Phil Wurst has been a fixture in Seward for 70 years.
The youngest of four, he was born in 1934 and raised south of Goehner. In 1946, the family moved to a home three miles east of Milford, and he graduated from Milford High in 1951.
After serving in the Army from 1956-58, Wurst worked in an auto body shop for several years.
“The paint got the best of me,” he said with a smile.
He moved to the insurance business in 1966.
Wurst met his wife Sally at the roller rink her parents owned. His high school class was nine boys and two girls, so “we would come to Seward to look for women,” he joked.
Phil and Sally have been married for 65 years.
In 1955, Wurst joined the Seward Methodist Church and its choir and has been active ever since.
Wurst was diagnosed with cancer and had to undergo 750 hours of chemotherapy. He spent Wednesday through Monday at treatment, but he never got sick, he said.
During that time, however, he developed shingles in his right leg.
Wurst has been a staple at Seward High activities for 70 years. Not only is he a fan of SHS sports, he and his daughter Jodi Hughes served as line judges for volleyball.
“One of the highlights – Jodi and I did all the volleyball championship matches in 2004,” Wurst said.
Wurst was on the sideline during Seward High’s 111-game girls’ basketball winning streak that included four state championships. He was also on the field when Seward won its state football title in 2001.
He kept the book for road games and met many school officials and referees while doing that.
He also supports the arts, attending rehearsals and concerts. He encourages the young musicians to go to Dairy Queen for a Dilly Bar and put it on Phil’s bill.
In 2016, Wurst sent the governor a pen from his insurance company. He received a thank you in return.
In 2018, Wurst received the Seward County Community Service Award and was honored on the Fourth of July.
He continues to attend ball games, sitting by the scorer’s table. When the SHS pep band plays, Wurst can be found waiting for his favorite song, “Also Sprauch Zarathustra,” also known as the “Theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey.”
