Kansas Farmers Die in DC Plane Crash

1.31.25 LINCOLN, Neb. (DTN) -- Southern Kansas canola and wheat farmers Bob and Lori Schrock were among 67 people who perished when an American Eagle flight 5342 from Wichita collided with a Blackhawk helicopter Wednesday night in Washington, D.C.

According to a story published by the Wichita Eagle on Thursday, the Schrocks operate a canola and wheat farm near Kiowa, Kansas, which is along the Oklahoma border, as well as farm ground across the border into Oklahoma.

Bob and Lori were president and vice president, respectively, of Premium Grain Inc.

According to KSNW television in Kansas, the Schrocks were on their way to visit their daughter, Ellie, who is a student at Villanova University in Philadelphia.

Michael Simpson, the president of Freedom Gates Boys Ranch in Hazelton, Kansas, and a close friend of the Schrocks, posted a reaction to the news on his Facebook page on Thursday.

"It is hard to get my mind around the loss of my friends Bob and Lori Schrock," he said.

"Bob was one of three other men who encouraged me and taught me how to lift weights when I was 12 years old and continued to encourage me throughout my time in weights and competition. He was one of four men I called to ask his advice when I was praying about quitting my job to go into full time ministry at the boys ranch."

Simpson said the Schrocks often helped around the boys ranch and were, "Always silent in the background and never looking for any appreciation. They had a strong, vocal relationship with the Lord and I look forward to seeing my friends again. One of the last times we talked was about how amazing heaven will be and how excited we were about the hope we have. I have spent time in tears and reminiscing today, calling mutual friends and praying with them, sharing with the boys at the ranch stories about the people that cared about them."

The Schrocks describe their farming operation on their website, https://www.premiumgraininc.com/….

"Situated in the heart of the Southern Plains region, Premium Grain, Inc. embraces the unique opportunity of producing and storing quality grain while nurturing the land," Bob Schrock wrote.

"Premium Grain, Inc. looks to future generations with an eye to yielding grain that is fully traceable from seed to silo to your table. With the use of the most up-to-date farming technology, the goal on the farm is to produce crops that can tell a story, where they came from and what makes the journey unique."

According to the Wichita Eagle, the family was among the first Barber County growers to improve soil health and yield by rotating winter wheat with winter canola.

In the early days of their operation, the Schrocks primarily produced cattle in an area of the state that sees about 29 to 30 inches of precipitation annually, according to a 2013 publication by the Kansas State Research and Extension.

Source: Todd Neeley DTN, Photo DTN