[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H1955]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
                HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF JOE KEJR

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Kansas (Mr. Mann) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life and legacy of Joe 
Kejr, a great Kansan who passed away on April 8 at the age of 64. Joe 
was a third-generation wheat farmer, a passionate advocate for 
agriculture, and a follower of Jesus who was committed to building and 
fostering deep relationships in the agricultural community.
  Wheat harvest was Joe's favorite time of year. He loved spending long 
hours with family and friends, racing to beat a storm, and enjoying the 
quiet peace and camaraderie of suppertime in the field, and sharing the 
entire experience with younger generations.
  He and his crew loved the challenge of trying to be the last truck to 
go through the elevator each night. At the end of harvest, Joe would 
hold court and share stories at the big ``last supper'' that he and his 
wife Geena would host at their house for everyone who came to help.
  Joe served on the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers board of 
directors from 2002 to 2010, serving as president in 2007, and as the 
president of the National Wheat Foundation in 2022.
  First and foremost, however, Joe was a follower of Jesus who served 
in the Kansas legislature on various ministry boards, including At 
Stake Ministries and church committees, and he was passionate about 
sharing the Gospel and he led mission trips to and made many friends in 
Guatemala.
  Mr. Speaker, Joe is now at rest with his Savior. I am praying for 
Geena and Joe's family as they mourn his loss and celebrate his life.


Commemorating the 150th Anniversaries of the Chisholm Trail and Western 
                              Cattle Trail

  Mr. MANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 150th 
anniversaries of the Ellsworth Route of the Chisholm Trail and the 
Western Cattle Trail through Dodge City and beyond. The American 
cowboys who used these trails were the original pioneers who ventured 
West in search of new opportunities with nothing more than their 
horses, their dogs, their ropes, and their prayers.
  I grew up on a cattle operation in Quinter, Kansas. There are more 
than 4.4 million cattle and calves on ranches and feed yards in our 
district, which means that plenty of cowboys called The Big First home.
  Kansas has been the first frontier for cowboys since the 1860s when 
cattle were driven from Texas to places like Abilene and Dodge City to 
be sold near the closest railroads.
  The cowboys would drive about 3,000 head of cattle on their thousand-
mile journey at a pace of about 15 miles per day, so it took 2 months. 
They would look after their cattle 24 hours a day, sleeping under the 
stars in shifts in the land that would later become Oklahoma.
  By the late 1870s, so many cowboys were making this trek from Texas 
to Kansas that half a million head of cattle were being shipped out of 
Dodge City alone every year.
  These long drives disappeared at the end of the century, but the 
modern cowboys of today still embody the courage, dedication, personal 
responsibility, and traditional methods from their pioneering history.
  Cowboys remain a constant in an ever-changing world. They know how to 
break a horse without breaking its spirit, and they put in a 40-hour 
workweek by the time Wednesday morning rolls around. Cowboys know that 
they can't take shortcuts or do the bare minimum if they want to 
succeed. They are resourceful multitaskers who do things the right way, 
which is often the hard way, and their reward for all their hard work 
isn't public accolades, but simply providing for their families, caring 
for their stock, and keeping America fed.
  It is exciting to see all the local celebrations of Kansas' history 
around these trails.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Dennis Katzenmeier, president of the 
International Chisholm Trail Association; Michael Grauer, president of 
The Western Cattle Trail Association; Ron Wilson, and many others for 
their dedication to preserving the history of these trails and the 
cowboys that use them.


   Thanking Emily Woods for Her Service to Kansans and The Big First 
                                District

  Mr. MANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and thank Emily 
Woods for her service to me, my office, Kansans, and The Big First 
District.
  Emily served on my team since my first day in Congress, and she 
consistently brought a caring, professional, and attentive approach to 
building relationships, providing thought leadership, and connecting 
with Kansans and her coworkers alike. Emily established herself as a 
resource for everyone in the office, always offering helpful advice and 
solving problems with a creative perspective.
  This scripture comes to mind for Emily, Proverbs 3:5-6: ``Trust in 
the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in 
all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.''
  I am so excited to see what lies ahead for Emily and her move back to 
the Sunflower State. I know that with her many skills, her passion, and 
her work ethic, she will go very far.
  Mr. Speaker, I again thank Emily for her dedication to The Big First 
District. My time in Congress wouldn't have been the same without her. 
We will miss her and wish her well with all of her future endeavors.

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