My wife Kymm and I both grew up in Atchison County. She grew up in Rock Port where we live today and I grew up in Westboro but went to school in Tarkio. Both of us really loved the towns where we grew up and loved the High Schools where we attended. Yes, Rock Port and Tarkio are and always will be arch rivals but both communities are very similar. All of our communities strive for success both in school and in business. Everyone does the best they can to make their communities strong and prosperous today and on into the future.
Kymm and I were married in Rock Port on April 26th, 2003, we lived in Kansas City at the time but always thought of Atchison County as our true home, not the city. Don’t get me wrong the city has its perks. You are a hop, skip, and a jump from all kinds of things. From movie theater to shopping malls to restaurants, an abundance of golf courses, Worlds of Fun, KC Royals baseball in the Spring and Summer, and my beloved KC Chiefs in the Fall. But, when we started talking about raising a family, we didn’t see ourselves in the city. We hardly ever saw each other as it was with our busy job schedules and if we were about to become parents, we wanted to be with each other every step of the way.Sooooo we moved back to Tarkio in the Spring of 2004. I went to work running the Tarkio Golf Club and Kymm started at Citizens Bank & Trust where she still is today. We had our first and only (so far) child Kylie on May 31st, 2005. There really is nothing quite like being a parent. The best part of being a parent is being able to witness first hand all of the milestones, including your babies first words, first time sitting up, first time standing up, and first time walking, all the firsts you want to witness first hand as a parent. Living in a small town really does have its perks too! They are a bit different than the city but are much more special. No, we don’t have a local theater any longer or a shopping mall or professional sports teams. But, I will tell you what we do have and that is GOOD LIVING and OPPORTUNITY!
What I mean by GOOD LIVING is that we get to wake up every day in a strong, healthy, safe, and prosperous community. We don’t have to fight traffic, although the 59 did turn into I-59 this past summer and fall because of the disastrous Flood of 2011. Everyone knows everyone, this can be good and bad but it is mostly a good thing in my eyes. Seriously, would you rather know your neighbor or just occasionally say hello to the stranger(s) next door? I love my neighbors, I love watching their families grow, and I love being able to possibly make a difference in their lives.
I worked at Tarkio Golf Club for three years from April 1st 2004 through October 31st 2006. I coached the Tarkio High School boys’ and girls’ golf teams for three seasons as well. Winters were spent finding work at three different factories in our area. I worked at Pella Corporation, Auburn Consolidated Industries, and Eaton Corporation. These three different and successful businesses provide very good jobs to our local population. But, I got tired of the uncertainty of being able to find a job locally in the winter months to be able to provide for my family. So, in February of 2007, I interviewed for a Loan Officer/Branch Manager position with Citizens Bank & Trust out of Craig. I worked in Craig Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and at our Mound City Branch on Tuesday and Thursday. I did this for three years from February 2007 until August of 2010 when I was moved to the main branch in Rock Port where I am today. Kymm, Kylie, and I sold our house in Tarkio in the summer of 2010, purchased a home in Rock Port, and moved in to our home in August. I truly believe we are where we are supposed to be. We absolutely love our home, our neighborhood, our community, and all of Northwest Missouri.
I love waking up everyday to help my wife get our daughter ready for school. I love being able to take her to school and drop her off. I love having the ability to leave work and pick my daughter up from Marcy McMahon’s most wonderful daycare. If you don’t know Marcy McMahon, you need to meet her. She is probably the nicest, most caring, honest, and loyal person you will ever meet. She runs a daycare right out of her beautiful home with love and understanding. She is such an asset to this community.I am lucky to be able to work with my beautiful and amazing wife each and every day, go to lunch every single day with her, and have dinner every single night with Kymm and Kylie. I truly am blessed.
Atchison County has so much OPPORTUNITY. Each one of us has the opportunity to live a rich and successful life in our community. We are what we make of ourselves and if we all make the best of our situation, anything is possible. Atchison County provides us with everything a person needs including: Education, jobs, good quality healthcare, church, financial services, farm services, insurance services, recreation, and most importantly TIME to spend with family and friends. Life is a lot slower here in Atchison County than it is in the city giving us the time we need to both work and play. As I mentioned earlier, I live in Rock Port, and I have to brag and say that this community is thriving. There truly are a lot of young professionals moving back to our area to experience what I have and continue to experience. I really believe the future of our community is in great hands.
Those things that we WANT but don’t “have to have” are just a short drive away. Maryville, St. Joseph, Council Bluffs, Omaha, Lincoln, and Kansas City are all close enough for us to go and get the things we need and get or experience the things we want.
We love to spend time with family. The majority of our relatives live in or around Atchison County. Kymm, Kylie, and I also love to watch Bearcat Football in the fall in Maryville. Kylie really doesn’t watch the game all that much, but cheers just as much as any of the Rickenbrode Rowdies. I think she knows the cheers and chants as well as the Bearcat Cheerleading Squad. And Kylie loves having the opportunity to take a picture with Bobby Bearcat. Golf is a passion of mine, always has been, always will be. Every chance I get, I head out to the course. I didn’t get my daughter out as much as summers prior, but plan on taking her out as much as I can in 2012. Kylie tried t-ball this last summer but didn’t like it all that much. She’s going to try it again this year so we will see how much she likes or dislikes it this summer. I had the opportunity to coach her t-ball team this past summer and I had a blast. I can’t wait until she is old enough to start playing organized basketball. Three more years and it is ON!!!!!!!! Besides sports Kylie LOVES to swim, dance, sing, and play with her friends. She is the girliest girly girl I know. Lucky me;)! Kymm is our ROCK! If there ever was a Do-It-All Wife, it is Kymm. She is probably the best cook I know. She keeps us organized and our home is always neat and tidy, which I love. She truly is the love of my life and my best friend. She supports Kylie and I in all that we do.
I’ve probably rambled long enough about my life and some of my experiences here in Atchison County. I just want to let anyone reading this know that Atchison County is a wonderful place to live and raise a family. If anyone reading this is ‘On the Fence’ about moving back to our neck of the woods don’t be. Make the move! You will love it here and you won’t ever regret it! To those who do live in Atchison County, take a moment and reflect just how lucky we are to call Atchison County our “home”!Take care and God bless!
Brock Nuckolls
Makes this Aunt's heart proud!
ReplyDelete