Missouri Mule Museum

07/04/2026

What a beautiful morning spent celebrating America's 250th birthday. Our very own Jim and Jeanie Chipman Gay were the Grand Marshals of the Perry Parade. If you are in town visiting, be sure to stop by the Museum.

Thank you to Gary and Debbie Hodges for allowing Jim, Jeanie and their family to ride on the surrey pulled by Mules for the parade. Thank you to the Ralls County Missouri Historical Society and Perry Area Chamber of Commerce for your continued support of the Museum.

Happy 4th of July and God Bless the USA!

🇺🇸🧨🎇

06/27/2026

Jim & Jeanie Gay will be the Grand Marshals of the Perry 4th of July parade! Thank you both for your work dedication to the Missouri Mule Museum, Ralls County Historical Society, and the entire county!
Ralls County Missouri Historical Society

****IMMEDIATE RELEASE****

🇺🇸 Meet Our 2026 Hometown 4th of July Parade Grand Marshals! 🇺🇸

The Perry Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce Jim and Jeanie Gay as the Grand Marshals of the 2026 Hometown 4th of July Parade!

Few couples embody the history, heritage, and hometown spirit of Perry like Jim and Jeanie Gay.

Jim Gay is a lifelong Perry resident whose family roots in this community span more than ten generations. A graduate of Perry High School, Jim devoted his career to serving local agriculture through Roby Robinson Lumber, MFA Perry, and later at JIMICO Fertilizer and Chemical. Jim is one of Perry's longest-standing local business people. For more than 25 years, he supported area farmers and strengthened the local agricultural economy.

Since 1990, Jim has continued his love of agriculture by raising Black Angus cattle on his family farm west of Perry, carrying on a tradition of stewardship and hard work that has defined generations of the Gay family, making him one of Perry's longest-serving and most respected local business owners.

Jeanie Gay's heritage is equally rooted in Perry's rich agricultural history. A Perry native and graduate of Mark Twain High School, she earned her business degree from Central Methodist College before building a career in business management and community service. Her family's legacy is forever linked to Missouri's mule industry. Her father, Gene Chipman, was a respected mule breeder and exhibitor, showing draft mules as part of the renowned Chipman & Kohl partnership with Richard Kohl of Vandalia. For many years, the Chipman name proudly hung in the Mule Barn at the Missouri State Fair, representing a family tradition that helped shape Missouri's agricultural heritage.

Together, Jim and Jeanie represent everything that makes Perry special—faith, family, agriculture, hard work, and an unwavering commitment to their community. Their lives have been dedicated not only to preserving Perry's history but also to ensuring its traditions continue for future generations.

It is with great pride that the Perry Area Chamber of Commerce recognizes Jim and Jeanie Gay as the 2026 Hometown 4th of July Parade Grand Marshals.

Please join us in congratulating them and thanking them for a lifetime of service, leadership, and hometown pride. 🇺🇸❤️

Their story is Perry's story—and we couldn't imagine better Grand Marshals to lead this year's celebration!

06/25/2026

A "Shoebox Parade" is happening right now at the Missouri Mule Museum in Perry, and we need your help! Stop by the Missouri Mule Museum and pick up a wrapped shoebox. Personalize the shoebox as simply or as fancy as you want to showcase what you feel is awesome and/or memorable about our country as we celebrate its 250th birthday! Check out the photos below for a few examples.

Don't have time to stop in and pick up a box? No problem — wrap your own box and get creative. Need help generating ideas? Here are a few: any state, any landmark, anyone from history....Ben Franklin, Betsy Ross, Paul Revere, the Liberty Bell, Plymouth Rock, Native Americans, famous Missourians, Westward Expansion, the Gold Rush, and on and on!

Please bring your shoebox to the museum by July 3rd so it will be on display when Perry celebrates the 4th of July with a parade and activities at the park. Walking by the window of the museum, you'll be able to enjoy the Shoebox Parade!

If you have questions, leave them below. Please share this post to help spread the word!

06/09/2026

Get ready for an amazing July 4th celebration! 🎆 We are excited to see Jim and Jeanie Gay lead the parade as our Grand Marshals. It's going to be such a special day for our community. Make sure to come out and cheer them on! Let's make this Independence Day unforgettable. See you there!

****IMMEDIATE RELEASE****

🇺🇸 Meet Our 2026 Hometown 4th of July Parade Grand Marshals! 🇺🇸

The Perry Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce Jim and Jeanie Gay as the Grand Marshals of the 2026 Hometown 4th of July Parade!

Few couples embody the history, heritage, and hometown spirit of Perry like Jim and Jeanie Gay.

Jim Gay is a lifelong Perry resident whose family roots in this community span more than ten generations. A graduate of Perry High School, Jim devoted his career to serving local agriculture through Roby Robinson Lumber, MFA Perry, and later at JIMICO Fertilizer and Chemical. Jim is one of Perry's longest-standing local business people. For more than 25 years, he supported area farmers and strengthened the local agricultural economy.

Since 1990, Jim has continued his love of agriculture by raising Black Angus cattle on his family farm west of Perry, carrying on a tradition of stewardship and hard work that has defined generations of the Gay family, making him one of Perry's longest-serving and most respected local business owners.

Jeanie Gay's heritage is equally rooted in Perry's rich agricultural history. A Perry native and graduate of Mark Twain High School, she earned her business degree from Central Methodist College before building a career in business management and community service. Her family's legacy is forever linked to Missouri's mule industry. Her father, Gene Chipman, was a respected mule breeder and exhibitor, showing draft mules as part of the renowned Chipman & Kohl partnership with Richard Kohl of Vandalia. For many years, the Chipman name proudly hung in the Mule Barn at the Missouri State Fair, representing a family tradition that helped shape Missouri's agricultural heritage.

Together, Jim and Jeanie represent everything that makes Perry special—faith, family, agriculture, hard work, and an unwavering commitment to their community. Their lives have been dedicated not only to preserving Perry's history but also to ensuring its traditions continue for future generations.

It is with great pride that the Perry Area Chamber of Commerce recognizes Jim and Jeanie Gay as the 2026 Hometown 4th of July Parade Grand Marshals.

Please join us in congratulating them and thanking them for a lifetime of service, leadership, and hometown pride. 🇺🇸❤️

Their story is Perry's story—and we couldn't imagine better Grand Marshals to lead this year's celebration!

05/18/2026

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04/09/2026

We enjoyed hosting members of the Mexico, Missouri, Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution at the Missouri Mule Museum today! Guests toured the museum and learned about the role that our state animal, the mule, has played in our local, state, and national history.

After touring the Missouri Mule Museum, the group ventured across the street to tour the Ralls County Historical Society Museum and ended the day with an enjoyable ride on Perry’s Historic Carousel before enjoying lunch at The Junction.

Each of these organizations enjoyed sharing the rich history found in Ralls County with the members of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Mexico, Missouri Chapter, and looks forward to a summer filled with visitors and conversations.