The Farmer Who Never Left His Land

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

More episodes of The Obit Project

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Obit Project podcast page.