From the Alvin and Rosalie Sara Check studio.

PBS Kansas Presents Hatteberg's People The True Heart of Kansas isn't found on a map.

It is found in the faces and stories of the people who live here.

Tonight on Harrisburg's People, a prosecutor from the famous in Cold Blood case who took on a completely different drama late in life.

Plus, we remember one of the last original Rosie the Riveter who put on her skills to work restoring a legendary aircraft.

And we meet a Dayton artist determined to breathe new life into a historic building.

Then a trip to Mayfield to meet two entrepreneurs, proving you don't need a big city to build a booming business.

And we ride along with a Kansas mailman who knew exactly how to deliver a smile.

All these classic stories, plus a special surprise guest coming your way now on this edition of Hattebergs People.

People.

These stories are like old friends.

Their lives radiate from the screen like prophets of the past.

They were teachers, but not in a classroom.

Instead, they taught about life to those around them who cared to listen.

And I was their student.

Sometimes the second act of a person's life is even more surprising than the first.

Duane West was already a well-known attorney and Garden City.

He cemented his place in history as the prosecutor of the infamous clutter family murders.

But late in life, Duane switched gears with no theatrical experience.

He spent 20 years writing a musical about the Garden City founder, Buffalo Jones.

Then, in 2011, I was there as his unlikely dream finally went into rehearsals.

This is a monumental thing for someone to save a species and to start a town.

So, with little background in music and no playwriting experience, West began the process of creating a musical about Buffalo Jones.

I can milk all the cows and break up day.

Two decades later, he finished it.

Over the years, West took piano lessons to help him with the music.

Then he recruited professionals to assist him.

Phillip Hoke is the director of the play.

Well, you have to admire his dedication to the process and his passion for the writing itself.

As playwright.

That was another thing that interested me while I was, giving him that opportunity, to see his his play on stage and see his vision realized.

For the Buffalo Bills over here in Duane's living room.

He wrote the play in longhand.

I probably well, I know I didn't realize just how how hard it was going to be to do this.

Oh.

So over the years, his musical dream, Your Dreams, The Buffalo Jones story became a reality.

And rehearsals last week were making Duane's own dream come true.

For me, there's been a great deal of satisfaction in being able to achieve a goal that that you have for yourself.

Garden city loves Buffalo Jones, the town's founder, is seen in many ways, from the streets to the courthouse lawn.

The man who was friends of presidents and made legend by writer Zane Gray in his book The Last of the Plainsman.

I think it's important that people know the past in order to, look and see what the future is going to become.

Duane West is also part of Garden City history.

He was the chief prosecutor of the clutter murderers Perry Smith and Richard Hickock, killed four members of a Holcomb, Kansas family when West was county attorney.

Those killings spawned Truman Capote's book, In Cold Blood.

The clutter thing was a just a sad, sad tale.

In later years, West prides himself on discovering Jesse Montez, an artist who makes cardboard art in unbelievable, intricate and complicated forms.

The strength to backdrop for the very best place for the trains to stop.

Now West and his wife love the arts in US.

Waits for the trains to stop.

So his play on Buffalo Jones was a natural extension of his interests.

If I'd have known it was going to be as much hard work as it has been, I might not have even started.

But, I'm Scotch-Irish, and once I get started with something, I. I don't like to turn loose for the buffalo.

But it's been a labor of love, as I tell people and country.

I don't know what the end result is going to be, but I hope this will be something that I will be remembered as.

Is a person who who wrote the show dream your dreams.

Okay, I love Kansas history, Buffalo Jones, it's really, really cool.

But the thing about this guy is he is part of Kansas history.

Oh, he is, because he was the prosecutor in the clutter cases.

And then he goes down the road of history, of the history of garden City.

That's right.

He's an unlikely playwright.

Exactly.

In every sense of the word.

Oh, that is so cool.

And during his life, Duane also served as Garden City mayor.

He was also involved in numerous local projects and organizations.

But his obituary explains that writing this play and seeing it performed at the Garden City Community College was one of the proudest moments of his life.

Now, Duane lived until 2023.

He was 92 years old, and he's one of those guys who had an incredible full life.

Full life.

That's all you can ask for him, right?

Yep.

All right.

When World War II, who called millions of men to the front lines, it was the women on the home front who rolled up their sleeves to build the machines that won the war.

Connie Palacios was one of the last and best known of those original Rosie the Riveter.

Well, Connie recently passed away at the ripe age of 101, and her legacy is one of incredible dedication that really lasted a lifetime.

She was still vibrant well into her golden years.

