POY nominee: Sandy Dirkes

Better because she is here

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Hannah Gross
NLJ Correspondent
 
“She has integrity and is one of the wisest, fairest and compassionate women I have met,” said Teresa Gross of the 2018 Person of the Year nominee and Frontier Home, Ranch and Hardware owner Sandy Dirkes. 
 “Sandy came to mind because in the six years she’s been in Newcastle, she has been a quiet contributor to the community,” Gross said.
Jon Anderson, pastor of Gateway Fellowship Church, also shared a similar view about Dirkes.
 “She is kind, generous, and a giver. Sandy has discernment and is willing to help others. She is a leader and a problem solver,” Anderson said.
Before moving to Newcastle in 2012, Dirkes lived in California with her husband, Randy, and their six kids. Some of children attended the University of Wyoming, so Dirkes said she and Randy visited Wyoming for at least 10 years before moving here. They wanted to live in Wyoming, so they started looking and praying before deciding to settle in Newcastle. 
After moving, they contacted United Hardware because of their interest in owning a store, and it wasn’t long before Frontier opened in October of 2012. Dirkes said the name Frontier was inspired by Newcastle’s location on the edge of both the High Plains and the Black Hills. 
Dirkes said they had never owned a store, but Randy had managed a store for 20 years. 
 “From day one the community has loved the store,” said Dirkes, later noting that it was “a blessing from the beginning.”
Dirkes said they had lived in small towns before, and one doesn’t always know how the people will receive newcomers, but she said Newcastle accepted them.
 “This community embraced us. They cared about us as people, as well as store owners,” Dirkes said.
When Randy was diagnosed with cancer and quickly passed away in 2014, only a year and a half after Frontier opened, her son Eric, whom Dirkes described as a “godsend,” moved to the area and helped her run the store. She said the staff stepped up to the plate and the community was patient.
After Randy passed away, Dirkes said, she felt the store was still meant to continue, even though she didn’t really know what she was doing. She said running the store was outside of her comfort zone, but God provided her with a good staff, and the store helped with the healing process because it gave her something to pour herself into.
Dirkes has also blessed the community in return. Gross said Dirkes has allowed organizations to raise funds at the store, including various 4-H functions and local kids raising money for a right-to-life organization. Dirkes has also purchased 4-H livestock.
Dirkes said God has given each Christian spiritual gifts, and she believes God has given her the ability to serve.
 “The store became my vehicle to serve,” Dirkes said. When a person has been supported by the community, then he or she has the resources to support and give back to the community, she said. 
Every year, Frontier hosts a free lunch for the community, and local organizations, such as 4-H or the Newcastle Christian Academy, can set up a donation jar and help serve the food as a fundraiser. Dirkes provides the food, and the organization does all the serving and receives the profits.
Dirkes said she receives thank-you cards and notes from the organizations and puts them up on the door of her store. 
Dirkes has also helped out with the local Awana club. 
 “I’ve been involved with Awana for 25 years,” said Dirkes, who admits to loving kids of all ages, especially the third through sixth-grade range. With Awana, she said, she can help the community on a spiritual level, and she began chipping in on Wednesday club nights. 
 “It’s just fun to encourage the kids, play the games and help them with their memorizing Scripture,” said Dirkes. 
Dirkes has recently sold the store to new owners, and she said she’s looking forward to spending more time as a mom and grandma. She will be moving to Florida, where one of her children lives, in January. Spending the winter in Florida has appeal, she said, humorously adding that she’s a little skeptical about the summer humidity. However, she said that wherever she lives, it’s not about the place but the people. 
Dirkes has been touched by the number of people who said they would miss her.
 “Although I will miss her dearly, I am happy for her that she will get to be closer to family,” Gross said.
When asked what impact she wanted to leave on the community, Dirkes said she hoped the community could see that she was serving God during her stay at Newcastle. 
 “I hope that’s what people saw,” said Dirkes.
And that’s exactly what some people did see.
 “She is a woman with a strong faith in Jesus Christ, and she operated her business with Christian principles, and both at work and personally, lived her life according to biblical values,” Gross said.
 “Working for Sandy, I have observed that she has high standards for integrity and honesty,” Anderson said. “I personally know multiple organizations that Sandy Dirkes has served, and many examples are not widely known because she doesn’t seek credit but truly wants to help others.”
Dirkes said she learned that hard things come in life and one doesn’t always know how God is going to “write the script,” but He gives opportunities to relate to people. Dirkes said she and Randy had a 20-year plan for Newcastle, and even though that didn’t happen, she said, “God doesn’t waste our experiences.”
 “Sandy has blessed our community because she has been a strong, consistent business owner,” Anderson said. “Sandy’s strength comes from her faith in God and her deep commitment to keeping her word.” 
Anderson also said Dirkes has helped families in the community financially and is a caring friend.
Dirkes said she is certain God will make clear the next step of her life. She has six kids living in six different states, including one who resides in Rapid City, South Dakota. Dirkes said when she visits her family there, she’ll visit Newcastle. 
 “It’s all been good,” she said, summing up her six years in Newcastle.