Veteran themed fair honors Harts as Grand Marshals

The 2023 Phillips County Fair honors local Veterans with the theme," Red, White and Blue, Veteran's, We Honor You." How fitting is it that the couple that will be honored as this year's Grand Marshals were a part of the United States military before returning to the Haxtun area to settle down and raise a family - and have since remained active in the American Legion and Women's Auxiliary.

Phil and LaVonne Hart are this year's honored guests at the Phillips County Fair and while they have been active and supportive of the armed forces, they have also played a major role for Haxtun youth to be active in 4-H and FFA.

Phil Hart was born in Sterling to Ellis and Doris Hart, one of three children. He attended two-and-a-half years of school in Haxtun before transferring to Fleming where he later graduated as a Wildcat with the Class of 1956. Phil went to college for a year in Fort Collins but returned to the area soon after. He went to work for the elevators in Haxtun, Fleming and Dailey. He also started his own custom bailing business.

It was during that time that he met a girl working at her mother's café in Haxtun. Phil and LaVonne met at Minnie's Café Drive-In while she was still in high school.

LaVonne was born to Harold and Minnie (DeBuhr) Cheney in Sterling and attended school in Haxtun. She graduated with the Class of 1961. Once she was out of high school, LaVonne and Phil married on June 25, 1961 at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Haxtun. The same church LaVonne is still active in today.

Phil joined the United States Army in 1961 and attended his basic training at Fort Carson. Once he was finished, LaVonne joined him at Fort Sill and later the couple were transferred to Fort Riley. While at Fort Riley, the couple welcomed their first child, son John, in May of 1963. Four years later, daughter Judy joined the Hart family.

Once Phil was discharged from the Army, the couple returned to Haxtun to settle down and raise their family. LaVonne worked at her mother's café, later turned over to her sister Velda Barlo and then niece Sammi Starkebaum. Phil worked for -K Ranch south of Dailey for several years but later took over his father's farm. Phil farmed until his retirement in 2007.

In 1978 LaVonne took a job with the Haxtun School District as the head cook, a job she held for over 25 years. And on the side, she continued to work at Minnie's Café, later named the Barlo Café, along Highway 6 in Haxtun.

Phil is a member of the Haxtun American Legion, Fred C. Lewman Post 137. Throughout his 45-plus years as a Legion member, Phil has served as Commander and Chaplin as well as served on the color guard. His wife, LaVonne, joined the women's group and has been an active member of the Haxtun American Legion Auxiliary.

Over the past few decades, Phil has been an active member of the Platte Valley Tractor Pullers. Along with that, he has played a leading role in the Johnny Miller Memorial Tractor Pull held in junction with the Haxtun Corn Festival. This year's event will mark the 33rd annual tractor pull set for the last Saturday in September. The Pull honors the late Johnny Miller, who owned and operated Miller Implement, the John Deere Dealership, in Haxtun for many years. While Phil hasn't been a part of all 33 pulls, he has had a hand in nearly two decades worth.

Phil has several antique tractors of his own, although he did sell a number of them recently. He still has a John Deere 35A and a John Deere 1950 G and uses them at pulls throughout the summer ending with the grand finale event Corn Festival weekend. In addition to the Johnny Miller Memorial Tractor Pull on Saturday, the Platte Valley Pullers host an event on Sunday the same weekend.

While at the 2023 Phillips County Fair, Phil will compete at the tractor pull on Sunday morning, July 30 at the fairgrounds.

While Phil stays busy at tractor pulls, LaVonne remains active in the Haxtun community in various groups including the Red Hat Society, Lutheran ladies' groups and the Haxtun Community Auxiliary. She loves to bake and has been known to bake fresh goods for friends, family and community members. Her love of baking typically makes its way to the fair each year as she bakes pies for the concession stands that give back to local food baskets.

"That's my hobby, it's my therapy," she said.

For the past 23 years, LaVonne has served as the Haxtun High School Alumni Coordinator, an endeavor near to her heart as a Bulldog herself. Each year she coordinates the annual meeting now held in conjunction with Corn Festival.

Today the Hart family has grown to include five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. John and his wife Kelle live in Kersey and Judy and her husband David McFadden live in Haxtun near her parents.

While they don't have any young children in their family around the farm much anymore, its typical to see kids coming and going from the Hart place. Over the years, Phil and Lavonne have opened their barn, and their hearts, to many local youth who live in Haxtun to allow them to house their animals and be active in Phillips County 4-H and Haxtun FFA. Often times Phil is at the junior livestock sale purchasing animals from the kids who come and go from his place several times a day to care for their animals. Right now, one young Paoli Hustler keeps her market swine project at the Harts' place.

As fair week nears for all residents of Phillips County, LaVonne will bake pies, Phil will get his tractors ready for a pull and the young 4-Hers will prepare their animals for show. And on Saturday, July 29, Phil and LaVonne will lead the 2023 Phillips County Parade through downtown Holyoke as this year's Grand Marshals.

This year's fair kicks off on Monday, July 24 and runs through Sunday, July 30. Look for a red, white and blue fair book at local businesses in downtown Haxtun and Holyoke or follow the Phillips County Fairgrounds on Facebook for updates.