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 CAREER-Marvin Purdy began his 70-career as a registered Hampshire Sheep producer in 1937 with an FFA project. In recent years he rented out his farm ground and sold his cattle but he still has a small flock of sheep on his farm near Blackwell, Okla. (Journal photo by Doug Rich.) FFA project was the beginning for 70 years in sheep business"I have been raising them for 70 years and I learn something new every year," Purdy said. By Doug Rich According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average person born in the later part of the baby boom held 10.5 jobs from age 18 to 40. These baby boomers continued to have large numbers of short-duration jobs as they approached middle age. These aging baby-boomers would have a hard time relating to Marvin Purdy of Blackwell, Okla., who has been doing the same job for 70 years. Purdy has been raising purebred Hampshire sheep for the last 70 years. He will be 88 years old this June and Purdy has no plans to stop raising sheep anytime soon. Marvin Purdy's 70 year career as a registered Hampshire breeder began in 1937 as an FFA project. "The FFA advisor in the area got a carload of bred ewes from Big Horn, Wyo., and sold them to FFA kids by gate cut," Purdy said. "You didn't pick them, you just took whatever was coming through the gate. A lot of people in this area got started in sheep that way." About that time Purdy said area farmers were bringing in sheep from Colorado to pasture wheat. "That got me interested in sheep and FFA gave me a chance to start." During World War II, Purdy spent five years in the military but was able to keep his flock together with help from his brother, Max. His brother took care of the flock for half of the lambs and got started in the sheep business himself. Purdy never forgot how he got his start in the sheep business and has helped many 4-H and FFA kids with their sheep projects over the years. He would let some kids take two lambs and raise them. When the show season was over they would bring one lamb back to him as payment. "They eat better if there are two of them when you are feeding them out for show," Wilma Purdy said. Wilma Purdy said she would get a little irritated with her husband at times when he was selling 4-H and FFA lambs. "He never let his own kids pick their lambs first," Wilma said. "I would get awful upset with him." "He never made them pay a premium for his lambs," Wilma said. "That is one thing I was always proud of him for. If you are going to help a kid then help them more than just having lambs available to buy." "I never did sell my 4-H and FFA lambs for a high price," Marvin Purdy said. "I tried to treat them like I would want to be treated." Purdy showed lambs for several years when he first started raising registered Hampshire sheep. He has seen a lot of change in the breed since 1937. The breed has changed from a small, blocky type animal to a larger, leggy animal. Like any other purebred producer, Purdy has certain rams and ewes that stand out in his memory. Purdy remembers very well the first ram he ever bought. This ram was out of Washington state and had placed first in 14 shows here in the United States and first in two shows in Canada. He met the owner at a show in Oklahoma City and arranged to buy the ram for $100. "That was a lot of money at that time," Purdy said. The catch was he could not take possession until after the last show in Dallas, Texas. The herdsman at Oklahoma State University agreed to bring the lamb back to Oklahoma for Purdy. Another ram that Purdy remembers was one that produced a champion lamb for his granddaughter, Tami. His granddaughter showed the reserve champion lamb at the Houston show in 1993 and the champion ram lamb at Houston in 1994. "We have had a lot of ewes with triplets over the years, but six years ago we had a ewe that had four lambs," Purdy said. "She raised two of them and I put two on the bottle." That was the second time he had a ewe give birth to quadruplets. The first time they were premature and did not survive. "This last bunch was right healthy," Purdy said. In the early 1960s Purdy and his brother took care of 3,000 head of sheep on wheat pasture for a company out of Wichita. Kan. There were all kinds of sheep--rams and aged ewes from western grazing lands. "That was quite an experience," Purdy said. In the last 70 years Purdy said there is really only one time that he thought about getting rid of his sheep. He and his wife, Wilma, were moving from a farm near Oxford, Kan., to a farm near Tonkawa, Okla. "I didn't think we had good enough fences so we were going to sell out, but we decided to keep them," Purdy said. "In fact we sold down quite a bit but kept some that year." Purdy said they lived in Kansas for 13 years, then moved to Tonkawa were they lived for 18 years then to their current home just outside Blackwell. Marvin Purdy did not have the first sheep on this farm, that honor belongs to his wife, Wilma. Wilma Purdy grew up on their current farm that was homesteaded by her grandfather when the Cherokee Strip was opened up for settlement. Wilma said she had the first lamb that was ever on this place when her uncle brought one home to her as a gift. Anyone that has ever raised sheep knows that sometimes it seems they would rather die than live. Purdy said he does not have any secrets for keeping them alive and well. "I have been raising them for 70 years and I learn something new every year," Purdy said. "I do know that if sheep get sick its pretty hard to doctor them back to health." Purdy retired from full-time farming in 1997 and rented out his farm ground. Three years ago he sold his cattle and rented all of the pasture except for a few lots close to home for his sheep. He said he would retire completely but sheep don't have a retirement plan. "I did not realize I would keep sheep this long," Purdy said. "I just played it by ear as I went along." Doug Rich can be reached by phone at 785-749-5304 or by e-mail at richhpj@aol.com. Date: 6/13/07
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