Maries County volunteers honored at MRPC Annual Dinner

Posted 10/26/22

ST. JAMES — Three area residents were honored during the Meramec Regional Planning Commission’s (MRPC) annual dinner Oct. 13 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Vienna.  

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Maries County volunteers honored at MRPC Annual Dinner

Posted

ST. JAMES — Three area residents were honored during the Meramec Regional Planning Commission’s (MRPC) annual dinner Oct. 13 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Vienna. 

Each year, MRPC honors residents, local agency representatives and organizations in the Meramec Region who contribute to their communities by volunteering their time, talents and support. Gracie Rehmert, Hollis Sturdy, Bruce Grotewiel and Lawrence Buschmann were honored as 2022 volunteer award recipients. 

“It was so good to come together in-person and honor our volunteers,” said MRPC Executive Director Bonnie Prigge. “We are only able to honor a few volunteers each year, yet we extend our gratitude to the hundreds of volunteers in our region who truly make our region such an amazing place to live, work and visit. We are successful because of our volunteers.” 

Lawrence Buschmann of Vienna was the recipient of the Eugene E. Northern award, the highest honor given by MRPC for volunteers and community service. 

Buschmann has been a highly respected person in the Maries County area for decades, and when he gets behind a project, it immediately brings credibility to the endeavor. Buschmann has a real passion for his community and is the kind of guy who wants to help everyone out. 

Buschmann has been instrumental in the incorporation of and writing of the bylaws for the Visitation Cemetery in Vienna serving on the cemetery’s board since the early 1970s. As the president of Maries County Bank, Buschmann supported worthwhile projects across the county. 

Buschmann has whole heartedly supported of the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department. For more than 50 years, he worked tirelessly to keep it equipped and personnel trained. Buschmann helped obtain funding for a new fire house and satellite location, even getting a tax levy passed to provide the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department with more consistent funding. He served on the Vienna Fire Protection District Board since its creation 10 years ago and will be retiring from the board in December. 

Buschmann is the father of five children — Tammy Pollerisz, Paula Schwartze, Mark Buschmann, Jeff Buschmann and Larry Buschmann and currently resides on the family farm in Vienna with his wife Dorothy.

Buschmann was unable to attend the award celebration so his children accepted the award on his behalf.

Gracie Rehmert, daughter of Denise Rehmert and Billy Rehmert of Belle, received a 2022 Outstanding Youth Volunteer award. She was nominated by MRPC Chairman Steve Vogt.

Rehmert is a 2022 graduate of Belle High School and is now attending Culver-Stockton College majoring in Business Administration. During her high school career, Rehmert was active in Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and National Honor Society, where she served in officer positions. With FBLA, Rehmert was involved with the new ‘Welcome to Belle sign,’ the Belle Park gazebo, landscaping at Flag Park, the March of Dimes and environmental awareness. She was the senior class secretary and played softball.

 As a member of her church, she organized food in the food pantry and Christmas shopping for those in the Operation Christmas program. Rehmert also helped in the nursery during Sunday school. 

Two individuals received outstanding volunteer awards for 2022:

• Hollis Sturdy of Belle, nominated by Vogt, works many fundraisers and volunteers for many organizations. 

Sturdy and his wife, Pamela, relocated in 1988 to the Belle area. He has been on the Osage County Extension Council for several terms and is also a member of the Belle Lions Club, where he serves as its president.

He represented the Lions Club on the Belle-Bland Community Center Board of Directors.

Sturdy is a charter member of the Maries County R-2 Scholarship Committee, which has helped fundraise thousands of dollars that are then given in the form of scholarships to Belle High School seniors. Sturdy is also a long time member of the Belle Fair Board that coordinates and helps improve the Belle City Park. 

• Bruce Grotewiel of New Bloomfield, nominated by MRPC Board Member Ray Schwartze, was honored for his work on the Maries-Osage Ambulance District. Grotewiel has been a paramedic with the district for nearly 50 years. He also volunteers as a firefighter in his hometown of New Bloomfield. Grotewiel is a wealth of knowledge and is always willing to educate his peers and go above and beyond for the communities in which he serves. 

This year’s event was hosted by Maries County and the city of Vienna. 

The night included a reception that began at 5:30, sponsored by Maries County Bank, Unico Bank, The Bank of Crocker and The Bank of Missouri. 

A silent auction, held during the reception, raised over $1,800 to offset the costs of the dinner. MRPC hosted 165 people at this year’s event. The reception and dinner was catered by Argyle Catering.

“We want to thank everyone who came together to make this annual dinner possible — Maries County Presiding Commissioner Vic Stratman for serving as host and Maries County Bank for its financial support,” said Prigge. “It was a wonderful celebration.”