Local News

‘On a call’ in Gowrie

Farnham ready to help at a moment's notice

Editor’s note: This feature first ran in a special publication called Hometown Pride, published June 24, 2023, featuring people and organziations from Fort Dodge and the surrounding area who are making a difference in their communities.

GOWRIE -- While chatting with a customer recently in her Farm & Country Insurance office in downtown Gowrie, Marsha Farnham stood up from her desk.

That instantly made one of the signs of her service to the community visible.

It's a pager she wears on her waist that will loudly summon her to calls with the Southwest Webster Emergency Medical Service.

So what happens if she gets a page in the middle of her work day?

She answers it.

"I have a sign for the door," Farnham said. "It reads, 'Gone on an ambulance call.' I recently upgraded it by laminating it."

Farnham has been a certified EMT since 2005. She joined the ambulance service in 2001. She quickly realized that the people that they were serving, and the people they were helping, were the very same people that often stopped and talked to her.

"I realized I could step up," she said. "You wear a lot of hats in a small town. You have to keep the town running."

She's seen many changes during her time on the ambulance squad, including the change from paper forms to the latest online communication that lets the waiting ER staff see the patient report before they arrive at the hospital.

One thing remains constant though.

"The adrenaline kicks in and you do your job," she said. "We have a great crew and we're always looking for volunteers."

Farnham is married to Trent Farnham. They have two children: Morgan, a junior at Iowa State University in Ames, and Grant, 17, who will be a junior at Southeast Valley High School in the fall.

Farming is the other family business.

"I don't have a lot to do with that; I do take credit for it though," she joked.

Farnham is also the current leader for the Gowrie Groundbreakers 4-H Club.

"I was a 4-H'er, my kids were in 4-H since fourth grade, one of the leaders asked me to co-lead," she said.

It's a very rewarding role.

"I love seeing the kids grow up," she said, "especially seeing their communication skills and confidence grow. I love seeing their growth through their projects."

Farnham is also the current secretary of the Gowrie Development Commission and she serves on its Downtown Committee.

She's helped with a project that joined both the Gowrie Groundbreakers 4-H Club and the Downtown Committee. Members of the club planted flowers in the planters located throughout the downtown business district.

Farnham also serves on the Gowrie Grocery LLC Board. They operate the Market on Market store which opened in April 2020 after the community raised $250,000 to purchase it from former owner Nick Graham, who operated it as a Jamboree Foods. At the time, the store was expected to close.

"We were trying to get people to stay local," she said. "We opened during COVID. What a great time to get into running a grocery store."

Today she can look across the street and see the result of all the work the community invested. The store is open and a steady stream of customers go in to shop.

"We take a lot of pride in that," she said. "I would hate to see that as an empty store front."

There's an added bonus for her as well.

"It's convenient if I forget my lunch," she said. "They cook better than I do."

Farnham is also a member of the Zion Lutheran Church. "I'm in the hand-bell choir," she said. "It's a lot of fun."

Farnham encourages others to get involved. "There's always something that needs to be done," she said. "Step up and volunteer. You can actually make a big impact. It's really neat how we all work together here."