Glenna Achatz finds grace and a sense of community from family, faith and friends.

Achatz is a little self-effacing, but her genuine smile and kind mannerisms give her an air of gracious confidence as she reflected on her childhood, marriage and outlook on life. “Believe me I am not the smartest person in the world, and I don’t have to be,” Achatz said.

Achatz has found a real sense of community in Great Bend and participates in fundraising activities whenever possible. She enjoys bicycling with a friend on a regular basis, and when she has the time she gets out on the golf course too. 

“When I get on my bike I feel like I’m free. I have my quiet time in the morning, and then I go ride my bike or walk, but if I don’t exercise, I get cranky,” she says laughing.

Years ago, Achatz was in sales as a manager at KSNC-TV, but she eventually went full-time in the real estate business in 2004. “In 2016, I became broker/owner of Coldwell Banker Sell Real Estate, and in 2017, Kim Vink my business partner came on as managing broker, and she is great at managing, and I stay active in sales. We make a great team and have built a great Coldwell Banker family of agents.”

Family ties

She wanted to talk about her parents first as her respect for them both is very deep. She feels blessed to this day by having her parents nearby. “I have to remember that not everyone is as lucky as I am. I thank my parents every time I see them, and I thank them for raising me in a Christian home,” she said. Both of her parents are well into their 80s and living here locally and doing well. “We got them in a house on one level and everything is so good there,” she said.

She laughs when she asked about sports in school in Great Bend when she was growing up. “There was a summer league and I participated in that because my dad taught me softball and he coached too,” she said. “I was a cheerleader and so I was athletic, but they did not have sports back then in school like they do now.”  

Achatz and her husband Gerald and celebrated their 47th wedding anniversary in January. They have three children and seven grandchildren.

“I was raised in a family of six children. I have three sisters and two brothers. One of my brothers has passed. Some of my siblings live in Hutchinson. My other sister Brenda lives here and her husband is the principal at the high school, Tim Frees,” she said.

To this day, she finds faith from above to do what she does every day. “I pray every day. I wake up every morning at 5 a.m. and start my day, read my Bible and devotional,” she said. “I read a scripture from the Bible when I get up in the morning. I believe that God has given me the knowledge to focus more on my strengths than to just think about my shortcomings and my needs.”

Business and people

When it comes to dealing with the business of house-buying or house-selling, Achatz puts things in perspective. “I always tell people, if it is meant to be, it will be your house, but if it is not meant to be it won’t happen,” she said. Achatz gives credit where credit is due. “Over the years I’ve learned from the best and wouldn’t trade my up and down journey to get where I’m at today. I’ve met a lot of good people over the years and made many friends.” 

Travel musings

“Martha’s Vineyard was one of my favorite travel destinations because I like the culture there and the seafood,” she said. She emphasized the importance of taking her children as much as possible to vacation spots when they young so they could enjoy the culture and different places too. “We always made sure we went on vacation with family.” 

She enjoys the RV experience with her husband and they have plans to travel this winter to warmer places like Arizona.

Community Connections is a regular feature of the Great Bend Tribune, showcasing people who live in the Golden Belt. We welcome readers to submit names of individuals who are active in the community that they would like to see featured in a future story. Send suggestions to news@gbtribune.com and explain their “community connections.”