Herbert Hoover Frazier was born on March 4, 1929, in Santa Barbara, California. He was a son of Ivan and Julia (Palmer) Frazier. He was the fourth of four sons, each whose name began with the letter “H.” His father was a pastor, so throughout his childhood, the family moved frequently. After California, the family moved to Wichita, KS, where his father pastored for the Salvation Army. They then moved to Strong City, KS, where Ivan began pastoring in the Friends church. He continued to pastor in the Friends denomination throughout the rest of his life.

Ivan moved the family to Texas. Herb attended school in the Houston, TX, school systems until coming to Friends Haviland Academy during his junior and senior years. Herb then attended Emporia State Teachers College, Emporia, KS. At Emporia, he attended the Emporia Friends Church youth group and met a high school student named Shirley Nuffer. They were married on May 20, 1951, and the week after the wedding, Herb was notified he’d been drafted into the U. S. Army. They moved to San Antonio, where Herb was selected as a CEO to work in the offices at the army base due to his typing skills.

Upon completing his army obligations, they returned to Emporia, KS, where Herb taught school and began his life as an educator. He finished his master’s degree at the University of Kansas and was selected for a fellowship at the University of Alabama, which he attended during the summer of 1963.

Herb taught in the Kansas City and Wichita public schools. In the summer of 1968, Herb moved Shirley, Royce, Kevin, and Lori to Haviland, KS. Herb accepted an offer from Friends Haviland Academy and Friends Bible College as the Academic Dean. Herb served in that position until 1976, when he returned to teaching math at public schools in Hugoton, Greensburg, and eventually served 10 years at Haviland High School. He returned to Barclay College to serve in public relations. In 2005, the College was poised to close, but Herb stepped forward and asked the board, “Let me rally the alumni for the College.“ Herb and Shirley stepped into this void at one of Barclay’s darkest hours and started it on a march to what it is today. One board member recalls,

“There will be many tributes to their long and fruitful years, but I will never forget one indelible memory for us at Barclay to always remember. In a moment of time when leadership at our school was at one of its greatest crisis moments and at one of our lowest ebbs since my earliest days of coming on the board in 1985, many were searching for someone outside the Barclay College sector to lead. That moment was in Wichita when we looked back within our own ranks as board trustees, and we prayed. Then, we decided to ask a couple in retirement to consider a redirection. Herb Frazier, with Shirley’s agreement, amazingly said yes to God’s call to lead our school. Where would we be without their agreement to put on the harness again for the glory of the Lord?”

Herb loved working in children’s Sunday school departments and programs, especially creating competitions that always included inviting visitors and Bible memorization. He loved any holiday, especially the Fourth of July. He started the Haviland Friends Church Christmas pageant, which ran for 25 years. He and Shirley directed the Mid-America Yearly Meeting junior high quiz program for 10 years in the 1990’s, raising it to a banner program that still operates today. Each year, the best quizzer from all the churches is awarded the Frazier Award in their honor.

Shirley Elaine (Nuffer) Frazier was born on May 5, 1932, to Oscar and Sophia Nuffer. She was the second of four children and also had two older half-sisters. Shirley was born in Emporia, KS, and spent the first years of her life in Worden, KS, where her parents owned and operated the local grocery store. She recalls watching her father candle eggs for the store. Eggs that had chicken embryos in them were tossed into the alley. Shirley recalls one day as a young girl tossing eggs into the alley as she had watched her father do. Unfortunately, she was not candling the eggs and got into a great deal of trouble.

Shirley‘s father was passionate about music and, from an early age, provided her with piano lessons. Starting in her teens, she recalled serving as the church pianist at any church she regularly attended. She was also passionate about her faith at a young age. Her sister Grace recalled stumbling over Shirley in their closet because Shirley had heard the pastor preach about ‘…going into your closet to pray.’

Shirley met Herb through the Emporia Friends Church youth group. He was a student at Kansas State Teachers College in Emporia, and she was a high school junior. He proposed to Shirley while she was still in high school. Shirley said, “Yes,” but her father said, “No. Not until Shirley has at least two semesters of college.” Instead of buying Shirley a diamond ring, Herb bought her roller skates. They were avid skaters.

Herb and Shirley were married on May 20, 1951. Shirley was a homemaker and rarely worked outside the home until her children, Royce, Kevin, and Lori, were gone to college. She served as the secretary of Haviland Friends Church for many years. Shirley loved playing the piano, baking, hosting family dinners, … playing the piano, her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, any holiday, and following Herb around to make him successful.

In January of 2024, Herb and Shirley’s health began to decline rapidly. Herb and Shirley Frazier passed away on March 23, 2024, at Kiowa County Memorial Hospital in Greensburg, Kansas. Herb passed away at 12:16 AM, and Shirley passed away at 12:33 AM. They had moved their beds together in the hospital room and were holding hands when they stepped into glory.

“When we all get to heaven
What a day of rejoicing that will be.
When we all see Jesus
We’ll sing and shout the victory!”

When We All Get to Heaven,
Eliza E. Hewitt, pub.1898

A Celebration of Life is being planned to honor Herb and Shirley in late spring or early summer. They requested memorial gifts be directed to the Barclay College Nursing Campaign/Program.