For the last 75 years, on the Sunday prior to Labor Day, an event has taken place in Seneca that has routinely drawn in excess of 10 percent of the Little Town on the Border’s listed population.

That event? The annual Lankford Family reunion.

The Lankford family can trace its roots in Newton County all the way back to 1839 when John E. Lankford spent two months on a horse traveling from to Seneca from Indiana. Mr. Lankford married and had one son, John Perry Lankford, who would have 13 children that netted John E. Lankford, 76 grandchildren and cemented the Lankfords as a fixture in Seneca and Newton County to this day.

The reunion serves as a chance for the extended family to get together, share a meal and display pictures of grandchildren while talking about days gone by.

Highlights of the event include recognizing the youngest male and female direct descendants of the family patriarch. Followed by the oldest direct descendants.

Prizes are awarded to first-time attendees and to those who traveled the greatest distance to attend.

One of the proudest family moments is a special recognition of those couples that have been married for at least 50 years, of which there are many.

With such a large family, you don’t need to ask many people in the town if they know a Lankford in Seneca; chances are they are one or are married to one.

While one can see where a family would be proud of its achievements, it is not that much of a stretch to apply the same ideals to a high school in a community.

Monett has much to be proud of when it comes to its high school. I’ll stick specifically to its athletes and their achievements, since that is the area in which I have the most familiarity.

Volumes have been written about the accomplishment of Monett alumni in the past. A quick survey of the streets and buildings around town tell the tale of how influential these local titans have been to making the town one of Pride in Progress.

Still today, its alumni continue to make positive waves in the places they land.

In the past few weeks, a flurry of events occurred that reinforced just how special the Cubs alumni are. It should be noted that writers rarely disclose the stories they are working on to the public before they are in print. However, since this is a monthly publication and it is my column, I’ll spill the beans.

In August, the brother duo of Wesley and Harrison Merriman were named starters on the offensive line for football powerhouse Northwest Missouri State University. Wesley was also named a team captain. Both Merriman brothers were All-State athletes at Monett.

Joey Semerad, who earlier this year earned NCAA All-American wrestling honors, became the second Cub to launch a mixed martial arts career, following Cristobal Renteria. Semerad will compete in his second professional bout on Sept. 20 in Springfield (that story is in this issue).

In August, the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame announced its annual induction class, and one of the greatest ambassadors for Monett High School found his name on the list in Dave Beckett.

While Mr. Beckett is was thrilled by this honor, it was the second biggest honor he achieved in August. The top honor with the celebration of his 50th anniversary to his lovely wife, Donna. It should be noted that only 6-8 percent of all marriages in the United States reach the 50-year mark.

Finally, Monett athletic director Ty Goetz released the list of all the individuals on the coaching staff for the district. The list included 16 alumni on its rolls. They are: Angela Johnson, Class of 87, Head Middles School Cross Country Coach; Kelly George, Class of 95, Head Cross Country and Head Track Coach; Cristobal Villa, Class of 05, Head Boys Soccer Coach; Ben Hohensee, Class of 06, Head Boys Wrestling Coach and Middle School Football Coach; Courtney Bauer, Class of 06, Head High School Volleyball Coach; Kaylie Allen, Class of 07, Middles School Volleyball; Jairo Rueda, Class of 15, Assistant Boys and Girls Soccer Coach; Misael Cordero, Class of 15, Assistant Boys Soccer Coach; Jaron Beeson, Class of 15, Assistant Boys Wrestling Coach; Tyler Ash, Class of 15), Assistant High School Football Coach; Tommy Sangston, Class of 17, Assistant High School Football Coach and Assistant High School Boys Basketball Coach; Bailey Flynt, Class of 19, Head High School Cheer Coach; Kaesha George, Class of 20, Head High School Softball, Assistant Middle School Girls Basketball, Assistant High School Track Coach; Karter Brink, Class of 20, Assistant Middle School Baseball Coach; Matthew Bahl, Class of 21, Assistant Middle School Football and Head Middle School Wrestling Coach and Daven Madrid, Class of 23, Assistant High School Football Coach.

In a time when schools are having difficulty finding talented coaches, Monett just turned to its own ranks.

The best thing about this brief acknowledgment of Monett’s achievement is that the athletic department makes up just one small fraction of everything that the Monett Alumni Family has and will achieve. 

Nevertheless, just like I am proud of my Lankford heritage, there is plenty of reason to be proud of Cub Nation.

Jared Lankford is the sports reporter for Monett Monthly and has 15 years experience covering Monett-area athletics. He may be reached at monettsports@gmail.com