Sue Anschutz-Rodgers sat in her downtown Denver office, far from her beloved Crystal River Ranch, but surrounded by photos of the ranch and a wall of plaques and photos and newspaper clippings evidencing her long support of young people in agriculture and the National Western Stock Show. With her name on the newest building at the NWSS, she said her love of growing up in agriculture and ranching has come nearly full circle.
Anschutz grew up in Hays, Kan., and later moved to Wichita when she was 14 or so.
“I thought I had hit the Big Apple,” she said. “But, I would not trade growing up in rural America for anything. The values that I learned, not only from my parents, but from others. The whole environment, and I mean that in the broadest sense, of rural America with the values and the traditions are so important to me.”…