Monroe County, Iowa 4-H History

Posted on September 6, 2012 at 8:43 AM by Global Reach

MONROE COUNTY EXTENSION

Pioneer leader, G.A. Lineweaver, was the county extension agent and later served as the Iowa State Boy’s club leader. He went on to serve as the first executive secretary of the Iowa 4-H Foundation.

Achievements of 4-H Members

Patty Judge was an eight year member of a town club, Troy Happy Hearts, and is Iowa’s present Lt. governor after serving as the secretary of agriculture.

Theresa Teno is often pictured with the State Department on foreign visits and is now in Baghdad on official assignment.

Florence Berry Westfall was chosen as the State Better Groomed Girl in 1955.

Ray Davis showed the grand champion baby beef at the fair in 1961 and is serving as president of The First Iowa State Bank.

Danny Lennie’s market beef was named the grand champion at the Iowa State Fair in 1987.

Mike Hindman won reserve champion market beef at the Iowa State Fair and went on to win champion market beef at the World Steer Show in 1987.

Hunter Gerth had the grand champion lambs at the Iowa State Fair in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Diane Botts Patton was selected to attend the National 4-H Conference in 1962.

Susan Mordan was chosen to attend the National 4-H Conference in 1987 and chose “water quality” as her area of emphasis.

Carol Clark was selected as a National 4-H clothing winner and received a $500 scholarship in the 1960’s and was chosen to attend the National 4-H Club Congress.

Susan Mordan was chosen as a national winner in communications, receiving a $500 scholarship in 1986 and attending National 4-H Club Congress.

Programming

In 1964, Iowa was invited, along with nine other states, to Washington D.C. by Reader’s Digest. Chosen for this mission were Monroe County’s Janice Crall and Diane Botts Patton, along with 4-Her’s Charles Rogers and Earl Cain from Lucas County. The two week conference was held at the National 4-H Center. Margaret Mordan, Monroe County home economist was chosen to lead the group. Plans were made at that time to set up State Citizenship trips to Washington D.C. These focus trips are still being offered and attended today.

These five individuals were chosen to be pictured on the National 4-H Calendar for the coming year.

Patty Peterson Rossman needed a topic for a speech for State Speech Contest when she was in high school; she asked Margaret Mordan what she could give it on. She was given several topics but liked auto safety the best. Patty needed practice so she gave the speech to the local Rotary Club on the importance of the 4-H automotive program and wearing a seat belt.

A local lawyer was present that night at Rotary Club and he was so impressed that he paid to have

the speech printed in the Albia Newspaper in the form of a full page ad for auto safety. This started the Monroe county 4-H Automotive Club for senior members and many 4-H’ers were honored on the national level. Patty Rossman, Lloyd Bettis, Rita Beary and Leslie Bettis all received national automotive scholarships of $500 as well as trips to the National Club Congress in Chicago.

One of the major achievements of the Automotive Club was the holiday weekend traffic stop for travelers. Refreshments were served and an opportunity for travelers to stop for a little while. This was in the 1960’s, long before quick stop stores were open.

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Lloyd Bettis was chosen to help organize the first state 4-H Council. Mr. C.J. Gauger, State 4-H leader, knew there were many excellent office candidates that did not get elected to state office, so he asked the whole group to form a council and to select their officers within. This gave an opportunity to have leadership to each corner of the state. Monroe County has had many 4-H members serve on the State 4-H Council.

Diane Botts Patton was elected Girls State 4-H president in 1964.

Mike Peterson was elected as Boys State 4-H president in 1965. Tom Koffman served as State Boys Treasurer in the early 1950’s.

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The First Iowa State Bank and the Peoples National Bank in Monroe county, were among

the first in Iowa to give money to the Iowa 4-H Foundation and Iowa State campgrounds. In 1951, the first foundation to the first lodge had been poured and during the State Health Camp, members in attendance had the opportunity to walk across it.

Youthpower was a 4-H program created to encourage good nutrition. Monroe County had several delegates attend national meetings in Chicago. Chris Findley Roth was chosen as the national winner in 1966.

Margaret Herring Mordan was chosen to be an IFYE to England-Wales in 1961. She took a leave of absence where she served as the Monroe County home economist from 1957 – 1968.

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The 4-H family could be described as Herbert and Lucille Bettis. They were the parents of 5 children: Larry, Linda, Lyle, Lloyd and Leslie. Each of the children were outstanding in 4-H, serving as county officers, presenting demonstrations at the state fair, and receiving national honors and scholarships. Lucille was a 4-H leader and Herbert served on the Monroe County 4-H Fair Board.

Each of the children went on to work in their communities through education, banking and insurance.

The Bettis family lived close to the county fairgrounds and worked hard each year in preparation for the fair. They were also known to go home and get things that families might have forgotten. They helped everyone. They always camped at the Iowa State Fair and would lend a willing hand there, too.

In the 1950’s and 1960’s there were three all day training schools and two organization meetings each year. Lucille would write everything in shorthand and go home and type up all the information for her club members and anyone else that wanted a copy.

Lloyd was asked to write about his mother’s commitment to 4-H through the years and he stated, “When we were growing up, we thought that Mother worked at the extension office, as she was there so much”.

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Lucille Bettis was chosen as the first inductee to the Iowa Hall of Fame for Monroe County at the Iowa State Fair in 2002. Margaret Herring Mordan was inducted in 2003 and Marilyn Walker, serving 40 years as office assistant at the Monroe County Extension office was chosen in 2004.

Rose Mary Scott – 2005; Ruby Clark-2006; Charles and Arlene Jacobs-2007; Deanie Walsh McDowell-2008; John and Lois Knowles-2009; Vaugh and Patricia Faber-2010; M. Leo and Catherine Beary-2011 and Gene and Helen Kline-2012.