Biography of our founder; Bob Hamby 1931-2009

Biography of our founder; Bob Hamby 1931-2009

Posted by Paul Hamby on Nov 11th 2018

Born in 1931 in Nashua Missouri, Bob Hamby attended his first years of school in a 1 room schoolhouse. He attended the North Kansas City High School where he graduated in 1950. He served our country in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1951 - 1953 where he learned diesel mechanics. He married Geri Warn of Nashua on April 30, 1954. They operated Tri Honor Farm, a family run dairy farm at Plattsburg for 35 years where they raised registered Holstein cows.

Bob Hamby was a 4-H leader and deacon in the Presbyterian Church. In the 50s and 60s, he taught us about recycling; To re-use or recycle anything possible. It was not just a noble cause, Bob sold scrap metal for recycling when first married to make grocery money. He served in leadership roles for Mid- America Dairymen and the 4 county Dairy Herd Improvement Association. He was one of the first in NW Missouri to adopt Artificial Insemination and greatly improved the herd through selective breeding. 

They milked cows on the farm for 25 years selling the dairy cows in 1979. The 80s were tough years to farm and year after year of losses forced them to quit farming in 1990. 

Bob went to work for Nierman Equipment (Missouri Surge Dealer) as an independent service man in 1991. His son Paul joined him later and their partnership became Hamby Dairy Supply - selling Surge brand dairy equipment and supplies.  They provided service for all brands of dairy equipment. Bob Hamby retired in 2001. 

Today (2018), Bob’s daughter Suzanne Jones is office manager and son Paul is General Manager. 16 extended family members have worked at Hamby Dairy Supply over the past 27 years including Dennis Jones and James Graeff currently on staff. Bob Hamby was a great mentor and teacher with an enormous amount of patience. His hobbies included hunting arrowheads, Indian artifacts, and he was an avid NASCAR fan. Bob and Geri Hamby were married for 55 years. He passed away in 2009 at age 77.

*Photo shows Bob Hamby with Grandson Bryan.  Tri Honor Farm milk barn in background.  8 stanchion barn with 4 Surge Milking units.  Pipeline was originally installed in 1962