Making the most of changing times

Peter and Mary Newquist in the Jefferson City home.
Peter and Mary Newquist in the Jefferson City home.

The saying "may you live in interesting times" definitely applies to Mary and Peter Newquist.

"The first time we met was in 1980 when I was running for Senate and he was working for Commerce Bank as a lobbyist," Mary said. "He gave me a check as a contribution for my election and I asked why and he said because you're going to win. I'd never met him before in my life and I set an appointment to meet him at a restaurant in the district I represented in Kansas City. He walked in and he made himself known and we had a cup of coffee. Nobody from the business district ever wanted to meet me so I was surprised."

Mary Gant served three terms in the house and took office in 1972 in the Senate, the first woman in Missouri to ever serve as a state senator.

She never had a Republican opponent, but that didn't mean she didn't have opposition.

"The Democratic Committee in Jackson County didn't like me and filed someone against me," Mary said. "People would ask why stay with the Democrats, but it was because my district was Democrat and it was blue collar."

Mary said lobbyists like Peter didn't make the kind of money back then that they do today. Peter was vice president of Commerce Bank in Kansas City and part of his job was to cover Washington, D.C. and the state legislature on banking legislation.

Before that, Peter kept busy doing other things.

"I was a torpedo bomber pilot and instructor in World War II," Peter said. "I didn't go overseas because two days before I was to go to Japan, Mr. Truman decided to drop the bomb."

After that, Peter stayed in the military for a while, then came back and went to college in Michigan. Later, he coached high school and college football before going onto Indiana University for his masters in education. In 1951, Peter joined the FBI and stayed there as a special agent for four years. He later married and had a family; one son, Dave, went on to play on the PGA tour for several years.

In 1955, Peter came to Kansas City to work at Bendix Corporation as director security. And, from 1964-68, he worked as assistant to the Kansas City mayor.

Peter got into the antique business while still in Kansas City. He and Mary moved to Jefferson City 15 years ago, staying in the antique business since then.

"When you're 91 years old, you get around a little bit unless you have something wrong with you," Peter laughed.

Mary's life has centered around politics .

She got interested in politics in high school and became a committee woman at age 25.

"Politics were different in those days," she said. "There was no money involved and it gave ordinary people like myself a chance to make a difference. I came in at the end of patronage, when Warren Hearnes came into office. The way government operates has changed and not for the better.

"It's disturbing now because of the lack of decision making. Back then rules were rules and they were followed."

Mary says the happiest part of her life was meeting Peter.

"I don't think America is going down the tubes," she said. "We've both survived worse times."

"I was born in "22 and grew up in the Depression in "29 and "30," Peter said. "We lived through it and it was devastating, but we all survived."

"Talk about unemployment,"Mary said. "I hear people complain now about the economy. I was born in "36 and coming out of the Depression. My dad worked shoveling coal for KCPL and worked three different shifts. I look at what is happening with young people today and I hope I live to see a turnaround.

"There's a lot of good well meaning people out there. We love Jefferson City. We have it doggone good here."