
The Farmer Who Never Left His Land
From The Obit Project by Jad Abumrad and Jule Banville
May 28, 2026 · 23 min
About this episode
The episode explores the life and legacy of Wayne Boyes, a farmer and de facto mayor of Tarkio, who dedicated his life to his land and family.
Wayne Boyes was the de facto mayor of the unincorporated town of Tarkio off Interstate 90, though he’d never want that title. He was too busy with his cows. Wayne was born in Tarkio, he married his neighbor, and he died on his land with a list of chores. His family picked up that list in his honor and because some chores just need to get done. It’s what Wayne would have wanted. Reported and narrated by Kathleen Shannon, alum of UM Journalism’s graduate program See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
People in this episode
Hosts: Jad Abumrad, Jule Banville
Guest: Kathleen Shannon
Topics covered
- local governance
- agriculture
- community
- family legacy
- rural life
Keywords
- Wayne Boyes
- Tarkio
- farming
- community leadership
- family chores
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: UM Journalism
Places: Tarkio
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- An Imperfect Parent · May 14, 2026 · 34 min
- The Ghost Lady Is My Neighbor · May 7, 2026 · 23 min
- Vanished in Vietnam · April 30, 2026 · 25 min
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