In memoriam

Quentin Rund

Quentin B. Rund of Monticello, IL, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and mentor, died 5 Feb. 2022 at the age of 57. He was born on 22 July 1964 in Urbana, IL. He was the youngest of 10, and grew up on the farm, where he found an appreciation for nature, sports, and spending time with his loved ones.

Rund met his loving wife of 30 years, Patty, in college, and together they traveled the world. He was a passionate business owner, boss, and pioneer in the enabling of precision agriculture. He never took for granted his family and friends or the love they constantly showed. He was delighted to become a grandpa and was thankful for all the time he spent with his family. He was a constant for love, faith, and a good joke.

James Vorst

ASA and CSSA Fellow Dr. James J. Vorst, 79, Professor Emeritus of Purdue University, passed away on 27 Oct. 2021. He was born in Cloverdale, OH on 20 Mar. 1942. He is survived by his wife JoAnn of 55 years, sons Jeff, Brian, and Keith, and eight grandchildren.

Vorst received his B.S. in Agricultural Engineering from Ohio State University (OSU) in 1964, M.S. in Agronomy/Turf at OSU, and Ph.D. in Crop Physiology & Production from the University Nebraska in 1969. He was on the Purdue faculty from 1969 to 2010 where he developed the Independent Crops Learning Center; taught Introductory Agronomy, Grain Crops, Crop Ecology, and Agricultural Ethics; advised the Agronomy Club; and directed graduate student research in crop production.

Vorst received numerous national and university awards, including CSSA’s Teaching Award, Purdue’s Murphy Undergraduate Teaching Award, The Purdue Book of Great Teachers, the College of Agriculture’s Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching and Counseling Awards, and the Purdue Agriculture Alumni Certificate of Distinction in 2011.

Vorst was well known for his expertise in education. In 1993, he was asked by ASA to develop the learning objectives and protocols for the Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) program. He developed guides used nationally for Technical Service Provider training for the Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS). He helped develop education programs at Wilhelms Universitat in Germany, Oxford University in England, the International Center for Sustainable Development in Panama, Jordan University of Science and Technology, and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture in Columbia.

Vorst loved production agriculture and was never more at home than when he was in a tractor or a combine. He thoroughly enjoyed renovating vintage tractors. Upon retirement, he actively farmed for six years.

Richard Watkins

Richard Earl Watkins, Jr., a member of ASA for more than 50 years, passed away on 8 Mar. 2021 at the age of 81. He was born in Missoula, MT on 6 Jan. 1940. He attended Missoula High School, Montana State College (now Montana State University), and received a Ph.D. in Plant Genetics from Colorado State University.

Watkins worked 33 years for American Crystal Sugar Research in Rocky Ford, CO and Moorhead, MN. He developed the beet storage system and served on The Sugar Beet Research and Education Board of Minnesota and North Dakota.

He married Carolyn Schrock on 28 Aug. 1970, and they had two sons and four grandchildren. Watkins had a great love of God, nature, and animals. His greatest love was fishing and teaching his grandchildren how to fish.