Everyone Owes Huge Debt to Those Working Along Missouri River; Beth Kernes-Krause Notes on July 4

Many worked to make the Missouri River what it is today, Beth Kernes-Krause of Julian related Thursday morning, July 4 at Brownville.

Those include hundreds of deckhands, pilots, captains, mechanics and cooks. River Rats, defined as individuals making their living working along the river, as well as their descendants were saluted during the village’s annual Freedom Day celebration.

“We owe all of the River Rats a huge debt. They made our life better through their work,” Kernes-Krause said at Boettner Park on Brownville’s Main Street. Her father and grandfather worked on the Missouri River, Kernes-Krause’s father for a few summers and grandfather for several years, employed by Cunningham-Kiewit. She continued her father also fished and hunted along the river, also known as the Big Muddy and the Mighty Mo.

“Like so many River Rat kids, we grew up with a deep respect for the river. We were not allowed to play in the river, as (her father) knew firsthand how dangerous it could be. Grandpa never went on the water without a lifejacket,” Kernes-Krause remarked.

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