Julie Klenda stays busy with family, business, and job
Staff writer
Julie Klenda is known to some residents as the "egg lady" and to others as the "smiling lady" who greets you at the Cooperative Grain and Supply office.
Julie was born north of Marion on a farm, the second of five children born to George and Kathleen Oborny.
She attended Pilsen Elementary School and went to Centre for her junior and senior high school years.
"I was in the first seventh-grade class when the junior high moved to the high school building," Julie said.
In 1977 she graduated from Centre High School.
After graduation Julie moved to Salina and attended Brown Mackie College for one year. She took a nine-month executive secretarial course.
In 1978 she moved back to Marion and accepted a job with Agricultural Stabilization Conservation Services. At ASCS, a federal government agency, Julie's duties, as a clerk, included waiting on customers and working with farmers who were reporting their acreages.
In 1980 she married Val Klenda in Pilsen. Val is a farmer and also works for Brunner Feed Lot as a pen rider.
In November of 1981, Julie was relieved of her job at ASCS because of the government cutbacks in the program.
With the upcoming birth of their first child, Julie began being a stay-at-home mom. A mother of six children, four boys and two girls, Julie stayed at home on the farm raising her children until 1993.
They now range in ages from 21 to 14 years old.
During the time she was at home full-time, around 1982, Julie began her egg-selling business — something she prides herself in.
"When I walk in the stores and people say, 'There's the egg lady' — that makes me proud," she said.
To date, Julie has 1,100 to 1,200 old laying hens and 450 pullets, which are new laying chickens. At the time of this interview, she was expecting to received 400 more pullets.
In 1993, Julie accepted a position with the Marion County clerk's office serving as a deputy election clerk with county clerk Marquetta Eilerts.
Julie's duties were to work in getting the election materials ready and doing other office tasks.
In 1996, Eilerts did not file for re-election, and Julie sought Eilerts' seat as county clerk. She ran against Carol Maggard, who is the current county clerk.
Although, she did not win the race for the county clerk's office, Julie continued to work in the elections office.
In October of 1997 she applied for the bookkeeper's position at the Cooperative Grain and Supply office in Hillsboro. She was hired and has been working at CGS for almost six years.
As the bookkeeper, Julie is responsible for working with accounts receivable, interacting with the farmers who come in to check on their accounts, and doing a little receptionist's work when it's needed.
"I like what I do — so I don't really call it a job," Julie said. "Most of the time I don't have a problem with not wanting to go to work."
Julie said she does not have much time for hobbies. Her egg business keeps her busy. She does like to sew but hasn't done so in quite some time.
"I used to make all of my clothes, but not so much anymore — mainly for lack of time," she said.
She and her family attend the Catholic churches in Pilsen, Elmo, or Hope.
"We go to Mass to whatever church meets our needs time-wise," Julie said.
To add to her list of activities, Julie has been a 4-H community leader. She started out as a project leader serving in leadership roles for nearly 11 years.
As community leader, she guides the club in organizing activities for the fair and other events. She also is responsible for relaying information to and communicating with the Marion County Extension Office about 4-H activities.
She serves as secretary for the FFA alumni at Centre, which was organized three years ago.
When asked why she smiles all the time, Julie said, "That's just the way I am. Life is short, so live it as much as you can."
