Posted on August 22, 2024 at 5:00 PM by Emily Saveraid
Clayton Renander participated in all 4-H club activities as a youth. After graduating from the Grant Spitfires 4-H Club, he assumed the role of leader and later became the beef superintendent. He held that position for over twenty years.
Unlike Clayton, Jan did not grow up with 4-H. Her introduction to 4-H and county fair began in the spring of 1985 when she moved to Iowa as editor of the Red Oak Express. That summer, she experienced her first Montgomery County Fair. After that experience, she was determined to improve fair pictures. She was the first newspaper person to meet with county fair show superintendents to solicit their help.
Clayton and Jan have two children: Karl and his wife Kate Renander and their children, Kierran and Evelyn, of Red Oak; and Kate and her husband Rodney Wiederholt and their three children, Rhett, Easton, and Hayes, of Conception, Missouri.
Once Karl and Kate were old enough to join 4-H, Clayton retired as beef superintendent as he didn’t want to be in charge of the show when his children were participating, enjoying time just to be “a cattle show” dad instead. Karl and Kate participated in numerous 4-H activities, but cattle were always Clayton’s favorite. Clayton also served on the Extension Council and lent his 4-H expertise.
Jan developed the first picture board – a 10’x8’ wood frame covered in off-white canvas – which was the predecessor to the picture area Montgomery County has today.
Categories: 2024, Montgomery
