RIVER VALLEY and OZARK AREA — When the president of the United States calls and asks to crash on your couch, most people say yes without hesitation.
Rick and Harriet Thone aren’t most people.
When their old friend Bill Clinton was passing through Russellville, in need of a place to stay, the Thones turned him away.
“We were having our daughter’s 16th birthday, and I didn’t want anything to distract from that,” Harriet said.
Family comes first for the couple, who celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary earlier this month.
“His older brother was doing his practice teaching at Russellville High School,” Harriet said of her husband. “He wanted Rick to meet me, and Rick said he was going to be busy with football, but he asked me out, and we got married a year and a half later.”
The Thones say their marriage has been successful over all these years because of their friendship and similar interests.
“We’re just best friends,” Harriet said. “So we really like serving on things together.”
And the Thones do a lot of serving.
Both are former Arkansas Tech University students and have served on the university’s board of trustees.
“We are the only husband-and-wife team that served on the board,” Rick said. “We’re kind of proud of that.”
The Thones are also part of the Arkansas Tech Hall of Distinction and have received the Presidential Fellow Award.
Both Thones have rotated off of the board of trustees, but they stay plenty busy with various projects and fundraisers.
Their most recent campaign, called “Return to Glory,” raised $5 million for the renovation of sports facilities at Arkansas Tech.
For their hard work and dedication to the school, Thone Stadium was named in the couple’s honor.
“It was a huge honor for us,” Harriet said. “It was very humbling.”
The Thones also serve on the board of their favorite charity organization, Teen Challenge.
According to its website, the organization’s mission is to provide an effective and comprehensive Christian-faith-based solution to life-controlling drug and alcohol problems for youth, adults and families in order for them to become productive members of society.
The organization is associated with the Assembly of God Church. When the Thones first heard of the program from its headquarters in Springfield, Mo., they knew it was something Arkansas needed.
“We more or less kind of sponsored it,” Rick said.
In a few months, the organization will be literally much closer to home.
The Thones will be moving out of their home of 20 years and into a brand-new building next door. Their old house is being sold to Teen Challenge.
“We are kind of looking forward to the move, and this will make a great place for the ladies at Teen Challenge,” Harriet said.
The women in the Arkansas program will live in the Thones’ former home and work there to help support the organization.
“They can do their crafts and woodworking outside the house,” Harriet said. “They sell their products in town to support the program. It’s completely self-supported.”
The Thones said their involvement with Teen Challenge has been life-changing.
“It is so interesting to see them come full circle and see their lives so transformed.”
The Thones plan to remain busy with the organization, and Rick has no plans to retire soon.
He retired once in 2005 after selling his business. He now owns another, which works with the federal gas companies in Quitman and Rose Bud.
“He can’t stay retired,” Harriet said. “He’s hyper.”
The Thones believe the long days and hard work have all paid off and have provided them time to do what they really love …
“We are passionate about trying to help other people,” Rick said.
up
closegetting to know Rick & Harriet Thone
Our family is: Our son, daughter and granddaughter, Rayne
Our favorite books are: Good to Great, and I read the Bible
more than anything. (Rick)
I read all the time. I always have a book in my purse. (Harriet)
Our favorite movies are: Gone With the Wind (Harriet) and
The Godfather (Rick)
Our favorite childhood memories are: Coming to
Russellville to visit my grandparents. It was special to be with
people that you love and who love you. (Harriet)
When my dad bought our first cotton picker and I didn’t have
to pick cotton anymore. That was a great day in my life. (Rick)
Our role models are: The coaches I played for out of Tech. I
still enjoy their company and their advice and wisdom. (Rick)
I would like to be like the Christian women in the Bible. Be
what you can be, and do what you can do, and live life the
best you can. (Harriet)
Our worst habits are: Laughing when I shouldn’t (Harriet)
Not listening close enough. I think somebody will start talking
sometimes, and I’ll start thinking about something else. I don’t
think I listen close enough. (Rick)
Not many people know: I love coloring with my
granddaughter. (Rick)
I used to have to close every door in the whole house before
I could sleep. (Harriet)
Someday we will: Stop working so hard. (Rick)
Go to Australia and New Zealand and Switzerland. (Harriet)
River Valley Ozark, Pages 148 on 07/25/2010