Autauga's 'Buzz' Wendland remembered as 'servant leader'
Prominent Autauga County farmer and businessman Milton “Buzz” A. Wendland is being remembered as a trailblazer for agriculture in the state, a behind-the-scenes supporter of his community and a loving family man.
He died at his Autaugaville home March 11. He was 91.
The former Air Force pilot led Autauga Farming Company through a period of expansion to become one of the largest businesses of its kind in the state. It’s a diversified operation growing row crops and timber and raising cattle. Wendland also had other business interests; owning John Deere tractor and agriculture equipment dealers along with Yamaha and Honda motorcycle and ATV dealerships.
He served as president of the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association, President of the Alabama 4-H foundation, Chairman of the Alabama Board of Agriculture and Industries and head of other local and state organizations. He was also the patriarch of a large farming family in Autaugaville.
“Buzz Wendland was a fine, fine man, he really, really was,” said retired Autauga County Sheriff Herbie Johnson. “We will never know how many people he helped. He was just that way. He was always ready to help people and the community, but he didn’t want any of the attention.
“We’ve lost a giant oak tree. And when you look up and see that big tree is gone, you notice.”
Wendland was born in Peach Grove, Kansas, to a farming family. It was a driving snowstorm, family lore goes, and doctors and midwives couldn’t make it to the home. He was delivered by his father, Milton Ludwig Wendland. He went to a one-room school near the farm, and graduated as salutatorian from Randolph High School in 1950. He attended Kansas State University where he got a bachelors degree in animal husbandry. During college he worked in the KSU college of agriculture’s dairy barns to help pay for his education.
He was a member of ROTC and commissioned as a 1st lieutenant and completed pilot training in the Air Force at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, Texas. He received his wings and got orders to leave for Korea. Before going overseas, he decided to take leave and drive home for a few days visit.
On the outskirts of San Antonio he was involved in a serious head-on crash, and he underwent medical treatment for the next 14 months.
Fate stepped in and he was transferred to Maxwell AFB for more surgery and treatment. It was there he met Diane Smith of Prattville. She was an American Red Cross worker at the base hospital. It started as a friendship, a romance developed and they got married.
Wendland eventually regained flight status but left the Air Force in 1959 then went into farming in Autaugaville.
“Mr. Wendland was a visionary leader who left a lasting legacy on Alabama agriculture,” said Alabama Farmers Federation President Jimmy Parnell. “As a young farmer in neighboring Chilton County, I saw firsthand the impact he made on his farm and the industry as a whole. Under Mr. Wendland’s leadership, Autauga Farming Company became recognized as one of the state’s most productive and innovative farms.
“He also helped start the Autauga Quality Cotton Association and Producers Feeder Cattle Sale to help farmers get better prices for their products. Today, Mr. Wendland’s children and grandchildren are carrying on his legacy through their work in agriculture both on and off the farm.”
For all his business success, it was family that was his priority. Buzz and Diane were married for almost 61 years. She died about five years ago.
He is survived by four children and their families. He also served as a deacon and elder at Prattville’s First Presbyterian Church.
He stayed active in the farming operations right up until his last days. Andy Wendland remembers one of his regular drives around the farm with his dad to inspect operations about two weeks before his death.
“He made suggestions, sometimes strong suggestions, that’s how he was,” Andy Wendland said with a laugh. “We passed a pasture and he wanted to know how long the heifers had been in the pasture. ‘It looks tight in there, you may want to move them,’ he said.
“And we moved them.”
Wendland supported his community, but never sought accolades. In the early 1990s the farm donated land and funding for what would become the William Howard Smith Agricultural Center on Highway 14 in Autaugaville. That’s a short distance from the farm’s headquarters. The idea was to move all the federal and state farming and forestry organization offices from Prattville and put them in one place. Later, the R.H. Kirkpatrick Agricultural Arena was built behind the center.
“Autaugaville wouldn’t be what we are without Buzz and Miss Diane’s support over all these years,” said Mayor Curtis Stoudemire. “They were always willing to help, but never sought any praise or attention. I see the same thing in their children and grandchildren, that desire to be servant leaders.
“The legacy of Buzz Wendland is in good hands.”
Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Autauga's 'Buzz' Wendland remembered for influence, community support
