Posted on July 18, 2012 at 3:39 PM by Global Reach
John and Carol Bertelsen are not flashy characters who expect praise for volunteer work. John and Carol worked with the Missouri Valley Whiz Kids 4-H Club, first as project leaders and then as organizational leaders. Their 5 children are all 4-H alumni, and now John and Carol are actively working with numerous grandchildren plus a niece in 4-H activities.
The Bertelsen’s have spent years working with youth in Harrison County, serving 26 years as 4-H volunteers plus 22 years John served on the Harrison County Fair Board. John served as poultry, sheep and goat superintendent for many years, and Carol worked as hard, but quietly in the background, to see that the 4-H experience, and particularly the fair, is more than just a set of contests, but an opportunity for youth to focus on learning and gaining life experiences.
John is always ready to do the dirty work setting up for demonstrations and at the fair. Many times when a fence here or a cage there is needed, John steps up and solves the problem for everyone. One relatively new, popular and educational activity at the fair is a twice-daily goat milking demonstration. John typically has a lactating doe at the fair, and he decided to make the chore of milking into an opportunity to learn—twice a day in the goat barn!
John and Carol both are there, ready to help 4-H’ers and others when they need a kind hand. They define rural character and traditional Iowa values. Harrison County is proud to have John and Carol Bertelsen join the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame.
Categories: Harrison
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