Sons and Daughters - Gifford inducted into Hall of Fame
Marshall Gifford, Class of 1989, is the newest inductee into the Central Hall of Fame. Gifford and his two brothers, Tom and Andrew, grew up in Elkader.
By Pam Reinig
Register Editor
Since graduating high school 27 years ago, Central’s newest Hall of Fame inductee has earned a college degree, gotten married, started a family and launched a successful financial consulting practice. And every step of the way, he has carried with him the lessons he learned growing up in rural Iowa.
“The values I learned here are the same values I use to raise my children, live my life, and run my business,” said 1989 Central graduate Marshall Gifford. “Your word is your word, and that goes a long way in life. You help others when they need something, you don’t lie, cheat or steal. If you apply those simple rules to your life, you’ll go a long way.”
SiX of the seven people Marshall has hired for his team are from rural Iowa towns, which shows that his beliefs on small-town values are not singularly held.
Marshall is one of three sons raised here by Florence Gifford and her late husband, Brian. His brothers are Tom Gifford, who owns and operates the family insurance in Elkader, and Andrew Gifford, who lives and works in the St. Paul area, where Marshall, his wife, Tari, and sons Max, Sam and Jack also live. The Twin Cities is also home base for Marshall’s business, which he launched in 1993 after earning a degree at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
As a Central student, Marshall was an accomplished athlete who played basketball and ran track. Several of his records still stand today. But perhaps his greatest legacy was his push for cross country as a local prep sport.
“A little known fact is that my brother, Tom, and I actually went before the school board requesting that Central start a cross-country team,” he said. “We are actually the first two members of that team in the fall of 1986. It’s pretty cool to see the success the sport has had since then.”
Marshall remains physically active, though he’s traded his earlier pursuits for cycling. He’s completed he grueling seven-day RAGBRAI course 26 times.
Surprised to be named to Central’s Hall of Fame, Marshall called the honor a “real highlight of my life,” but quickly added that the recognition is not as significant as the relationships he built here.
“Elkader is a great place,” he said. “It’s unique and cool in so many ways. You don’t necessarily appreciate that until you go away.”
The current Central student body has several young men and women with the potential to make the sort of achievements that will one day get their names place in the school’s Hall of Fame. To those who are beginning to think about life after Central and Elkader, Marshall offered these sagacious words.
He said, “As you expand your horizons beyond Elkader, academically or athletically, you need to remember just because someone was raised with more money or had a bigger school, fancier facilities, nicer uniforms, more class choices, those things make no difference without effort. (Those kids) are no smarter, faster, or stronger than you can be, and are no more likely to succeed than you are. The common denominator of success is successful people form the habits of doing things others do not want to do. Nowhere does it state that successful people enjoy doing the things less successful people do not want to do. In fact, they may completely dislike the activity required to be successful, however, the difference is understanding the difference between pleasurable methods and pleasurable results. In order to experience the results you want, you will be required to take on activities that are not particular high on the enjoyment scale. If you can do this, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.”