And in 2009, I found Connie hard at work as a volunteer at the Kansas Aviation Museum.

And I was 18 when I realized that no section of the big 29 and now 84, Connie Palacio, is the real life Rosie the Riveter.

Now, that term came about in the 1940s during World War two, as women headed to the aircraft plants to take the jobs once held by men.

We were all hoping to get that war over with men who were now fighting overseas.

At that time we had all women.

They were Leonard, Rosie the Riveter.

Then we could get into those little small places where nobody else could get.

Sometimes they would call us to go help somebody else, and we had to crawl in those small places in the plane.

It was hard work.

I'm not saying it was easy, but we did it.

Now she has come full circle as a riveter at Boeing.

She worked on the know section of dock that is the B-29 that was rescued by a Wichita group from the Arizona desert.

It was brought here in 2000 and is now in the process of being restored.

This week, another three of those involved in the restoration of dock had engine number four up and running at the museum.

And for Connie, it's just another step closer to getting all docked flying.

Once again, it's just a wonderful life.

Can you imagine that we would ever see it running again?

Now Connie is working with it again as a volunteer at Wichita's Aviation Museum, where the B-29 restoration headquarters are located.

I'll never forget when we had the 1000 won, we put dollar bills in and the plane unloaded.

There was a big thrill for all of us.

It was a 1000 plane that we'd built.

Wichita's Aviation Museum near McConnell is the perfect place for Connie Palacios.

I don't like to just be idle at home sitting on a rocking chair.

I enjoy just going out and do as much volunteer work as I can, as long as I'm able.

I'll be doing it and it's just wonderful.

I can't tell you how much I enjoy doing my volunteer work.

She was an unbelievable woman, and in the years since, Connie continued to be a tireless ambassador.

And now she traveled, attended events and shared her historic experiences with the younger generation to ensure the contributions of the Rosies would never be forgotten.

And she just fit the image and picture of Rosie the Riveter.

Anytime you saw Ted and she she would dress like she put a scarf around her head and and dress like I know her daughter really well, and her daughter had a big part in bringing her to all those other great functions and, and educational opportunities to teach people about Rosie the Riveter.

So.

And we are going to miss her.

She will be missed.

Yes.

Breathing new life into an old building takes more than just hammers and nails.

It takes vision.

Yeah.

In 1984, an artist in Dighton, Kansas named Pat Herndon had plenty of vision.

Now, she had fallen in love with a historic downtown building and dedicated herself to researching its past.

Her ultimate dream was to restore the weathered space and transform it into her very own art gallery.

Have you ever gone to the library just to get a little bit of information, and instead ended up with a mountain of facts and figures?

Well, that's what happened to a Dighton, Kansas, artist whose research into a downtown building has resulted into a mammoth restoration project.

A project that has helped her find her community's roots.

Meet Patricia Herndon, a determined western Kansas artist whose dream is to restore this old bank building to its original grandeur.

The building has been a part of Dighton, Kansas since 1888.

Patricia bought it two years ago, primarily to be used as a gallery for her art work, but her research into the building's origin has afforded her an unusual view of the way life used to be in this small western Kansas community.

I want it to be an art gallery and a place that I can work, and a place that the whole community will take pride in.

But Trisha is first and foremost an artist.

Much of her work depicts Western themes.

So during the week her artwork takes precedence.

But on the weekends she becomes a history sleuth.

For nearly two years, Pat has researched the history of the First National Bank of Dighton, and she even found the old tellers cages that now await placement in their original locations.

Over the years, this room has been used for a place where the, newspaper was published.

There was a family that lived here at one time down on the first floor.

The old bank vault has almost been restored.

Well, this is the original safe.

It was installed in this vault in 1888.

Much of her success is due to area residents who have access or information about the building's original contents.

Oftentimes when things get scattered out, you never get them all back again.

And a lot of things have come back here.

They're all in this community.

This is the way the bank looked at the turn of the century.

And with the cooperation of the town, Pat is slowly returning it to its original condition.

And she's had some exciting discoveries, like this original burglar alarm system that was found in a woman's basement.

So it's an ongoing adventure.

Upstairs, the adventure continues.

This corner room with indirect light will be Pat's art room.

It was once an old time dentist's office, and before I'd finished cleaning the room, I had found this many teeth.

It looked like the dentist used to pull teeth and then just toss them over in a corner.

Pat Herndon moved to Dayton 20 years ago.

In terms of years, it's a relatively short time, but through her research, she feels like she's been a resident forever.

