in figuring out what we would make, I said we should try it and I would head it up. I contacted the Kamiakan Band Boosters (I knew their president ) to assist. The first two years I ran it by myself, no golf carts and no 2 way radios. Year 3 and 4 Jerry Buell step forward and assisted. He even arranged for the radios. The days were long, tiring, and dirty and the rest is history.

Dale Kintzley - I was president of the Kiwanis Club of Kennewick in 1982-1983. I was sponsored by George Jones, my father-in-law. The most memorable project during my term was the March of Dimes Walk-a-Thon, which our club sponsored, and I chaired. Women were not yet eligible for membership at that time.
My sense of humor kept meetings lively and productive.
After my discharge from the U.S. Navy, I arrived in Kennewick in 1959, and enrolled at C.B.C., where I earned an associate degree in Electronics and met my future wife, George-Anne Jones. We transferred to the U. of W. in Seattle, where I graduated with a major in Accounting. I was comptroller of two potato processing plants in Othello, where our son, Roy, was born. I have been in various business ventures through the years, was a real estate broker, and am currently building and managing commercial real estate.
My hobby is restoring and showing classic Pontiacs.

Lee Haberling - Lee was club president in 1991. Lee met his wife at Central Washington State College and married in April of 1959. He got his teaching credential and interviewed for a job at Highlands Middle School in Kennewick and taught for three years. Lee had a wife and two children so he accepted a job selling life insurance. He was very successful and presently has been in the insurance business for 47 years. George Jones brought Lee into Kiwanis in the 70's Lee remembers his first Kiwanis project as a pancake breakfast and he was flipping pancakes. When president, Lee remembers Paul Beardsly coming to a meeting dressed as a Russian Scientist and Don Anderson introduced him as an unkept scientist. Paul then threw off his wig at Don and everyone enjoyed the joke. Lee was membership committee chair in 1986 and brought in over 30 new members. Lee is proud of his son Ty who is also a past president of the Kiwania Club of Kennewick. Lee is also a past Lieutenant Governor serving in 1993.

T.J. Willingham - T.J. was club President in 1999. T.J. (he never did reveal what T.J. stood for) and his spouse Rikke, moved to the Tri-Cities in 1988 and he joined Kiwanis shortly thereafter sponsored by Monte Nail. Many dollars have been spent in brags as each of his four sons have been born during his years as a member. Some of his favorite service projects during his year as president include the bell ringing for the Salvation Army freezing outside of the front of Fred Meyer in Kennewick, many hours collecting entrance tickets to the Benton Franklin County Fair and the cleanup project on Highway 240 by Columbia Golf Course where we collected more golf balls than trash. Kiwanis is a great avenue for community service and the development of lifelong friends!

Hank Sauer - Hank was club president in 2003. Like some Kiwanians his job as an educator prevented him from attending regular meetings except in the summer. When he retired he started attending meeting with a vengeance getting involved in every facit of Kiwanis. Hank is humbled by the membership of our club and is honored to be a Kennewick Kiwanian. Hank grew up in Walla Walla, came to CBC in 1965, married his bride Nancy in 1970 and joined the staff at Kamiakin High in 1973. Today, Hank is the proud owner of Amon Mueller's vest--a treasure that he values. During his year as president Hank had time to eat one lunch, was a toilet during a Halloween costume program, and because of his stature, used a stool to stand up and be seen. He is very involved in the Kennewick Kiwanis Foundation that provides scholarships to worthy high school students. He also served as a most cheerful and enthusiastic official inductor of new Kiwanians.

Gerry Berges - Gary was the club president in 1981. Women were accepted as Kiwanians during the decade. Gerry joined Kiwanis in 1978 and served as a program chair. Ty Haberling was president of the Key Club at Kamiakin High and provided a program for the club. The Marineers Caravan Luncheon was another "great" idea that was slated to attract at least 150 attendees- only 35 showed up for the event. Gerry sums up Kiwanis by stating that "kiwanis" is the people more than the projects.

Dean Strawn - Dean was club president in 1974. He moved to the Tri-Cities in March 1963, in June 1963 he married his lovely bride Sandi and joined Kiwanis in February 1970. According to Dean there was nothing particularly memorable but he stated that some believe that his year as president was the best ever! Several former club members were remembered: Tim De Jong for developing the Fishing Pond in Columbia Park; Andy Keller for recommending Floyd Paxton as a program presenter; and Larry Sannes who introduced Dixie Lee Ray as Dixie Ray Lee. Dean is a dedicated civic servant; past Kennewick Man of the Year; past Tri-Citian of the year and president of the Public Service Facilities Board that oversees the Toyota sports complex and the Three Rivers Convention Center. His wife Sandi alas is a Rotarian, but often signs God Bless America when she visits our Kiwanis Club.

Duane Pepiot - Duane was Kiwanis resident in 1970. I was one of five inductees at the Espiscopal Church in one class. President was Jerry Eerkes who was the target of Dan Hurson almost every meeting, leaving the leadership in shambles. I was the only one of the five inductees to survive an entire year--makes you wonder? While president, we lost Secretary Harold Smith to a heart attack. He was a very difficult one to replace. I think that our club built three ticket booths for the Kennewick High School Lion's Den that year. My term was for 15 months, due to the change in the fiscal year of Kiwania International. Kiwanis is a family affair for Duane as his daughter Renee Norman is a long time member whose has a habit when having to pay fines of mooching dollars from her dad.

Vickie Bergum - I was born and raised in Kennewick and actually moved out to Finley last year to keep an eye on Rene Norman. I was very honored to be selected as the Kennewick Kiwanis first woman president in 1997. Both my grandfather and father had been in this club. The first time I ever attended a Kiwanis meeting was to speak for the East Benton County Historical Society. I remember being so impressed and almost awstruck by the amount of truly wonderful community members there were; people I really looked up to like George Jones, Duane Pepiot, Jim French, Don Anderson and so many more.
I had wonderful support from people like Dick Peterson, Red Rutherford, Neil Miller, Gus Kitson, Tom Moak, Rene Norman and the best secretary ever, Doug Holle. Our Kennewick Kiwanis put up all the fencing for the demonstration garden at the Library. The ground was hard and there were a lot of rocks but many people worked hard to get it done, and done right, they did a great job. I have always been impressed with the fellowship and inclusiveness of the club. It will always feel like family.
The night of my installation I was very sick and didn't eat my dinner at the installation. I checked into the hospital the next morning and was hospitialized at KGH for three days and still made it to my first meeting without anyone knowing.