Posted on April 19, 2011 at 1:30 PM by Global Reach
He was the quiet, introverted type; she was outgoing and talkative: but they both found 4-H to be something that appealed to them when they were youngsters.
For William (Bill) Edwards and Helen (Richardson) Edwards, that appeal has grown over a lifetime into something more like a love of 4-H -- a love that inspired this inductee couple to start a legacy in 4-H that spans 4 generations in the Edwards Family.
Helen spent her time as a youth in the traditional girls club near Wyman in Louisa County while Bill was in a boys club in the rural northwestern area of Louisa County and raised livestock. Both were very active in their own clubs and in the county program. Bill took cattle to the State Fair several years with enough money in his pocket from his father to cover gasoline to get there. Once they arrived at the fair Bill and his brothers were expected to get enough work to earn money for any other expenses – including food!
Later when they married and started their family they decided to be leaders so their own children could enjoy the opportunities that they had both had in 4-H. Helen led the Cloverleaf Girls Club and Bill was a leader for the JCAB boys club for more than a dozen years. All 6 of their children went thru the 4-H program, as did their grandchildren and now great-grandchildren. And several of their children and grandchildren have taken on the responsibilities of leaders in the program.
Today you can still see the remnants of the home-making and farming skills that they learned in 4-H as Helen enjoys quilting and Bill keeps a VERY large garden. And of course they spend time following the younger Edwards family members around as they continue the legacy begun back in the early days of
4-H in Louisa County.
The Keith Hiller Family and the Louisa County Extension Council are proud to nominate Bill and Helen Edwards to the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame!
Categories: Louisa
