The names of those people who have made a generational impact on McCook and Southwest

Nebraska is a long list. Many of them are working day-in, day-out right now to make their mark

on the community.

And then there are those people who no longer call McCook home but still make an impact long

after they are gone.

Allen Strunk is one of those people. Allen passed away on Nov. 1 at his home in Las Vegas,

Nevada but he never lost the love of his hometown. Born and raised in McCook, Allen was a

member of an already well-known family, Harry and Arlene Strunk. The Strunks started and

published the McCook Daily Gazette, with the motto, “Service is the rent we pay for the space

we occupy in this world.” A saying that was so important that Harry had it etched at the top of

his downtown newspaper office on Norris Avenue.

That sense of service was passed along to Allen, who continued to serve his community as he

took over leadership of the Gazette.

I didn’t know Allen personally until he came back for visits years later. Even though my first job

upon arriving in McCook was at the McCook Daily Gazette and Allen had turned over the

publishing reins to Gene Morris many years prior, the Strunk legacy loomed large.

He was instrumental in the building of the then-new YMCA, moving the facility from downtown to

its current location next to the McCook High School. He was a key player in the new hospital,

again moving from one location to a new expanded space. And McCook Community College

benefitted his involvement in an expansion.

Those projects continue to impact McCook today.

And the support didn’t stop just because Allen retired from the Gazette and left McCook.

There are programs the Strunks are involved in that benefit McCook and Southwest Nebraska.

The Strunks continue to support Santa Claus Lane, which is overseen by the McCook Chamber

of Commerce. And which after a few years of decline is seeing a resurgence of enthusiasm and

nostalgia for the decorative holiday pieces lining Norris Avenue.

Allen funds the annual McCook Area Outstanding Teacher award, which provides a financial

prize to several teachers every year.

And Allen recognized the work of the McCook Community Foundation Fund, providing a

donation several years ago so that he could see its impact while he was still alive.

This has led MCFF to consider how they will recognize and remember Allen for years to come.

Because of his belief in service to his community, this could mean more recognition for the

countless volunteers who keep our community thriving. It could be a day of community service,

to see how many people can come together to make something happen. It could be a

celebration for all the great things happening in our community.

During Allen’s memorial service this past week in McCook, his step-daughter-in-law read the

poem, “The Dash" by Linda Ellis, who published it in 1996. It reflects on the meaning of the

dash between the birth and death dates on a tombstone.

The dash is a reminder of everything that happens between the moment a person is born and

the moment a person dies. The dash emphasizes the importance of how one lives their life

during that time. The dash prompts a person to think about living, rather than worrying about

dying. Ultimately, the dash is where all the good - and the bad - happens.

And Allen Strunk made the most of his “dash,” both in his community and within his family.

We can’t all run a newspaper. We likely aren’t going to etch our favorite saying into a building.

But we all need to consider how we are paying the “rent for the space we occupy in this world.”

And we can all make a difference in our hometowns, whether we currently live in them or even if

we haven’t stepped foot on the main street in years.