Retiring sheriff feted at surprise party

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The surprise was written all over Van Wert County Sheriff Stan Owens’ face as what he thought was a mission of mercy for a friend and former colleague turned into a surprise retirement party for the long-serving sheriff at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5803.

Sheriff Owens talked about how blessed he has been with the support of family and friends, especially from his wife, Susan, and children Ashley, Laura and Nathan.

“My family has been very supportive of me in this job,” he said, adding that he has also had a great staff to work with. “I have been extremely blessed with a good staff at the sheriff’s office and correctional facility … I couldn’t ask for better.”

Owens, 59, also thanked Defiance County Sheriff David Westrick, who attended Friday’s reception, for mentoring him when he first took over as sheriff here 24 years ago.

Sheriff Owens, who has served 36 years in law enforcement, first became a deputy in 1975 under then-sheriff Don Thomas, was also a night marshal in Convoy and then went back to the family farm for a couple of years before returning as a full-time deputy under sheriff Jerry Brittsan in 1981. In 1988, Owens defeated Brittsan in a hotly contested race for sheriff and has served in that position ever since.

Owens’ 24-year tenure makes him, by far, the longest-serving sheriff in Van Wert County history. Wilmer Clay (1952-1968) and F. Earl Shaffer (1930-34 and 1940-52) both served 16 years as sheriff, while Thomas (1968-1980) served 12 years in that position.

In an interview with the independent, Sheriff Owens said he was proud of several things that have occurred during his tenure, chief among them the funding of a new jail after the county went without one for 18 years.

“That was probably the biggest accomplishment,” he said, adding that he was also pleased that the project was done in a cost-effective way.

Other important milestones were the creation of the county 9-1-1 system and the county’s DARE program administered by Chief Deputy Keith Allen.

His successor, current Van Wert County Correctional Facility Administrator Tom Riggenbach, was unsparing in his praise of his boss, noting that the sheriff has been a good mentor to him over his nearly 18 years of service as a deputy and jail administrator.

“There’s been so many things I’ve had the opportunity to learn from him, and so much of it deals with doing what’s right for the people,” said Riggenbach, the son of Stan and Nancy Riggenbach and grandson of former Van Wert school superintendent S.F. “Stretch” Goedde and his wife, Donna. “I feel he has served the community very well.”

Riggenbach called Owens’ way of operating the sheriff’s department “common sense law enforcement,” and added that he felt the sheriff has been very helpful in helping learn how the department should be run. “He has just really helped me become prepared for when I take over the office of sheriff in January.”

Riggenbach also praised his predecessor for the leadership he has shown, both to the sheriff’s department and also the community, calling him “a man of honesty and integrity who led by example for his employees. He is a tremendous leader and, for me, a tremendous mentor.”

Meanwhile, Owens is leaving one county elected position for another after his election win over Denzil “Denny” Wortman for one of three seats on the Van Wert County Board of Commissioners earlier this year.

The sheriff, who will join current Commissioner Thad Lichtensteiger and Todd Wolfrum, also newly elected, as one of the three top county administrators, said he would carry over his sense of fiscal responsibility to that position and called it a great opportunity to serve county residents in a different way.