As election time nears, many candidates talk about their civic ties and years of residence within a community. However, one candidate has a heritage of historical significance and notable longevity. That person is my husband, Butch Schlyer, candidate for Ellis County clerk.

It was all started by John Schlyer great-great-grandfather to Butch. He came to Ellis County as a young man in 1869 and was a buffalo hunter for Fort Hays. As years passed, John was elected treasurer, as well as sheriff of Ellis County. He later was elected state representative and proved instrumental in obtaining the land grant upon which Fort Hays State College was established.

Butch's great-grandpa Henry Schlyer and grandpa Albert Schlyer were longtime farmers in the Hays area. In addition, Albert was also a businessman. For several years, the family owned and operated the Dr. Pepper plant in Hays. Later, Albert started and managed the Golden Acres Cafe, while grandmother Clara provided her homemade cooking of the steaks, chicken and shrimp.

Butch's dad was a Navy man. Following the war, Bob returned home and worked in the family's businesses. Afterward, Bob worked as a salesman selling Coca-Cola products for the local bottling plant and later promoting wines and spirits until his retirement.

Richard Dreiling, maternal grandfather to Butch, volunteered 25 years of service as organist for St. Joseph Catholic Church and parish. Also, he was elected twice as Ellis County clerk. His uncle, Norbert Dreiling, was a renowned attorney and state Democrat chairman during the Gov. Bob Docking years. Uncle Don Dreiling operated the family furniture and hardware store in Hays before moving to Connecticut to serve as deputy grand knight for the Knights of Columbus.

Butch maintains the integrity of this heritage through hard work and a commitment to community that is honest and heartfelt. He is proud of his Ellis County ancestry, an ancestry which reaches back more than 140 years. Not only is this heritage recorded in historical documents, it is also documented in the local cemetery records, as many of these individuals were laid to rest in the community where they lived, died and made a difference.

For a candidate who truly knows and cares about Ellis County, I encourage you to vote for my husband, Butch Schlyer, on Nov. 6.

Mary Schlyer

Hays