Opinion

Jerry and Katherine Arnold inducted into the 4-H Hall of Fame

Saturday, September 7, 2013

During the Missouri State Fair, Jerry and Katherine Arnold were among 47 people inducted into the Missouri 4-H Hall of Fame.They were nominated by the Vernon County 4-H Council. The hall of fame is a special program sponsored by the Missouri 4-H Foundation, giving special recognition to those who have contributed a lot to 4-H.

It is a special recognition to be inducted into a hall of fame. Missouri 4-H and the Missouri 4-H Foundation recognize individuals who have created a legacy of service and dedication to 4-H by honoring them with membership in the Missouri 4-H Hall of Fame. Jerry and Katherine have certainly lived up to the ideals of creating a legacy of service and dedication to 4-H.

"This celebration acknowledges the contribution of distinguished 4-H leaders -- past and present." said Missouri 4-H Foundation Chair Nelda Godfrey.

According to Missouri 4-H Foundation Executive Director Cheryl Reams, "These leaders have made exceptional contributions to the lives of Missouri 4-H members."

In Vernon County, we have had a large number of quality volunteers who are worthy of this special recognition. This year Jerry and Katherine were selected for the Hall of Fame, which was a good choice as they are worthy of the special recognition.

According to the nomination form the couple has had a total of 40 years of 4-H leadership, at least 20 years each. I think that is conservative number. I remember working with the Arnold family during my career. One of the things I remember about Katherine was that she served as a club leader. She also contributed a lot to the 4-H council.

A few words cannot do justice to the many things that they have done for 4-H as leaders and as supporters of 4-H. The information included for the inductees contribution to 4-H is as follows: "Both Jerry and Katherine were in 4-H in the early 1950s. He exhibited at the Linn County Fair in Mound City, Kan., while she participated in the Hume Fair, Hume, Mo. and the Vernon County Youth Fair, Nevada, Mo. Jerry's projects were registered Herefords from his family's herd and Katherine raised purebred Angus and Hereford steers to show. She enjoyed her cooking and sewing projects in 4-H, which influenced her decision to become a Home Economics major when she left the farm to go to college.

Needless to say, when their daughter, Sherry, was encouraged to join a 4-H club in the late 1970s, they were happy to help. As project leaders of foods, clothing, and beef production, they guided her to many purple ribbons at the county, district and state levels. Sherry participated in local club activities, as well as, being involved in the County 4-H Council decisions as the president. They were one of the founding families to form the Pioneer 4-H in the mid-1980s. Throughout her 4-H career, they accumulated several head of registered Herefords, tracing back to the same herd that Jerry's family helped him with as a young 4-Her.

It was no surprise that Sherry's children, Reba and Justin Hurst, began 4-H as Clover Kids. They both fell in love with the farm life and began showing at the Vernon County Youth Fair each year, following in the footsteps of their mom and grandmother.

The family's 4-H history provided Reba with the background to go further with her cattle. She began showing Herefords at the national level in 2002 when she attended her first Junior National Hereford Expo in Sioux Falls, S.D. And, as you may have guessed, Grandma and Grandpa Arnold were there to show their support. They have spent many dollars in fuel and time on the road traveling to shows all across the country to watch their grandkids and participate in the family fun, creating a lifetime of memories that will not soon be forgotten.

If you ask Sherry or Reba, they will tell you how their 4-H experiences gave them opportunities they would not have had with any other organization and how grateful they were to be a part of the Vernon County 4-H family."

Congratulations go to Jerry and Katherine for being inducted into the Missouri 4-H Hall of Fame. They are deserving of a bouquet of 4 leaf clovers.

Others inducted also include Ron Nissen, Bates County and Barbara Taber, St. Clair County.