Page 110 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2018- Online Magazine

Mike Querner
ike Querner was born in
Temple, Texas on May 26,
M1948. From a young age,
he spent time on his family ranches,
helping work cattle, horses and
goats. He remembers working his
uncle’s ranch and traveling to South
Texas for horse shows late in the
summer. As a boy, he stayed busy
with Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts,
hunting for arrowheads, building
model airplanes and cars, and
bow hunting with arrows he made
himself.
“I think when you do something
out of curiosity, you learn a lot from
it,” Mike said. “When I was young,
I hunted for and taught myself to
make my own arrowheads.”
The family
moved to Lubbock
when Mike was
nine years old. He
attended Monterey
High School and
then Texas Tech
University. He
majored in biology
and minored in
chemistry, with
intentions of going
on to medical or
dental school after
110 Lubbock Senior Link
A Lifetime of Service
by Jenna Hightower
getting a bachelor’s degree. Then, programs to benefit current and
in 1968, he made the decision to retired members.”
enlist in the Army shortly before Upon his retirement from the
the draft began for the Vietnam Army, he returned to Lubbock
War. where he found a job working at
“I decided to enlist before I got South Plains Electric Cooperative
drafted. I had always wanted a (SPEC) as a meter reader.
military career, but it came sooner “When I retired from the Army,
than I had planned,” Mike said. “I I had a wife and two boys to take
knew when I was a teenager that care of and heard SPEC was hiring,”
one day I would join the military.” Mike said. “I worked in just about
During his time in the Army, every department including:
Mike served in the Special Forces service, underground construction
as a Medical Specialist and was and overhead construction; I
later promoted to Combat Medic. finally achieved the designation of
He eventually achieved the rank of journeyman lineman.”
Staff Sergeant and graduated from Working at the co-op turned
officer candidate school in 1971. out to be another form of service.
He served in that capacity until he When power goes out, it often takes
retired in 1974. a group to restore it in a timely
Mike is still closely involved in manner. For this reason, all linemen
the Special Forces Association—a are experienced in various divisions
non-profit Veteran Service of the co-op, and everyone helps
Organization that has more than out. That means the many linemen
9,000 active members who belong often head out in the most severe
to 85 different chapters located weather conditions to restore power
throughout the United States. He to members.
serves as the regional representative “At the co-op, no one wears
for his region, which includes just one hat; everyone helps with
Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma. everything. It was a good work
In this role, Mike serves as a liaison environment, and just about
between the chapter presidents and everyone I worked with was very
the SFA headquarters in Fort Bragg, conscientious about the quality
North Carolina. of their work,” Mike said. “If it
“When they started the weren’t for cooperatives created by
liaison program in 2009, they the Rural Electrification Act, many
asked for volunteers to serve as rural areas of this country would
representatives for each region. not have gotten electricity.”
I applied, and for some reason, Mike retired from SPEC in 2010
they picked me,” he said with a after 40 years of dedicated service
humble laugh. He to the cooperative members.
is well-suited for Mike’s mother was a graduate
the role, because his of the University of Mary Hardin-
passion runs deep Baylor and was devoted to his
for the projects education. She loved poetry and
sponsored by the passed the appreciation for it on to
organization. “They her son. She often had her children
sponsor programs read, memorize and recite poetry
for wounded to her. From a young age, Mike
special forces’ read and wrote poetry, which
members and would later contribute to one of his
their families and greatest talents: Cowboy Poetry.
have scholarship One evening, while watching
programs and the ever-popular Johnny Carson
several other Show, Mike saw Baxter Black