When Richard Nethercut and his wife Loni Kemp first moved to the Fillmore County area from the Twin Cities, they only planned on staying a few years before moving on to someplace bigger such as Chicago. That was in 1981, and they’re still here. “Once we were here, it never occurred to us to go anywhere else,” Nethercut laughed. “It couldn’t be a better community to raise kids and to live in.”
Nethercut has worked hard building his law practice in Harmony since moving to the area. He’s enjoyed getting to know the people from Harmony and the surrounding communities and helping them with their legal needs. However, after 37 years, he’s ready to hang up his hat and move on to retirement. His last day at the practice will be on April 25, followed by a retirement open house on April 27.
As much as he’s loved running his law practice, Nethercut is looking forward to retirement. He has no concrete plans for what he’ll do with his time once he retires, but is hoping to spend some time traveling and staying at the family cabin up north. “I hope to take enough time to clear my brain,” he said. “I want to read a lot more, and I want to do a lot of gardening.” The woodland on his property northeast of Canton has been neglected for years thanks to a demanding work schedule and so he would like to work on thinning that down and maintaining it.
Nethercut’s wife, Loni Kemp, recently retired, as well, from her job as a private consultant on national agriculture and environmental policy. The couple is looking forward to spending more time with their two daughters and three grandsons.
Nethercut has thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the community of Harmony. “It’s been marvelous. It’s got to be one of the friendliest communities anywhere,” he commented. “I’ve always appreciated how progressive Harmony is.”
Last year, Nethercut sold his law practice to Greg Schieber, who had been working there since February 2014, in preparation for retirement. Since the sale, the roles have been reversed, with Nethercut working for Schieber instead of the other way around. “I’m so lucky because Greg is a great guy. He’s a competent, conscientious lawyer,” Nethercut expressed. “He’s perfect for the community. It’s hard to imagine retiring from a private practice with so many people involved without someone like that to take your place.”
Schieber grew up in Caledonia and knew he wanted to run a private law practice in a small town after graduating law school. He originally contacted Nethercut to ask for the opportunity to join his practice but was turned down at first. “He had to talk me into it,” Nethercut laughed. Once he hired Schieber though, he never regretted it. “To find someone who has the same caring attitude about clients and local families is important,” Nethercut pointed out.
Schieber has enjoyed working for and with Nethercut. “Dick has been an excellent mentor. I’ve learned a lot from him,” he commented. “That’s what I’ll miss the most (after he retires) is that mentorship and expertise that you can’t just look up in a book.”
Schieber has no plans to make any big changes at the practice. “I’m confident that we’ll be able to continue business as usual,” Schieber stated. “I’ll strive for and hopefully provide the same service that people have come to expect here.” At this time, he also does not have any concrete plans to hire someone to replace Nethercut, but is open to that opportunity in the future.
The retirement open house for Richard Nethercut will be held on April 27 at the Old Legion Hall in Harmony from 4-7 p.m.
Leave a Reply