Shannon featured on the 2016 Old Timer's Reunion Button​

Long-time Fairview resident Dick Shannon will be featured on this year's Old Timer's Reunion button. Richard Shannon was born in 1937 and grew up in Alexander, ND to parents E.D. and Hildegard Shannon with his two sisters. Shannon has been farming and ranching his entire life and learned a lot from his dad who was the unofficial community veterinarian. Soon, Shannon began working as a ranch hand himself.

Dick, his wife Carol, and their young sons had been living in Sidney until 1958 when a friend of Shannon's offered to rent him a house on 80 acres outside of Fairview where the family would be able to keep their horse, and so Shannon became a part of the Fairview community.

In 1964, Shannon started hauling bulk fuel for Westland Oil Co. and would contract with several fuel companies over the years. In the 1970s, Shannon married Fairview native Penny Dahl and the couple bought land north of town where they would farm and ranch and raise seven sons.

In 1961, Bud Starr approached Shannon about helping him form a boxing club as a fundraiser for the high school football team.

"I thought it was a good idea. My dad had taught me how to box, just working with me at home, and then Bud taught me a lot too. It was hard work for those kids, you know. We'd practice every night at the Civic Center and if they didn't practice, they didn't compete so I think it gave them something to do and kept them out of trouble," he remembers.

Over the years, boxers included Cliff "Butch" Hanson and Jack Hanson, Bobby Green, and Rolly and Mel Miller. At just 16 years old, Mel Miller was an Olympic alternate and both Miller and Green were National Golden Gloves Champions with Shannon taking Green to compete in the Las Vegas National Golden Gloves Tournament in 1970.

Shannon was involved with the Fairview Athletics Club which sponsored Little League and the Babe Ruth League and was involved with the AAU Boxing Commission. He served two years on the Fairview School Board, one of those as Chairman. He's a member of Zion Lutheran Church and served on the Volunteer Fire Department for 21 years. Shannon was named Young Man of the Year by the Fairview Jaycees in 1962 and 1972.

When asked why he'd chosen to be such an active member of the community, Shannon commented, "I've always liked staying busy and my boys were involved with baseball and boxing for a few years. I enjoyed working with kids."

Eventually, Shannon and his wife opened Shannon Oil, a mom & pop full-service gas station where many fond memories were made and shared.

"My wife was an RN, but when we had the station, she came to work so that she could help out. She did the books and ran the pumps when I was gone," Shannon recalls. "She made it a social gathering place; there were always morning and afternoon coffee crowds and we made a lot of good friends over the years."

Today, Shannon continues to keep himself busy; he still lives on the ranch North of town and two of his sons and their families live on the land also. Shannon enjoys being able to live out of town, where there is always something to do, as well as having his seven grandkids around to keep him young.

"I was surprised to be on the button this year; there are other people that've done more than I have and I haven't done any of it alone. I've always had help from others and my wife was a big part of that. We worked side-by-side for 25 years. There are plenty of good people around here," Shannon concluded.