—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 1,1977
90
Together , Murrens
led 4-H 81 years
By SALLY BAIR
Feature Writer
HANOVER - Francis,
Theresa and Thomas
Murren have served as 4-H
leaders in Adams County for
a combined total of over 81
years! That’s a lot of years
in 4-H, but doesn’t even
count the number of years'
they participated as 4-H’ers
themselves.
Sound remarkable 9 Well,
it is. The Murren family, led
by matriarch Rose Murren,
has been involved in 4-H in
Adams County since 1925
when Francis joined the
Baby Beef Club and went on
to win grand champion
honors at the Farm Show
with his first Hereford.
Since then, there’s probab
ly always been a Murren
serving as leader or being a
4-H’er. Tom, Rose’s grand
son, explained that his
grandmother was an active,
ardent supporter of the
agricultural Extension
Service because she was
widowed with nine children
from ages nine months to 14
years and left with a large
farm to run. For assistance
she called upon the Ex
tension Service and relied
heavily upon their advice.
Therefore, when a baby beef
4-H club was formed, she
made sure her children were
involved. Over the years,
each one of the children was
a member, and eventually,
at least six of them took their
turn as leaders.
Francis received his 20-
year service pin and then
served several more years
before he had no more
children in 4-H Theresa
continues to serve after 32
years and Thomas is an
active dairy club leader
after 29 years Another
SiSter, Elizabeth, now
deceased, served about 13
years with Theresa; Grace,
(Mrs. Paul Dennis) served
as a leader in the northern
end of the county; and
brother Simon, served for
one year as a swine club
leader
Francis, now 69, recalls
that he was a member for
just two years before he was
too old, and then he became
a leader. Subsequently he
and his wife had six sons who
were 4-H members. He said,
“AH six boys completed 10
years of 4-H work. That was
60 steers. And everyone of
them showed at Farm
Show.” Two years ago
Francis was invited to
present the wmning ribbon
at the Farm Show along with
Agriculture Secretary
Raymond Kerstetter in
honor of his 50th anniversary
of having grand champion.
As a former beef club
leader, Francis readily
admits that there have been
a lot of changes over the
years, “especially with
breeding. Before, there were
no crossbreds. Steers are of
better quality today ”
He remembers the time
when judges started
changing what they were
looking for in a steer He is
also quick to point out that
judging cows - like judging
people - is a very individual
thing.
V£jr*
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Tom and Theresa Murren talk about some of the things they’ve shared over
the years as 4-H leaders. Tom has served the dairy club for 29 years and
Theresa is in her 32nd year as leader
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Raising livestock has been a way of life for Francis Murren all his life. This
retired 4-H leader is still active on the farm.
He recalled taking 4-H
steers to the Lancaster Stock
Yards to be shown and sold
with the southeast district if
they weren’t selected to go to
Farm Show. As a leader, he
also helped to get through
the period when York and
Adams Counties decided to
go their own way and hold a
show and sale at the
Thomasville Auction.
Francis is still farming his
Hanover R 4 farm, with 85
acres, chickens, hogs and
some steers He remains
enthusiastic about the values
instilled in his sons through
4-H work and added, “You
should learn all you can
because you never know
when you may need it.”
Theresa has been a leader
for 32 years, and has served
four different clubs,
covering basically the same
area. First she coordinated
the Brushtown Club, then the
Conewago Club, then the
Sandhill Club and today she
is one of the leaders of the
McSherrystown Community
Club.
“I mostly help with
foods,” she said.
She herself was a member
of the Brushtown Club r< r lu
years and showed baby beef
for three years. She was on
the livestock judging team
and was able to attend some
state activities.
Theresa has witnessed
many changes over the
years, some o r which she
considers to be good, some
not so good. Changing to the
Danish system of judging is
not entirely to her liking.
When she was a 4-H’er (two
generations ago, she says),
Theresa recalled that there
were five ribbons awarded
per club. “I never got a
ribbon for several years.”
Now everyone gets a ribbon,
and she feels that un
necessary emphasis is
placed on wanting a blue
ribbon.
“In those days,” Theresa
said, “The ribbons didn’t
matter because 4-H was the
only youth activity going on.
It was an opportunity to
meet other people. Round-up
was a really big event
because it meant a day off
from farm work.”
Tom agrees that 4-H has
changed “There are so
many more activities and so
many more events for 4-
H’ers to meet and take part
5* **•
in at the local, state, and
national level. In the early
days 4-H was more of a
highlight for the youth to be
in. Today 4-H is a sup
plement to other activites.
But there is increased op
portunity to meet more
people and to become more
involved in activities. ”
Tom was a 4-H’er for 10
years and showed both beef
and dairy cows. He has been
a dairy club leader for 29
years.
The numbers and variety
of projects has changed
drastically, but Theresa
confirms that sewing is still
the main interest in her
community club. Interest,in
foods is way down, she said,
but last year ceramics had a
lot of interest. She went on to
say, “McSherrystown has
the most well organized
recreational program
anywhere in the county. The
need for 4-H is not so great
here because organized
activities are right at hand
for young people.”
While the dairy project
remains basically the same,
Tom acknowledges that the
big change in dairy clubs is
(Continued on Page 118)
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