Teacher wants to give back to Big Brother program
Staff reporter
Kurt Herrel of rural Hillsboro is deeply grateful to the man who stepped up and became an important part of his life as his Big Brother. When Jackie Rice, director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Marion County, asked Kurt to serve on the county's executive board, Kurt was glad to give back to an organization that gave so much to him as a child.
For Maynard Knepp, also of rural Hillsboro, becoming a mentor more than 25 years ago seemed like the right thing to do.
"I did it on a whim," Maynard said, when asked why he got involved with Big Brothers of Hutchinson in the 1980s.
"I was mentored in my teens and 20s," he said, when he was a member of the Amish community near Yoder.
Alan King and Jerry Yoder of Hutchinson were Maynard's mentors so it seemed natural to him to be a mentor.
When he recalled his interview with the director of the Hutchinson organization, Maynard said he probably shouldn't have been considered.
"I was pretty rowdy," Maynard said, but the director saw something in Maynard that he thought would benefit nine-year-old Kurt of Haven.
"My parents were divorced," Kurt said. "I lived with my mother and my dad lived out-of-state."
And, besides, he had to keep up with his big brother who had just been given a big brother himself.
During that time in the early 1980s, Maynard was leading a church in the Amish community.
"We grew up together," Kurt said.
Their time together was working on Maynard's hog farm, hanging out at the bowling alley, playing arcade games, or just talking.
"We'd talk about our futures, families, and religion," Maynard said. "That's something that kids today are missing, face-to-face time with an adult."
"By talking about things, it created a safe zone," Kurt said. No matter what the topic or concern, Kurt knew Maynard would not judge him.
Maynard was recognized in 1982 as Kansas Big Brother of the Year.
As they both grew up, the little brother and his mentor continued their relationship. Kurt graduated from Haven High School in 1988.
Maynard eventually left the Amish community and married Carol Duerksen. When the couple married,
