2009 Fremont County - John Anderzhon

John Anderzhon of Farragut is a quiet, unassuming man who feels there are far better choices for the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame than him.  The truth is, John has done a lot for 4-H.  He was a nine-year 4-H’er, held all club offices and was county secretary.  John had the champion baby beef in 1956, was a member of several judging teams and had champion pigs in 1961.  Although not always selected to attend camp at the State 4-H Center, John said he would quite often get a call the night before camp because someone else had canceled. John always jumped at the chance to go.  John is also a recipient of the Fremont County Alumni Award in 1980 and the Meritorious Award in 2003.

John was a long-time beef show superintendent for the Fremont County Fair.  When asked how he was selected for the job, he chuckled and said that he first learned about it when he received a newly printed fair book with his name listed on the beef crew.  “That’s the way things happen in small towns, you get “nominated” and you just go to work,” says John, “and before I knew it, 21 years had passed.”  Longevity seems to be John’s middle name.  He became a Youth Committee member in 1980, was on the committee for 22 years of which 18 years he was the chairman.  During his time on the Youth Committee, John spent countless hours at the Earl May Trial Gardens in Shenandoah and at the Sidney Iowa Rodeo 4-H Dining Hall (both fundraisers for the 4-H program).  Also during his Youth Committee tenure, the Ellen Rice Estate donation made possible for the beginning of the Fremont County 4-H Endowment.

Family is very important to John.  His father was a 4-H leader, he was a 4-H project leader and his sons Ryan and Eric were both 4-H’ers.  John’s comment was his wife Pat always made sure John was where he was supposed to be.  John has four granddaughters and a grandson on the way.