Preparing for Retirement and the Unexpected: A Real Retirement Planning Story

Rhonda Barth had a fulfilling 38‑year career as a special education teacher, and her life outside the classroom was just as full. For nearly three decades, she owned and operated The Re‑Load, a bar and grill steeped in family history in the rural community of Oberlin, Kansas.

The bar had been in Rhonda’s family since the early ’70s, passing through the hands of several cousins before she took it over in 1993. Rhonda began working at The Re‑Load as a teenager and later managed the books and scheduling — often working the late shift several nights a week while teaching full time and raising a family. When it came time to start preparing for retirement, Rhonda knew she wanted a plan that would allow her to step away from both careers.

Preparing for retirement

When Rhonda began thinking seriously about retirement, she wanted to retire from teaching and The Re‑Load at the same time. She knew she needed a financial professional she could trust to help meet her goals.

She met Gary Barth, owner and president of Barth Financial Wealth Management Group, and for the past 10 years, Gary helped Rhonda plan for retirement with thoughtful strategies to make her retirement dreams a reality. Last names are a coincidence with no relation.

Rhonda’s sister, Valerie, had been managing The Re‑Load and wanted to buy the bar so Rhonda could retire. As part of the plan, Gary recommended Valerie purchase a term life insurance policy to help ensure Rhonda would receive her buyout if something unexpected happened.

When the unexpected happens

In April 2022, Valerie was diagnosed with cancer and passed away less than a year later, in February 2023.

Thanks to the life insurance policy, the business was paid off, allowing Rhonda to officially retire. Valerie’s daughter, Yolanda, took over running The Re‑Load and now owns it free and clear. She has since expanded the bar by purchasing the building next door—an opportunity that may not have been possible otherwise.

Living a successful retirement

Today, Rhonda is retired and enjoying a full life. She lives close to her grandchildren, continues substitute teaching, tends her 40‑acre farm, and still helps Yolanda with the bar’s bookkeeping. When she’s available, she also lends a hand with the bar’s well‑known “Chicken Fry” Fridays.

Rhonda planned well for her future and successfully navigated uncertainty with the help of a trusted relationship with Gary. Her retirement planning story is one of resilience, family and the power of thoughtful financial strategies.