He adds, “I was like, wow, we’re adapted and do well in the world, coming from small towns. I think small-town people care about their neighbors; they care about what’s going on at the other end of town, and they care about what’s going on at the school. In these small towns, you’re involved in so many things, whether it’s local government, local schools, local businesses, or social activities. I think big city folk are just a more specialized group of people.”

 

Shane married his high school sweetheart and bought a house in Waverly. He taught and coached basketball at Franklin High School before accepting a position teaching Social Studies and coaching junior high basketball for Waverly. He eventually transitioned to Athletic Director and Dean of Students before retiring from teaching after twenty-five years.

 

Shane married into a farming family and currently helps work fourteen hundred acres, classifying farming as a second career. While teaching, he started helping his father-in-law out for supplemental income. As farming picked up, he slowly became more involved in agriculture and less involved in education until he eventually chose to farm full-time by helping farm the land and manage the associated trucking and grain elevator operations.

 

Shane also started selling crop insurance. His brother-in-law founded a successful insurance business. Eventually, down a man, he convinced Shane to fill in. Shane quickly learned the ropes and they now manage five hundred accounts spread across fifteen counties. Not one to sit still or relax, Shane admits that he was initially hesitant but eventually found crop insurance a perfect part-time position due to the timing of the busy seasons “No farmer wants to be hassled out in the field when they’re trying to get work done,” laughs Shane.

 

From teaching and coaching to farming and insurance sales, Shane’s always prioritized being active in the community. He was elected to serve on the Illinois Corn Grower’s Board of Directors and acts as an alderman for the City of Waverly. “I have a hard time saying no,” admits Shane. “I like being involved. I like to be part of things that could make a difference in our community. I like to get out, to talk to people and do things.”

 

He adds, “When I went to school here, elementary through high school, I had great people around me who were my teachers, and to me, that matters. When I went off to college, my thinking was I wanted to be like those people. I wanted to try to make a difference in somebody’s life. I wanted to have that connection to kids in the community and make a difference. I had plenty of opportunities to leave over the years, but I couldn’t do it.”

 

It’s a good thing, too. Something tells us Waverly wouldn’t be quite the same without a Shane Gray.