It makes me feel like I've been here ever since this community was organized in 1886, because I feel like I know these people, even though I never met them.

And it makes me feel like I belong.

I feel out kind of like I've got roots down way deep.

So now as she paints, she dreams about the past and what was some say?

She has a magnificent obsession.

It's just like a force that drives you and says, you have to do this.

Pat doesn't know how long it will take to restore the old bank, and she's in no hurry now.

She's just happy being a weekday artist and a weekend historian indicting Kansas.

This is Larry Hatteberg.

Pat succeeded in restoring the building, and it served as her art gallery for the rest of her life.

She passed away in 2023 at age 84, but she realized her dream.

She did.

And and her son is carrying it on.

Her son now owns the old Bank Gallery, as it's called.

And here's the breaking news.

Her son Joel has decided to reopen it.

So if you're watching this after June 6th, 2026, you can once again visit this historic building in downtown Dighton and enjoy Pat Herndon's Western art.

That's right.

And it's a nice drive down to Dighton through Western Kansas.

So you can do two things.

See western Kansas and the art.

Go and see the art.

That's so neat that our is make her legend lives on and her son has that part in it.

I'm happy for him.

I'm glad.

Joel.

Thank you.

Joel.

We may see you this summer.

It's easy to drive past a small Kansas town and assume there's not much going on.

Oh.

So easy.

In 2009, the town of Mayfield proved that assumption wrong.

Steve Mattson and Dick Gudrun were two entrepreneurs who could have easily moved their business to a bigger city, but chose to anchor their success right in the small town they loved.

I've been here all my life and really enjoyed it.

The real quiet community downtown Mayfield, Kansas is like a prairie flower.

Now, some may disagree on its beauty, but for those who live and work here, like Steve Mattson and his family, it is part of a heritage.

His family began this business in 1947, and cutting meat has been the family's specialty.

Oh, yeah, I've always enjoyed it.

And.

You know, some people thinking, hey, you been that me that long?

Do you even care for me or anything?

And yeah, it doesn't bother me at all.

On the other end of Mayfield Street, you'll find Dick.

Good.

Run.

He's been building fire trucks.

Yep.

Fire trucks for years.

We built a truck from scratch.

Yes, we've done quite a few of them over the years, so it's good to where we can usually custom build the way the fire department wants it.

Both Steve and Dick cater to larger areas, but prefer to live in tiny Mayfield.

Oh, yeah.

I've always enjoyed living in the small towns.

That's where I grew up, and that's where I've lived all my life.

So that's where I wanted to be with the business.

Steve owns the meat cutting business and grocery store, and it is his family who runs it.

That's his wife, Jamie.

His mother, Mary, is over at the cash register.

And while Steve and Jamie handle the back room duties, the nine year old daughter Isabella is right there beside them.

And it is in every way a family business.

You, like you have to do is now in downtown Mayfield.

There's a bank, a barber shop, a service station, and a life that takes its own time.

But for a town this size, we're very fortunate to have this much business and still have a lot of facility here in Mayfield.

So whether you're working on nozzles for fire trucks and doing business in several states, or cutting meat and waiting on customers who come from all over, you're welcome.

The small town isn't dying.

It's got folks who believe in it.

It's still a fun job.

I'm very happy here.

Wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

Steve Mattson says he and his family are still running the grocery store, and the meat locker.

The only thing that's changed, he says, is everybody's gotten older.

No kidding.

Where is Mayfield, Kansas?

Mayfield, Kansas is just west of Wellington.

I had never heard of.

Makes a very small little community.

Yeah.

And he loves running it down there.

We looked it up.

I had no idea there was a Mayfield.

I only know Mayfield from Leave It to Beaver.

But now there's a Mayfield, Kansas.

But the population of Mayfield 75 today and may have been more populated when you did the story.

But that's a small town, 75 people.

Everything was more populated when I said stories.

Well, unfortunately, Dick good run passed away in 2022.

Now, two years earlier, he sold his emergency fire equipment business to a Eureka based company.

And it continues to operate this day.

To this day.

Right here in Mayfield.

That's so cool.

The businesses are still there and the town is still.

And the town is still there.

The Postal Service promises to deliver through rain, sleet and snow, but they don't mention anything about charm.

Well, in 1984, I tagged along with a postman who definitely wrote his own rules.

Paul Allen knew exactly how to be the most popular guy in the neighborhood, working hard to find.

And what a way to make a living.

Any getting by.

Don't and then don't get it.

Just working in these downtown offices can sure get boring unless you have a mailman like Paul Allen.

You crazy?

And you get it.

