Committee names Kurt and Sue Bauche as Mr. and Mrs. Country Days
This year’s Mr. and Mrs. Country Days are no strangers to the festivities of the weekend. However, this is the first year they will be participating in a different way. This year’s festival will take place June 1-3.
Kurt and Sue Bauche, long-time music instructors at Farmington R-VII High School, have been named this year’s Mr. and Mrs. Country Days, honoring their years of service which included heralding the Black Knight Marching Band down Columbia Street for the parade year after year.
“Our community is stronger because of the Bauches, and this is one small way to provide recognition for the impact they have left on so many here in Farmington,” said Doug McDermott, president/CEO of the Farmington Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the annual festival.
The selection is made from nominees provided by community members and chosen by the Farmington Country Days steering committee.
The annual McDonald’s Country Days parade begins at 10 a.m. June 2 in downtown Farmington.
Kurt Bauche is retiring as director of bands at Farmington R-VII High School, and Sue is retiring as the school’s director of choirs. They are parents to Kate and Kyle, who are both currently attending classes at University of Missouri-Columbia.
Kurt has been the director of bands in the district since 1982. Sue just completed her 15th year as director of choirs here, having previously taught 15 years at West County R-IV Schools.
In addition to Mr. and Mrs. Country Days, the committee has also chosen Jon Cozean, longtime Farmington resident and owner of Cozean Memorial Chapel and Crematory, to serve as the parade marshal for the parade.
“Mr. Cozean embodies the spirit of Farmington,” McDermott said. “From his community history presentations to the care his business has given to generations of Farmington families, his spirit is one that brings life to our community.”
Cozean is a fourth-generation funeral director and president of Farmington Undertaking Co., founded in 1864, which does business as Cozean Memorial Chapel and Crematory. Cozean took the helm of the business in 1983. In 2003, he was appointed by Gov. Bob Holden to the Missouri Humanities Council.
The lineup of music for the weekend will include two double-header concerts featuring Nashville recording artists Ash Bowers, Bush Hawg, Eric Lee Beddingfield, and Jason Sturgeon.
McDermott said the festival has provided concerts at no charge for a number of years, featuring a single headline artist on Saturday night.
For more information about Country Days keep watching the Daily Journal or visit farmingtoncountrydays.com.
