“Making the best better” for generations of Missouri 4-H club members, 46 volunteers joined the Missouri 4-H Hall of Fame on Aug. 19 at State Fair Community College in Sedalia.
Inductees from 37 counties established a legacy totaling 1,085 years of volunteer service to Missouri 4-H, said Rachel Augustine, Missouri 4-H Foundation director. More than 300 family members and friends attended the 11th annual event. Inductees were nominated by their counties for outstanding volunteer work in local 4-H programs.
“This is a celebration to acknowledge, with statewide historical documentation, the contributions of distinguished 4-H leaders, both past, and present,” said State 4-H Council President Mitchell Moon.
The Missouri 4-H Foundation recognizes individuals who have created a legacy of service to 4-H by honoring them with membership in the Missouri 4-H Hall of Fame, Augustine said.
“These volunteers have played a vital role in helping our youth develop essential life skills that will empower them to become strong leaders in the 21st-century workforce,” she said. “We are proud to honor their legacy of service to Missouri 4-H.”
The annual event is sponsored by FCS Financial and the Missouri State Fair in partnership with the Missouri 4-H Foundation.
2017 Missouri 4-H Hall of Fame inductees:
- Louise Armstrong, Monroe County
- Linda Bast, Crawford County
- Steven Begley, Marion County
- Carla Bellis, Lawrence County
- Ann* and Bill Bohnert, Jackson County
- Billy Claiborn, Greene County
- Clark County Cattlemen, Clark County
- Mary Darting, St. Charles County
- Richard Evans, Caldwell County
- David Feldkamp, Lewis County
- Kay Green, Livingston County
- Nancy Harris, Ralls County
- Olga Haverland*, St. Clair County
- Karen Homfeld, Lafayette County
- Gary Hunt, Randolph County
- Larry Jackson, Jasper County
- Kenneth and Marjorie Jenkins, Ray County
- William and Cindy Kautsch, Cole County
- John* and Carolyn Koenigsfeld, Osage County
- Connie Laney, Phelps County
- Karen Loyd-Minear, Knox County
- Gary McFee, DeKalb County
- Wayne and Sally Minnick, Daviess County
- Patricia Misuraca*, Franklin County
- Dean and Loretta Owen, Barton County
- Phyllis Owens, Gentry County
- Bill and Judy Pauley, Putnam County
- Wesley Rhodes, Linn County
- Barbara Schneider, Warren County
- Tricia Schniedermeyer, Lincoln County
- Ray and Jan Schwarz, Clinton County
- Lauretta Smith, Montgomery County
- Gerry Snapp, Saline County
- Trudy and Earl Twenter, Cooper County
- Roy White, Johnson County
- Patricia Wiggins, Scotland County
- Melvern “Junior” Worley, Audrain County
*Posthumous award.
About Missouri 4-H
4-H, the nation’s largest youth development organization, grows confident young people who are empowered for life today and prepared for careers tomorrow. 4-H programs empower nearly 6 million young people across the U.S. through experiences that develop critical life skills.
