Charity, enthusiasm, cherry pies and ugly cakes win at Fremont County Fair – RIVER COUNTRY
Saturday Night Awards Ceremony
Several recognition awards were presented during the Saturday evening program, July 20, at the 2024 Fremont County Fair. It’s a great way to honor deserving businesses, organizations and individuals who donate their time and talents to 4-H.
NEW Cooperative Inc. is a grain, agronomy, energy and food cooperative headquartered in Fort Dodge. The NEW Cooperative Foundation is the charitable entity committed to investing in organizations like 4-H that are dedicated to youth and education, human services and civic goals that further improve the quality of life. The foundation donated nearly $95,000 to county extension offices this year. Fremont County received $1,720 that will cover half of the 4-H program costs for our 86 4-H members. Additionally, they donated t-shirts to all livestock exhibitors.
Cameron Owen 4-H Enthusiasm Awardpresented by Mary Kay Walter, Jim Nahkunst, Kerry Aistrope and Curtis Brooks
The Cameron Owen 4-H Enthusiasm Award was established in 2017 to honor Cameron Owen, a member of the Washington PEP 4-H Club.
Cam lived and loved 4-H. Every year, he gave his all to his projects, whether it was his pigs, his sheep, welding, baking, or participating in his club’s Share the Fun skit. His projects may not have been perfect, but he did them himself, with pride, and gave it his all. To be eligible, members must be currently enrolled in a Fremont County 4-H club. Clover Kids are not eligible. Each year, Fremont County 4-H club leaders are asked to nominate a club member who shares Cam’s passion for 4-H. This year’s nominees were all very deserving, making the decision difficult for our committee. The nominees were:
- Margaret Roberts (Fremont County Fletchings)
- Katie Howe (Riverside Rockets)
- Maddie Hensley (Silver Larks)
- Abby Martin (WMP)
- Ellie Ward (Riverton Fisher)
This year, the candidates were excellent, which is why two winners were selected: Margaret Roberts and Abby Martin.
Graduated 4-H Members
Maddie Hensley is a member of the Silver Skylarks 4-H Club. She will be attending Southeast Community College to wrestle and major in diversified agriculture before transferring to a school in Des Moines to pursue a degree in massage therapy. Her favorite 4-H member is ducking Maci Slater into the cattle pool on the last day of the fair and having a water fight in the cattle pool with everyone. 4-H has taught Maddie how to raise, care for, exhibit and be patient with livestock. She has learned many new interpersonal skills, public speaking skills, life skills and has made new relationships through being a part of 4-H.
Lillian Howe is a member of the Riverside Rockets 4-H Club. She will attend Christina College of Texas, where she will major in mechanical engineering. Her favorite memories of 4-H include preparing for shows early in the morning with friends. Lillian said 4-H has made her a better communicator and leader, and has made her more confident and independent.
Grant Laumann is a member of the Washington PEP 4-H Club. Now that he has graduated from high school, Grant will be working full-time on the farm with his grandfather. His favorite memories of 4-H include winning the Grand Champion Mare title and showing pigs for the first time. Grant credits 4-H with helping him build lasting relationships with people and teaching him the importance of dedication, hard work and giving back to his community.
Kandra Laumann is a member of the Washington PEP 4-H Club. She plans to attend Nebraska Methodist College to major in nursing. Her favorite memory of 4-H is competing in the Fair Queen pageant. Through this opportunity, she was able to meet new people and have new experiences that helped shape her into the person she is today. 4-H helped Kandra take responsibility and get out of her comfort zone.
Abby Martin is a member of the WMP 4-H Club and the 2024 Fremont County Fair Queen! She plans to attend Iowa Western to complete her GED before transferring to Iowa State University for Animal Science. Abby’s favorite 4-H memory is participating in Junior Overnight as a county council member. 4-H has impacted Abby by providing her with invaluable communication skills, helping her develop leadership abilities, and exposing her to many opportunities for which she is very grateful.
