Novak downsizes after 48 years in practice years ago
By ROWENA PLETT
Staff writer
Dr. Robert "Bob" and Hallie Novak of Lost Springs have operated a "mom and pop" veterinary service for 48 years. Bob said Hallie has always been his "right arm."
Recently, the doctor decided to quit treating large animals, but still maintains a small animal practice.
Bob was single when he started his practice in 1955 after graduating from vet school at Kansas State University, Manhattan.
He spent the previous summer working for a veterinarian at Hope and had been invited to join him after graduation.
However, the spring of 1955 saw the area in a serious drought. Business was down, so the vet didn't need a partner.
Bob decided to launch out on his own. A house moved to a location just one-quarter mile east of the Novak family farm became his headquarters, and several livestock pens were added.
At about the same time, Bob began dating Hallie Schlesener of Herington.
"She met me looking into my mouth," he joked. She was a dental assistant at the dentist's office in Herington. The Novak boys were friends with the Mosier boys, and Bob soon became acquainted with Hallie.
She began accompanying him on service calls into the countryside. The party-line phone system had a central operator. Whenever the couple had a special date, the doctor called the operator, Ruth Zinn, and told her where they were going. Almost invariably, he would get a call, and the outing would be interrupted.
After more than three years of dating, Hallie knew all the farmers in the area and knew where they lived. She also knew that Bob always was on call.
"If you can't handle this, we had better quit," he told her.
She decided she could handle it. They were married in November 1959.
One of their favorite activities was attending the dances at Pilsen. Hallie said they didn't miss any.
During the first six or seven years of marriage, they had three daughters: Cindy, Robyn, and Jo.
Meanwhile, Hallie helped Bob in the business. She said it was difficult to find workers who were competent in handling large animals, dispensing drugs, and managing phone calls.
There were no two-way radios or cell phones, so a lot of effort was required to locate and give Bob messages when he was out on calls. Also, the work tended to be seasonal, so full-time help wasn't practical.
She assisted Bob with pulling calves, doing C-sections on heifers, and doing many other procedures. When the girls got older, they also assisted.
The Golden Age
The couple said the first 25 to 30 years were the "golden age" of their practice. Farmers had a wide variety of livestock, including hogs, sheep, horses, chickens, and dairy and beef cattle.
Bob said calls would start to come in at 6:30 in the morning and continue all day until dark. It was a busy time.
Hallie said they didn't eat fried chicken for several years. The doctor sometimes was called upon to do autopsies on dead chickens. After doing that, he was in no mood for eating chicken!
Hallie worked hard to keep Bob looking professional. She made sure he had clean coveralls to wear every day. She washed them in a wringer washing machine, soaked them in starch to make them less absorbent, then dried, sprinkled, and ironed them. It was a lengthy process.
In 1970, the couple bought 120 acres west of Lost Springs. Bob hired Steve Jost and Ralph Kreutziger of Marion to build a new home and veterinary facilities.
Farmers without adequate facilities were asked to bring their livestock to the Novak farm. This saved the doctor a lot of time and allowed better service.
The Novaks had many faithful customers.
In November, after the 75-year-old veterinarian underwent surgery, Bob seriously began to think about reducing his practice to a more manageable size.
"Farmers used to tell me, 'I knew you when you were just a little guy'," he said. "Now, I realized, I'm the old guy."
It was difficult to turn down friends and neighbors he had worked for more than 40 years, he said.
He wasn't ready to quit altogether. Hobbies weren't attractive.
"The fish won't bite, and I can't saw a board straight, so what am I to do?" he thought.
He decided to maintain a small animal business. When he treated large animals, he didn't have much time for the small ones, he said. Now, he stays as busy as he wants to be with dogs and cats. He does surgeries Tuesdays and Thursdays.
He enjoys having scheduled office visits and being able to take more time off to do other things without interruption.
Hallie is proud of Bob and the work he has done through the years.
"I think his devotion to his profession is outstanding," she said. "He had a good repoire with clients, and they miss him."
She said he is well-respected in the profession. In 1984, at the behest of his peers, he was elected president of the Kansas Veterinary Medical Association. He is a lifetime member of that group as well as the American Veterinary Medical Association.
The couple's daughters are married and have given them seven grandchildren.
Cindy, 42, and husband Jeff Clark live in Wichita. Robyn, 38, and husband Troy Pervin live in Chanute. Jo, 36, and husband Mike Smith live in Great Bend.
A history
Bob graduated from Lost Springs High School in 1945. His parents were Ralph and Anna Novak. His brother Bill now lives on the home place on 320th Street, three miles southwest of Lost Springs.
Bob's inspiration to enter veterinary medicine came from observing a Dr. Stanley, the veterinarian who often visited the family farm. "I loved animals and wanted to treat them and take care of them just like he did," he said.
He decided to fulfill military service before going on to college. He enlisted and spent two years in the army, including one year in Germany. He saw the aftermath of World War II. He did military police duty and spent a lot of time guarding trains, which often were pilfered. He also had an office job.
After being honorably discharged, he spent two years at Kemper Military School, Booneville, Mo., then went on to get his degree in veterinary medicine at Kansas State University..
He said a lot has changed since he began business. Family-oriented country practices were numerous then. Veterinarians and their wives were good friends and often socialized.
Now, his country practice is an exception to the rule. Most clinics are located in population centers, have several employees, and compete aggressively among themselves for clients.
"It's a different world," he said.
The phone rings.
"Hello? Yes? I see. Well, bring her over at 11:30. OK. Goodbye."
It's business as usual for the doctor.
