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Stampede grand marshals named |
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Written by Bill Jackson for NEXTnc
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Friday, 25 May 2007 |
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 Wes Sargent can remember marching in the Greeley Independence Stampede parade as a member of the Meeker Junior High School band. And the time he took his grandmother to the parade in the early 1980s, set her up in front of the Presbyterian Church and heard her talk with a visitor from Sweden -- in Swedish.
"What are then chances of that? She's probably the only person in Greeley who could speak Swedish, and she's sitting next to a woman in a crowd of 100,000 who told her, in Swedish, that she didn't speak English," Sargent said Thursday after he and his wife, Trudy, were introduced as grand marshals of the 85th annual Greeley Stampede.
This year's event is June 22-July 4.
The Sargents were introduced at the annual service club luncheon, conducted this year at the Exhibition Building in Island Grove Regional Park, home to the Stampede.
The Sargent family has deep roots in Greeley and Weld County. Four generations of the family have called Greeley home, starting with Wesley James Sargent, Wes's great-grandfather, who came from Australia in 1898. His father, also Wes, worked at the Jones Co. in downtown Greeley before opening Sargent's Sports Shop. His mother, June, taught in Greeley schools for years. His grandfather, Herman Corsberg, operated the first blacksmith shop in Kersey.
"We are humbled to represent the family," Wes told the crowd of more than 450. He said he, Trudy and their three children and families were in New York City when he got the call from Lynn Settje, the Stampede's chief executive officer.
"Lynn said it was good all the family was there, because the (Stampede) committee wanted me to be grand marshal this year. I said 'You've got to be kidding me,' because I go a long way back with grand marshals and realized who those people have been and what they have done. It was just great," Sargent said.
A Greeley High School and University of Northern Colorado graduate, Sargent lives in Fort Collins but continues to call Greeley home. While growing up, he worked for Flatiron Paving, Gregory's Clothing and the Weld County Filling Station in Greeley. He moved to Fort Collins after graduating from UNC, and he has been involved in several community organizations including the UNC Alumni Association and UNC Foundation board, the Longs Peak Boy Scout Council and several others.
He's been involved in banking for more than 30 years, the past seven with Centennial Bank of the West. This fall, he will begin his 31st year as voice of the Colorado State University Rams, announcing football games and other sporting events.
Sargent, addressing the luncheon crowd, said he could have talked all afternoon about memories of the Stampede, from watermelon races down 8th Avenue to watching the parade from the roof of the Jones Co. at 8th Avenue and 10th Street.
"We are very grateful and will represent Greeley and the Stampede the very best we can," Sargent said. | Only registered users can write comments.
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