Colby Eagles Alumni Association
Paul and Sharon Steele, Class of 1953
Nominated by Marj Brown
Copyright Colby Eagles Alumni Association @ 2014
Sharon Frahm and Paul Steele were married on Aug. 30, 1954 after each had attended one year of college, Sharon at K-State and Paul at KU. Both completed degrees at KU, Paul with a B.S. in Accounting and Sharon with a B.A. majoring in math. Their first child, JerriLee was born Nov. 5, 1955 in Lawrence. Paul took an accounting job in Dodge City in 1957 with Hogue, Beebe and Trindle and completed exam and practice time to become a Certified Public Accountant in 1959. Their son Jean Paul was born in Dodge on May 27, 1958 and their second daughter JoEllen was born Jean’s birthday two years later. In 1964 the family moved to Colby with Paul as managing partner of the new Colby banch of the HB & T. Accountying Firm. A few years later, Paul bought the Colby Business and established his own CPA firm.
In 1969, Paul took the job of executive director of the Housing Authority of the, City of Colby, and was in charge of Meadowlark Manor Low-rent Housing for the Elderly. Later, non-elderly units were built and South Park Apartments were added to the Housing Authority Complex. Paul retired from that position in 1994. As a professional accountant, Paul was appointed to the Kansas State Board of Accountancy for eight years until 1994, and then he served as the first chairman of the Kansas Lottery Commission starting in 1986. Paul sold his practice to Adams, Brown, Beran and Ball in 1999. His hobbies are planning travel (he says he does more planning than actual travel) and flying. He has been a licensed private pilot since 1958 and is building a composition 4-place airplane, which is about ready for paint and an engine. Paul ran for Thomas County Commissioner in 2003 and has served in that position ever since. Sharon and Paul celebrated their 50th Anniversary in 2003 with a reception for family and friends in the Colby United Methodist Church.
new home, allowing her to exercise her love of design and building activities.
Sharon spent the 60’s and 70’s maintaining home and family, staying active with family farming activities, occasionally helping with Paul’s practice and volunteering in church, math tutoring, school activities, scouts, meals-on-wheels, etc., and taking art classes at Colby College. As an “empty nester,” Sharon managed the family farm irrigation systems for a few summers, taught math part time at Colby Community College, and volunteered with CHS Reunion Committee, assisted in organizing the Colby Orchestra with William Beck, Church Building Committee, Friends of the Library, Library Building Committee, City Planning Commission, and served as Groundwater Management District Board President.
Currently, Sharon is active in church, served for many years as a member of the community orchestra. She and Paul both deliver Meals on Wheels to the elderly. Sharon served on the Kansas Water Authority from 1997 to 2002, is a Thomas County Master Gardner and was on the City Tree Board for a while. Her hobbies include music, gardening, sewing and she helped plan the 50 year reunion for her high school class of 1953. In 1998-99, Sharon designed and served as general contractor for their
