[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 17] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 21898] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]TRIBUTE TO RETIRING BARTON COUNTY OFFICIALS ______ HON. IKE SKELTON of missouri in the house of representatives Monday, November 13, 2006 Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, it has come to my attention that a number of officials from Barton County, Missouri, are retiring this year after serving the public for a number of years. I have had the privilege of representing Barton County in the United States Congress on two occasions. Barton County lies in the southwestern part of the Fourth Congressional District. Its county seat of Lamar is the birthplace of President Harry S Truman, and the people who live there today personify the same common sense, hard working, Show-Me State values that made President Truman an outstanding president and global leader. I am honored to represent these fine Missourians in the United States Congress and to have had the privilege to work with many of these outstanding public officials. Presiding Commissioner Gerald Miller was born in Idaho but moved to Missouri as a child. He graduated from Lamar High School in 1958 and has been active in the community since that time. Since 1999, Mr. Miller has served as Presiding Commissioner and has worked tirelessly to improve the communities he represents. He is a member of the Lamar Metro Club, the Abou Ben Adhem Shrine, and the Lamar Masonic Lodge. He is a successful businessman who is married to Brenda Rinehart and has two sons, Mark and Matt. County Clerk Bonda Rawlings is a lifelong resident of Barton County. She graduated from Lamar High School in 1961 and has dedicated much of her life to bettering her community. Since 1983, she has served as the Barton County Clerk and has been a leader in the State Association of County Clerks, serving as president in 1996. While working full time, she is also a member of the Barton County Chamber of Commerce, the Lamar Art League, the Barton County Historical Society, the Truman Area Transportation System, and the Lamar High School Booster Club. In all of these organizations, Mrs. Rawlings has held a leadership position. Bonda is married to Bill Rawlings and has two sons, Stan and Steve. Circuit Clerk Jerry Moyer has spent his adult life serving Barton County and is a graduate of Golden City High School. In 1976, he graduated from the College of the Ozarks with a degree in criminal justice administration. Mr. Moyer has served as the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Barton County since 1983 and has been a leader among his colleagues, serving as president of the Circuit Clerk and Recorders Association in 1994. Mr. Moyer previously served as Deputy Sheriff, a police officer, and a Deputy Juvenile Officer. He is active in the First Assembly of God Church, the Lamar Rotary Club, and the Freedom Singers gospel choir. Jerry Moyer is married to Jena Moyer and has a daughter named Tiffany. Recorder of Deeds Jean Keithly has lived in Barton County all her life and is a graduate of Lamar High School. From 1984 to 2003, she served as the Deputy Recorder of Deeds in Barton County. In 2003, she became the first elected Recorder of Deeds in Barton County since 1935, when the office had been combined with the Circuit Clerk's office. Mrs. Keithly has been an active member of the Recorder's Association of Missouri for 22 years. She is a long-time member of the Hopewell Cumberland Presbyterian Church and has been an outstanding charitable volunteer. Mrs. Keithly is married to Bob Keithly and has two children, Michael and Teresa. Deputy Assessor Ona Mullinax has lived in Golden City, Missouri, for the past 41 years and has worked at the Barton County Courthouse since 1983. Throughout her tenure, she has capably worked through many changes within her office and was especially instrumental in assigning emergency 911 addresses to rural Barton County homes. In 1998, Mrs. Mullinax received the Employee of the Year award, which was presented by the Lamar Rotary Club. She and her husband, Rusty, have a shared family of seven children and ten grandchildren. Mr. Speaker, these five individuals represent the outstanding Missourians who live and work within Missouri's Fourth Congressional District. As they each prepare to spend time with their families and enjoy retirement, I know that my colleagues will join me in wishing them well. ____________________