There are two ways to make a living. One is to just make a buck. The other is to make a difference.

Kade and Jami Wilkes fall into the latter category.

For some 35 years, the two Afton natives have worked in — and served — the Star Valley community. For Kade Wilkes, it was 35 years teaching at Thayne and Osmond Elementary schools — with some 40 combined seasons coaching everything from 7th grade football to varsity girls basketball. For Jami Wilkes, it’s been 34 ½ years serving farmers and ranchers through Lincoln County Weed and Pest.

For the record, that’s nearly 110 combined years of “making a difference.”

Both agree that “money can’t buy” what they’ve received in return. Perhaps Jami, with emotion, said it best, “I’m just so grateful for the opportunity to serve the community and help where I can.”

SVI Media recently visited with Kade and Jami in their home in Afton on a late summer afternoon just before their August 30 retirements. Both spoke of their gratitude for the relationships they’ve gained over the decades, for the support of colleagues, school administrators, parents, farmers, and ranchers. And both spoke emotionally of the gratitude they’ve received for their efforts — often in the form of notes and other forms of “thank yous.” For Kade’s retirement celebration last spring, he was given a book with photos and comments, including one that read: “THANK YOU for being such an amazing teacher, friend, jokester, coach, mentor, instructor, confidant, leader & so much more!”

Born and raised in Afton, Kade and Jami Wilkes married in 1983 and moved back to the valley in 1989 after Kade finished his education degree at Utah State University in Logan, Utah, and taught for a couple years in Utah.

In fact, it was the desire to return to the valley that led to Kade’s career decision. “I felt [teaching] was the quickest way I could get back to Star Valley,” he told SVI. So, he got his degree, certified as a teacher from kindergarten through 8th grade, and headed home in 1989. At the time, Jami was a stay-at-home mom with two children (later adding another). They were barely making ends meet.

“At the last of the month, we were down to peanut butter and jelly. I had to find a job,” Jami recalled. “It about killed me. I wanted to be home with my kids.”

Ultimately, farmers and ranchers in Star Valley are grateful she did go looking for that job. She ended up working at Lincoln County Weed and Pest. From 1990 until now, she worked in an office — with supervisors Scott Nield and, later, Travis Osmond — where they went from about 15 employees to some 40, including seasonal workers. One of those seasonal workers is her husband, Kade, who sprays up Greys River during the summers.

“They were always good to work with me, with my kids,” Jami recalled of those early days. “There were times when I took a sick child and put them on the floor behind my desk. It means everything when you’re a mom, and you have to work.”

However, she felt like this was an opportunity to give back to the farmers and ranchers, “people who feed us. Farming is a hard way to make a living. It’s tough.”

Reflecting on her work, she said, “I was mainly the office manager and accountant, but I also helped in a lot of other aspects as well. I helped farmers and people know what to spray on their crops, what to spray on their yards.”

In fact, Jami kept recipe cards at her desk for when a farmer would come in with a list of his herbicides and would need a qualified county weed and pest “recipe.”

Quick to acknowledge her supervisors, Jami expressed gratitude for both Nield and Osmond. “I’ve learned a lot from both of them in different ways.”

Reflecting on nearly 35 years of work, Jami related: “I feel like the farmers have been my favorite part of the job, being able to help the farmers and build those relationships. I feel like they learned to trust me. They’re my favorite people. They are wonderful people.

“They’re just the salt of the earth,” she added, tearfully.

While Jami was working days at weed and pest, Kade was either teaching classes or coaching. Over the decades, he coached kids at the middle school and the high school — boys and girls — in golf, basketball, and football. A former basketball player for Star Valley High School, he found his niche and credits his high school coach Doug Broadhead and former school board member Homer Bennett for mentoring him as a coach.

“I’m going to miss the kids,” he told SVI, “but I’ve had a lot of good people around me. I’m going to miss those people and the relationships we’ve built. We’ve had a lot of fun during those times.”

As a teacher, he was known for his classroom structure and sense of order — perhaps following the example of his father, the late Nord Wilkes, a longtime Star Valley High School geometry teacher and principal. Once, a school administrator told Kade, “I’ve seen you be as hard on kids as anybody, yet I don’t get any complaints about you. Why?”

Kade’s reply? “They know I cared.”

Jami added: “I’ve seen it time and time again. Just how he could be coaching kind of harsh and then say, ‘Now get back in, you’ve got this.’ He just had a way that they knew that he cared.”

One of Kade’s most tender memories is a student who was having a hard time. When Kade tried to discipline him, the student said something negative about himself. From that point on, Kade took that boy under his wing. “I didn’t care what academics he did the rest of the year. He stayed with me, and we built a pretty good relationship. That’s when you know you’re doing something worthwhile.”

There are myriad memories over the years for Kade and Jami Wilkes. Now that they’re retired and charting a new phase in life, they’re both still imbued with the desire to make a difference. For Jami, it’s continuing to teach her strength training class at Lifetime Fitness in Afton.

And for Kade, it was running for and winning a seat on the Lincoln County School District #2 Board of Trustees this past election. “Being on the school board gives me the opportunity to give back to the school district who employed me for 35 years and also to give back to the community.”

Whatever the future holds, Kade and Jami agree it was time — to retire. To spend time with their children (Ali Mackey of Afton; Taylor Wilkes of Thayne; and Shae Brower, of Logan, Utah) and their seven grandchildren.

To maybe go camping in September.