Editor’s note: we’re sharing the story of the Chatterton family this week, who were gracious in revealing their story of loss, grief and rebuilding, following Greg Chatterton’s death in 2012.

In any business, farm or otherwise, one individual’s absence likely creates opportunities for someone else.

For the Chattertons, those opportunities emerged for Greg’s daughter, Erin, and nephew Jason, on their Ellisville farm. Jason works full-time for the farm now, making most of the farming decisions. Erin works part-time and is gearing up to manage their Precision Planting dealership. Greg’s brother and partner, Brett, manages the trucking business and overall operations.

PARTNERS: Jason Chatterton typically runs the combine but here, Erin (Chatterton) Featherlin gets to take it for a spin. The pair are technically cousins but in working together every day – and grieving together – they’ve become more like siblings.

“It makes you sad and it’s awkward but it’s the opportunity that came about because of Greg’s death. It just is and it’s reality. There’s no way to reconcile it or say it’s ok,” Brett says.

Erin was a homemaker with a four young children (including a seven-week-old newborn) when her dad died in a single-car accident on a snowy winter morning, on his way to a Precision Planting meeting. Within days after the funeral, they loaded up paperwork, brought it to her house and dove in.

“It was very heartbreaking but it was very exciting, too,” Erin describes. “So I struggled with that emotion for quite a while. I’ve always loved to play business; I’ve always loved to drive tractors. And I was finally getting my opportunity.”

Today, Erin’s grateful for the opportunity to help farm and still be home with her kids whenever she needs to. Jason’s grateful they could talk candidly and openly about what everyone wanted.

REMEMBER: The family had this decal put on the side of their combine.

Brett knows it’s been awkward and uncomfortable at times. “Yet when you tie faith into it and your confidence in a greater plan than what we have – confidence of where Greg is, confidence in knowing my father’s goals for our families and Greg’s goals for our families – it give you a peace in knowing we’ve got these opportunities for other family members to be involved in much more active ways. That blesses them and we’re just continuing the family legacy.”

For more:           

Chatterton Family: A sudden succession

Chatterton Family: A corn field conversation

Chatterton Family: Protecting the hurting

Chatterton Family: Opportunity, and other strange words