Posted on August 24, 2015 at 9:38 AM by Global Reach
Rita Huntrods was a nine year member of the Lee Stars 4-H Club in Madison County, Iowa. She was a very active 4-H’er, participating as an elected officer in her club numerous years. She participated in a variety of project areas, including sheep, clothing, style review, home furnishings, and food & nutrition. She played on the Lee Stars Basketball Team during the County 4-H Basketball Tournament, where her team won the championship several years consecutively.
Rita met her future husband, Don Huntrods, while exhibiting sheep at the Madison County Fair. Rita was crowned Madison County Fair Queen in 1976. She graduated from Van Meter Community School in 1976 and then pursued a career in nursing. She has been a nurse at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines for 36 years.
Rita married her “4-H Sweetheart”, Don Huntrods, in 1984. They have resided on a farm in rural northeast Madison County ever since.
In 1998 Rita became a proud 4-H parent, supporting her two daughters’ 4-H endeavors. She became a Madison County 4-H volunteer in 1999, now serving for 16 consecutive years as the organizational leader of the Jefferson Lee Jades 4-H Club. Rita has served as the rabbit project leader in the county for five years, providing informational and rabbit agility classes for youth participants. She has served four terms on the Youth & 4-H Committee, where she served as Vice Chair and as a member of the Awards & Recognition Committee.
Rita goes above and beyond for the Madison County 4-H Program and Fair Association. Her club works each year at the fairgrounds doing various rehabilitation projects, such as painting wooden bleachers, sheep pens, and barns. Under her leadership, they also plant a flowerbed each year to beautify the fairgrounds. Rita never turns down the opportunity to volunteer with 4-H youth, serving as an adult partner for State 4-H Council members, chaperoning lock-ins, driving youth to 4-H activities, and helping youth to complete their record books and officers books each fall. Rita was selected as the Madison County 4-H Alumni of the Year in 2011. Her family was also selected as Madison County Friends of 4-H in 2008.
Categories: Madison
