By Laurie Walker
THOMAS & ANNIE BROWN~308 Mojave West (Wojcik). The Brown family’s arrival has been a long-time-coming. They purchased their home in August of 2005 with plans to raze the home and re-build. It was torn down in August of 2008, and they began the re-building process in the spring of 2010. They are excited to be in and settled.
I asked Thomas what drew them to the lake, and he said he and Annie were called through the gate at the invitation of a friend living here, and as the Browns were driving across the dam, Thomas said, “We’ve got to find a way to live here someday.” They both realized it was a bold statement, and possibly unrealistic, but they attained their goal and are now part of the Lake Quivira Community.
Thomas has owned a family business for the last sixteen years called Splintek located in Missouri near KU Med Center. They have patents on (and manufacture) many items in the health and comfort area, and one of their biggest selling products is SleepRight Dental Guards. Also, if you’re a pet owner, it’s a very distinct possibility that you’ve purchased one or several of their healthy pet products sold at various pet stores all over the country.
In his spare time, Thomas loves boating, mountain biking, flying airplanes and playing golf socially. Annie works part time at Splintek as office director, and outside of work, she keeps busy with kids’ activities, boating, Zumba (a fitness activity), playing with their children, watching reality shows (her big vice!), entertaining friends and cooking.
Will (8 yrs. old) and Wyatt (5 years old) attend Good Shepherd School in Shawnee. Will likes playing tennis, spending time with his friends and boating. He’ll be going into 3rd grade this fall. Wyatt will be entering kindergarten. He enjoys golfing, dancing–and his Mom says he’s “a real party animal.”
When the Browns bought the property, Annie jumped right into Mothers’ Club and was immediately put on a committee. She found it very easy and comforting to fit right in and get to know people so quickly and also have the opportunity for the boys to mingle with so many other children. She said it’s been an amazing change in actually living here, compared to being an off-lake member for the last seven years. She said, “I just can’t describe it. It’s so very much different.” She went on to describe how wonderful the change has been. They all love the small community atmosphere and enjoy knowing neighbors well. She said, “You just can’t get that in any other country club.”
KEVIN & AMY KENTFIELD ~ 550 Mohawk West (Goodger). The Kentfield family comes to us from the Shawnee area and were drawn here through the many visits with friends who live here at the lake. They felt LQ would present a great atmosphere for quality time to enjoy the many amenities available here with their children.
Kevin and Amy met during their college years while attending Creighton University in Nebraska. Kevin is from western Nebraska and Amy from Chicago. Kevin is a pharmacist and owns Uvanta Pharmacy. The company contracts and delivers to hospices and nursing homes. There’s no retail facility. He started this company in early 2006, having been in the pharmacy industry since 1993, where he previously focused on geriatric services. Kevin enjoys golf and various sporting events with his children.
Amy taught special education for twelve years until her third child was born and then became a stay-at-home mom. She’s recently taken a part-time position with a small boutique called Southern Blu in Overland Park. Amy loves to read and exercise daily. She enjoys a social life with friends and doing activities with her children.
Katie (15) is a freshman at Notre Dame de Sion in KCMO. She enjoys reading, field hockey and hanging out with her friends. Christy (13) is a 7th grader at Good Shepherd Catholic School in Shawnee. She enjoyes playing volleyball and doing activities with her friends. Kevin Jr. (10) is in 4th grade at Good Shepherd. He keeps busy with baseball, basketball, golf and fishing.
I asked Kevin (senior) what he enjoyed the most about living here and he said, “I love the peace and freedom that my kids have.” He loves that they can ride bikes, fish, take a swim and enjoy life a little like he did as a kid growing up in western Nebraska. “It just feels like a safe environment. We love it.”
Please join me in welcoming these new families.
