By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
A total of 58 votes were possible at last Thursday's Republican convention at the Best Western Angus Inn to determine the next Barton County Register of Deeds. With 49 voting members present, the magic number for one of three candidates to win the spot was 25. Current Deputy Clerk Glennda French collected 34 of those 49 votes on the first ballot, and she will officially take over for long-time Register of Deeds Pam Wornkey on Sept. 1.
"I just went up there and told them about our work here, what I've learned," French said. "I have learned a great deal from Pam. She has guided me to become her successor, and I'm glad to take it."
A Kinsley native, French moved to Ellinwood in 2004. She has worked in the deeds office for three years. Republican precinct committee members elected French over former deputy clerks Susan Williams and Julie Peterson. The Register of Deeds position will again be up for grabs in the 2024 election year.
Typically located on the second floor of the Barton County Courthouse, the deeds office is now located at 1500 Kansas Ave in Great Bend during the HVAC Renovation Project. The office handles all land records for the county, processes passports, and controls records for the two county cemeteries located north of Great Bend.