Our Past Is Present June 13, 2018

June 13, 2018

            This is “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.

            Today’s story comes from a listening and sharing of oral history at our “Memories at the Museum” held May 21 with Red and Gloria Dunham.  The Dunham’s are former members of the Geary County Sheriff’s Posse and told those of us present about the Posse and some of their experiences.

            The Geary County Sheriff’s Posse was started in about 1972 by the late Jim Gross who was the sheriff at the time.  The Posse was a volunteer group of people who met monthly for training.  They were trained to do searches for lost people, evidence that would possibly be used in court and locating missing persons.  Posse members did some of their work on foot, but they also had to provide their own horses when horses were needed. An example was when they helped with parking of cars at “Sundown Salute” on the 4^th of July, when it was held at Milford Lake.  

            Red and Gloria remembered some of the former Posse members as being:  Ben Bennett, Buz Bruzina, Alex McKay, Cathy Augustine, Arnie Bowen, Mark and Pierce Powers, Danny McGuire, Darrell Blocker, Cheryl Bennett, Denise and Gary Witt and our current Sheriff, Tony Wolf.

            The Posse had no power to arrest.  That was left to the Sheriff and/or his Deputies.

            Gloria remembered finding the glove and tire tracks that contributed to the conviction of a murder in Geary County.  Both Red and Gloria enjoyed the people with whom they worked, the social gatherings, the parades and just being able to help out by giving back to the community. 

            The Posse no longer exists, but many of us have memories of the Posse being in parades at seeing them assist drivers with parking their cars at “Sundown Salute” and even more importantly helping drivers safely leave the area after the fireworks display. 

            Thanks so much to all who served in the Geary County Sheriff’s Posse and thanks to Red and Gloria Dunham for sharing about that organization so we could share some of their memories with you on “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.