Jerry Farmer is retiring from the Parks and Recreation Department after serving for 36 years.
Jerry and the late John Phillips knew each other from refereeing high school basketball games.
The original Parks director, Phillips, asked Jerry to join him in this brand-new venture with the city.
For a long time, the two men were the only staff. Their budget was $6,000, not counting salaries. Jerry’s background in the construction business came in very handy when anything needed to be built. “We didn’t have any money, and when the government supplied two men for us, I became their supervisor,” Jerry said. Jerry's responsibilities continued to grow as more and more joined the team.
Even in the early days, Jerry ensured the fields were watered and raked between each game. “I wanted every young person to have the same chance as everyone else. We still take great pride in our work and how our fields look.”
Jerry remembers when the World Series was held in Harrison, and the boys had to stay in homes. “Some of those families have developed life-long friendships, and the city’s CFO, Luke Feighert, was one of those boys from Kansas City. We have a great community of volunteers.”
“When I’ve taken a team I coached out of town, I hear the comments from others that they wish it had been like Harrison. That’s thanks to our volunteers and hard workers. This town has always opened its arms and accepted everyone. For some programs, it’s all about the money and how much they can make. But for Harrison, it’s all about the kids and giving them great experiences and good memories.”
Before Creekside, Jerry had seven full-time employees and two seasonal. “We had just recently added the two seasonal employees. Now we’ve grown to 10 full-time and four part-time, including weekends.”
Jerry values his faith. He says God reached out to him through a pastor who preached the truth. They became active. “I taught Sunday School, and later, I felt like God asked me, ‘What are you running from?’”
“So, I accepted that calling to preach and have pastored Lakeway Fellowship for 21 years.”
He’s taught a weekly men’s Bible study before work for many years. “I wish I had been a better man when I was younger, but it’s not how you start your life; how you finish is the most important thing.”
One of his favorite ways to minister is at nursing homes. “I look forward to having the time to go room-to-room again and talking to people.”
Jerry said, “I can’t help but serve the Lord because of all He’s done for me.” God has specifically healed family members whose diseases were confirmed by doctors.”
For years, he has prayed that the Sports Complex would be used for the Glory of God. “And that happened when the movie, ‘Running the Bases,’ was filmed on our fields. They were such a blessing to work with.”
“I’ve got a lot of peace and a sense of release that now is the time for me to retire,” he said.
Mayor Jerry Jackson said, “Shortly after taking office, Jerry was considering retirement after 32 years of dedicated service. However, we expressed how much we needed his expertise and leadership, especially as we worked to open Creekside. Thankfully, he agreed to stay.”
He has also agreed to stay around for occasional consulting. After his official retirement on Nov. 1, he headed to Florida to preach for some friends.
Jerry and Jody Farmer have been married for 46 years and have two grown children, a boy and a girl. The grands are blended to be two girls and six boys.
Chuck Eddington has said many times that there isn’t anyone like Jerry Farmer. “We are promoting two young men to do the jobs he was doing. He could do anything and always saved the city money. I respect this man so much and thank him for staying on through the Creekside construction. We needed his wisdom and experience for that project.”
There will be a drop-in cookout to honor Jerry Farmer on Tuesday, Dec. 3, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Creekside.
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