Margaret Roberts is a member of the Fremont County Fletchings 4-H Club. She will be attending Benedictine College to major in education with an emphasis on early childhood. Margaret’s favorite 4-H member is showing a miniature Hereford with the Walter family at the Fremont County Fair. Margaret said 4-H has helped her develop her communication skills by speaking to judges, being a leader at club meetings and serving on the county council.
Cameron Owen Scholarship RecipientTomie Thompson and Lillian Howe (Riverside Rockets)
Hall of Fame
The Fremont County 4-H Youth Committee has selected Scott and Heidi Lowthorp for the 2024 4-H Hall of Fame.
Heidi grew up in Nebraska 4-H. Her mother was a club leader and her father helped with horticultural projects. Heidi especially enjoyed food and nutrition, child development, and talent shows.
Heidi graduated from Medicine Valley High School in 1987 and went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in English and journalism from Chadron State College. Her first job as a reporter for the Clarinda Chronicle took her to southwest Iowa.
Scott graduated from Shenandoah High School in 1984. As a photographer for the Shenandoah Valley News, fate decided to help him cover the same story with Heidi. They married in 1993 and Heidi became Andy’s stepmother. Jessica was born in 1996.
Jessica joined 4-H and Heidi was a leader of the Silver Skylarks club. She was also a member of the youth committee and briefly worked as the county youth coordinator.
Scott was elected to the Fremont County Extension Council in 2013. Over the years, he has served 4-H as a youth committee member, photography project leader and fair photographer. Most notably, Scott helped form the Fremont County Fletchings Safety and Education of Shooting Sports 4-H Specialty Club in 2011. Since then, countless youth have learned skills in archery, rifle, shotgun, muzzleloader and wildlife.
Scott and Heidi share fond memories of some of the youth, including their daughter, Jessica, who developed communication, organizational and leadership skills while gaining confidence through her involvement in 4-H.
A highlight of their experience was serving as chaperones for Citizenship Washington Focus in 2012. They accompanied 35 high school youth through our nation’s capital while encouraging their civic engagement. They recall experiencing the living history of a veteran at the World War II Memorial as he recounted his years as a soldier.
Scott works as a materials manager for Cargill Turkey and Cooked Meats in Nebraska City. In this role, he has had more opportunities to support Fremont County 4-H by representing the company at the 4-H cherry pie sale, securing meat donations for various events and directing monetary donations to Cargill’s volunteer program.
Heidi has worked for Fremont County Extension since 2007 as a parent educator for Growing Strong Families. She enjoys maintaining her connection to 4-H through her work.
Both youth credit 4-H with helping youth learn skills such as organization and record keeping. They appreciate the organization’s commitment to civic engagement and the opportunity for youth to try new things in a safe learning environment.
Lowthorp’s son, Andy, and his wife, Leslie, reside in Eagan, Minn. Their daughter, Jessica Devlin, and her husband, Joe, live in Omaha.
Alumni Awards
This year’s Alumni Award recipient is Sarah Martin. Sarah is an outstanding leader in the WMP 4-H Club. She has also served on the Fremont County 4-H Youth Committee. As the Davis-Rodgers FFA Advisor for Shenandoah High School, Sarah has been an excellent liaison between 4-H, FFA, and the Fremont County Fair.
Honorary Award
The 4-H Youth Committee selected Jodi Hendrickson as this year’s Honorary Award recipient. Jodi has served as a leader of the Washington PEP Club, a member of the Fremont County 4-H Youth Committee, and a member of the Fremont County Fair Association. In these roles, Jodi has positively impacted and championed the Fremont County 4-H program.
Merit Award
The Fremont County Soil and Water Conservation District was selected as the Merit Award recipient. The district has provided free meals at the fair for years. It also makes generous annual donations to the Fremont County 4-H program. The Fremont County Soil and Water District has been a great partner in promoting agriculture and conservation practices. This year, it brought the ISU Conservation Station to the fair to demonstrate the impacts of land management choices on water quality and the connections between water, soil and wildlife in our state.
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