10/17/2024
I got an early morning call from the daughter of a friend, and it got me thinking. My friend was a real estate broker in Branson. You know Realtors often get viewed as an equivalent to a used car salesman. But most people don’t realize some are “Believers”. They fall in love with a community, or a section of that community and they nurture it. Maybe it is a subdivision of homes that their first sale was in, or the neighborhood their own home is in, or the business district they like working in. YES, the business is a job, and they must work to make money for their own family. YES, they are most often competitive. But occasionally, one “GETS IT” and they realize they are either a consumer or a producer and that love of a community shines. And they produce.
Many neighborhoods and shopping centers and theaters and attractions were brought to Branson by some of these old town builders. Several built new subdivisions of homes and others formed and
We lose track of them, and they pass and are all but forgotten.
I know from the mid 80’s on we had such great leaders as Dick Hall, Mark Weisz, Duane Gerken, Layne Morrill, Donna M***a and Al Moon, Tony Kirstine, Anne Symington, Kelly Grisham, Rex Asselin, and further back we and some real great Believers too. I don’t know a lot of those but some of you recognize street names or subdivision names. so many more that should be named but again, they are all but forgotten.
I realize these people were all making a living, but some went above and beyond trying to build the town. Unlike many agents who list a property then put a sign up and then advertise the property, some of our BELIEVERS worked differently. Go tell potential prospects why they should consider Branson. Not for the one building they had for sale, but any building or even someone else’s property. A group of the more commercial minded agents met monthly and discussed businesses not here, entertainers not contacted, land that could be bought even if not listed. Sites for new and improved attractions and theaters.
As an example, Dick Hall ran advertisements in music industry journals that advertised the potential of Branson and went to Nashville and other cities to recruit new entertainment. He knew very well that some prospect would call someone other than him, but Dick (being a Navy Lieutenant) knew rising tides raise all boats.
Layne Morrill clearly understood promotion of the area and the Board of Realtors on every level. I assure you the little town of Kimberling City and our lakes got many times the exposure to the world because of Layne Morrill. He knew working to grow the community would grow his business too.
Anne Symington also contributed to the growth of this area by working diligently with State and Federal government as well as convincing City and County leader to agree to join FEMA flood districts so insurance could be purchased. Before the mid 90’s nobody could get federal flood insurance. She did not spend nearly five years doing that to sell a house. She knew the area needed it and would need it even more with development and she fought for it.
My friend Mark Weisz was the archivist for all of us. He had a newspaper article in file for nearly every property in Branson and any groundbreaking, chamber event or business review. Mark advertised to all the best vacation resort businesses in the country. He traveled to convention after convention working to promote Branson. Not his listings but Branson. If you thought you needed to talk to a certain business for the area, Mark had a couple newspaper clipping and a name and phone number. And he gave it to anyone who needed it.
There are so many who poured blood, sweat and tears into growing and improving this area. They saw needs and they worked to fill those needs. They were and are Branson Heroes. Unsung heroes but heroes, nonetheless. We need to preserve this history. We need to make our new future heroes see how it can be done and celebrate the past so we can repeat it and be the next “Believers”.
I know, I am forgetting some - Sorry
