The signs of aging are evident all around, they mirror those worn by the man in charge.
J.D. Hannah Jr. owned the Rea Grain & Feed Co. — the only grain elevator in Andrew County — for the past 57 years. If the rusty elevator shafts could talk, they would share the same stories told by Hannah and his employees over nearly six decades.
On Wednesday, a grand opening ceremony was held at the elevator. Hannah sold the family business to a younger generation.
"There are pictures of dad's grand opening," said Hannah's daughter Charlotte Myers. "They had a band and a dance and a hog roast. It was a big deal back then."
Along with his late wife Genevieve, Hannah raised a family of three daughters — Charlotte, Janet Herbert and Stacy Cole — on a farm about four miles from the elevator.
When the original elevator burned down in 1952, Hannah helped with the clean up and then took over. Over five years, he built the structure that stands today.
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