Paul has been delivering mail for 28 years, but what he delivers best are smiles.

Morning, Gary.

Hi, Paul.

You ready for this?

Yes.

All of it.

All the bills.

Thank you.

How about this?

Oh.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Have a good day.

You too.

Bye bye.

You know, instead of just getting your bills and all of that junk mail that you usually get in, you know, you get a joke when, like today, a flower.

And it just really brightens up your day.

It kind of gives you a good beginning, because mornings are bad enough as it is.

Paul's mail sorting room is located in an office building at 104 South Broadway, and he not only delivers a flower to his patrons on special occasions, but sometimes as one for those office workers who pick up their mail.

Morning.

You ready for this?

Yes.

Thank you.

Have a good day.

Thank you.

All right.

It's my house.

Yes.

How about a little mail?

How about a little flower or two?

I love it.

Thank you.

Good day.

You too.

If you start off with a smile and.

And, start off the day.

Right.

Well, usually the day stays that way the rest of the day.

Now, Paul won't say where he gets his flowers and his patrons don't care.

All they know is that here's a guy who likes to make people smile.

I don't know where you have that.

Thanks.

Oh.

How pretty.

Just like me.

It is.

Seems like if you're happy, it rubs off on a hectic, horrible.

Monday morning, it makes the day.

So what does Paul get out of this deal?

Simple a smile.

And it was.

It was pretty neat.

That is the payoff.

I was really tickled.

Paul Allen, the downtown post man who some say is first class.

I'm Larry Hedberg.

Now, not too many years later, Paul retired from the post office.

So that was the end of the flowers for all those ladies.

Then in 2021, he died just a few weeks short of his 89th birthday.

But the ladies loved the flower.

Can you imagine?

And just something so small can totally change your day, as it did with those ladies.

I'm sure it did, you know.

And he's one of those guys that you want to have walk into your business or knock on your door with mail and just come on in and have a cup of coffee?

Yeah.

And and the flowers smelled wonderful.

I bet they did.

Well, in the course of being a photojournalist, you run across the small story.

Not the ones that make headlines, but the ones you'll keep forever.

It's your own family that you treasure where the story originates.

Well, on a timeless summer day decades ago.

My daughters, who love cats, decided to introduce our old cat to a kitten.

It didn't go well.

Just.

A day.

Oh my gosh.

That was precious and wonderful and frightening, isn't it?

It is a bit frightening.

That story was done about 42 years ago.

My daughter, Susan Dyer here was about ten years old, and I drove my daughters crazy doing little videos with them.

And they can tell you about all of that.

But this was a this was a really fun one because our family liked cats.

Suzy had several cats over the course of the years and it was just fun.

What do you remember about that?

I vaguely remember the segment and the walk from the back of the field.

The back of the house to the front of the house seemed like it took forever.

And but I was ten at the time, so it probably wasn't really that long.

The other thing I remember is we had to keep reshooting the close up on my feet, and I was a little annoyed because I wanted to ride my bike and play with my friends, but we had to keep doing it over and over until we got it right.

Well, that happened a lot at our house.

I use my daughters in many things and they had dates to go on and places to be like, dad, forget it, forget it.

But I like this story because it's real.

We didn't know the cat, the old cat, was going to reject the new cat.

That's right.

So that was fun.

That was fun.

That little kittens name was Lizzie, and we had her for quite a long time.

Yeah, quite a long time.

And the other one was Garfield.

Garfield.

Garfield.

Even though the cat's gray and Garfield is typically an orange cat.

Yes.

But, yeah.

Well, you know, we don't let that information roll.

Okay, I have a question about how many stories of your father's were you in?

Did you have to?

I mean, were there dozens.

And did you just go, okay, do we have to do this again?

Yeah.

Yeah, we we pushed back a little bit, but we always eventually ended up doing it.

And now you're so proud of them.

This has gotten out of reach, people, which is one of the best shows on PBS kids.

And I'm so proud of her because she didn't do an eyeroll, which is what I used to get.

I hear you.

We love the cats.

Daughters love the cats.

It was a great time.

Thanks for being here.

Thank you.

That's a wrap for this week.

If you'd like to help keep Pat Burke's people on the air, we invite you to make a $100 donation specifically earmarked for this program.

And as a thank you, your name will appear on screen at the beginning and end of the show each week.

As a proud supporter, yeah, Susan and I volunteer our time, but producing television is expensive.

And when it's not possible without help from viewers like you.

Thanks for watching, everybody.

I'm Larry hatter, I'm Susan Peters.

We'll see you again soon.