Curdsville farmer gets Humanitarian Award

March 9, 2020 | 12:09 am

Updated March 8, 2020 | 8:43 pm

Greg and Debbie Schadler were on the family farm in Curdsville bantering Friday afternoon. The married couple of 33 years were rehashing how it came to be that Debbie didn’t attend Greg’s recent recognition at the 41st Annual Farm City Breakfast.

“I hadn’t known anything about it,” Debbie said. “He didn’t say anything else about it. He just (asked) do you want to go?”

Greg, 57, a life-long farmer and chief of the St. Joseph Volunteer Fire Department had been presented with the 2020 Farm City Humanitarian Award last weekend.

The award is given annually to an outstanding leader who lives a life of service that improves the well being of citizens and businesses throughout Owensboro and Daviess County.

Schadler said he knew something was up when people kept asking him whether or not he was planning to attend the breakfast at Daviess County High School.

Greg said it wasn’t until the day before the event that officials informed him that he had been selected for the award.

While Greg received the award at the event, which had hundreds of attendees, Debbie found out about it at home.

“She was pretty upset with me when I got home,” Greg said while chuckling. “Somebody had called her and told her that I had won the award before I got home. I guess they should tell your wife if you’re going to win a prestigious award like this.”

Clint Hardy, Daviess County’s Extension agent for agricultural and natural resources, had said that Schadler was selected because he is known in the community to be a constant helper. Greg is a volunteer firefighter of over three decades. He also volunteers at local youth sporting events and in the community.

He is the 12th person to have received this award.

“It’s still sinking in of what it means,” Greg said. “I got a good community out here, and they support me and I support them.”

It’s still unclear how the couple couldn’t be at the same place for Greg’s special day, but one thing is certain.

“He really does everything for everybody,” Debbie said. “I mean if you were to call him and say my car sounds funny down the road, he’d be the first one to go down there and do something about it. That’s just him.”

Debbie said she’s proud of her husband and that he deserved the acknowledgment.

“Well, I was just really appreciative of it. It was a shock and surprise,” Greg said. “It was a real nice surprise for me, and a big surprise for my wife.”

March 9, 2020 | 12:09 am

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