BlB—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 4,1984
The 'Bear'
BY JOYCE BUPP
Staff Correspondent
SEVEN VALLEYS - York 4-H
Baby Beef club members showed
the “Bear” how much they cared
last Saturday night, when they
honored him as their 1984 Citation
Award winner during the club’s
annual banquet, held at the Seven
Valleys Fire Hall.
Merrill E. Crone, affectionately
known by numerous 4-H families
as “Bear,” is a former Dover High
School FFA graduate and joined
the 4-H program many years ago
as caretaker for the 4-H steers at
the York Fair.
Over the years, his interest and
support of the Beef club, as well as
various other 4-H activities, have
made the “Bear” a familiar and
well-liked regular at countywide
events.
His involvement in the 4-H
program broadened during his two
years as an Extension assistant,
and “Bear” has been dubbed the
“resident expert” in tabulating
judging contests.
In addition to his work with the
local judging events, Crone serves
on the official committee for the
Keystone Livestock and Meats
Judging contest, and is now
learning to use the Extension office
computer to speed up judging
tabulation.
“Bear” is presently employed by
the county as coordinator of the
Winner of the York Beef club’s 1984 Citation Award is Merrill E. Crone, better known
as “Bear.” Presenting the plaque of recognition was County Extension Agent Tony
Dobrosky and club president Tammy Eisenhour.
BY KIMBERLY HERR
LEBANON Purring softly
from his wire cage, Nemo greets
visitors as they enter his home
He arches his back, seeking
affection and showing off his sleek
beauty ’Nemo," Martha Hitz
calls, and Nemo answers with a
shorter, louder purr
Nemo is one of the cats that
reside on the 97-acre farm of
Martha and Mark Hitz, Lebanon
These cats are not typical farm
cats They do not live in the barn
Instead, their home is a building,
constructed specifically for them,
which is heated in the winter and
air-conditioned in the summer
Seventeen of these cats are
Himilayan, three are Persian All
of the cats are characterized by
long, soft fur and delicate coloring
‘T’ve been a cat lover from little
mup,” Martha said
Martha began raising these
exotic felines when a long-haired
blond stray male cat arrived on the
Hitz farmer. An animal lover by
nature, Martha welcomed it and
bred it to the short-hair cats that
were already on her farm. The
kittens that resulted had the long
hair characteristics, and Martha’s
interest increased.
Honored at 4-H Banquet
Gypsy Moth program, working in
cooperation with the Extension
Service.
As a special token of their af
fectionate appreciation of his
continuing support of the Beef
Club, members presented Crone
with a sidekick, a fuzzy, gray teddy
bear, wearing badge of assistant
Gypsy Moth program coordinator.
Six beef club members earned
special recognition in the steer
project Rate of Gain competition.
Feeding efficiency on the project
animals is tabulated over a 150-day
period, with the county average at
a daily weight gain of 2.274 pounds.
Finishing in first place in the
weight gains was the Simmental
entry of Jay Stough, with a gain
rate of 3.466 pounds per day. David
Erlemeier took the second place
spot with a gain of 3.300 pounds on
his Chianina steer.
Other high placing entries were
Wayne Stough, Jr., 3.166 on a
Simmental, Daniel Gross, 3.100
with a Limousin, and Gretta Gross
with a crossbred tying with Jimmy
Townsend’s Simmental at a 3.066
gam rate
Others finishing in the top 10
listing included Nancy Townsend,
Kenley Jo Myers, Jenni Druck,
Amy Bange and John Eaton, Jr.,
all with either crossbred or Sim
mental steers
At each beef club meeting
throughout the year, members are
Cats Get Ro
I had seen pictures ot
Hinulayans, but I had nevei ac
tually seen any," Martha said
Then Martha's sister-in-law was
given a Himilayan cat, and after a
few days, she decided to give it to
Martha
That cat, named Russell, is now
14-years-old and the senior
member of the cat clan Martha
bred Russell to a Siamese cat she
owned and the number of
Himilayan cats on the Hitz farm
began to grow
Martha breeds her cats usually
once a year, sometimes twice She
keeps some of the offspring, and
the others are sold There are
about four kittens per litter, ac
cording to Martha, who remem
bered that one year they had a
litter with 10 kittens. Laughing, she
remembered that the number of
kittens in that litter outnumbered
the amount of pigs born to one of
the sows that they raise on the
farm. It is rare, according to
Martha, that the number of kittens
outnumbers the number of pigs
The offspring of Martha’s cats
have been sold far and wide, one is
in Canada, one is in Georgia and
there are several in Virginia
(Turn to Page B 19)
required to give a roll call
presentation on their project and
management. Leaders score the
presentations, with awards given
annually to outstanding roll call
performance.
Topping the list in the senior roll
call division was Tammy
Eisenhour, over second-place
Joann Rishel and Krista Rankin in
third. Fourth was Chris Shive, with
Bill Wise in fifth.
Rookie award go to first-year
members 11-years-old or under,
scored on the same rules as the
senior division. Amy Jo Dutrey
finished first in the rookie
category, over second-ranked
Danny Gorss. Mary Godfrey was
named the third place winner.
Recognition was also extended to
members who had earlier won top
awards during competition, in
cluding fitting winners Krista
Rankin and Susan Eisenhour,
outstanding showman John Eaton,
Jr., and Jamie Kohr, with the top
commercial project steer.
The county’s state-winning
meats and livestock judging teams
used the banquet setting as an
opportunity to honor their coaches.
Members of the meats team were
Krista Rankin, Tammy Ferree,
Jamie Kohr and Tim Ferrence,
coached by Mike Gentzler and
Kathy Sunday.
Bill Holloway and Brenda Walter
coached the livestock team
f
al Treatment on Hitz Farm
According to Martha Hitz, Lebanon County cat
you when you call. A shining example of this'is
answers to his name.
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Six York 4-H beef club members averaged top rates of gain
on their project steers. Earning recognition for feeding ef
ficiencies were, front from left, Gretta Gross, Jay Stough, and
Danny Gross, and, rear from left, Jimmy Townsend, Wayne
Stough, Jr., and David Erlemeier.
York 4-H Beef Club roll call awards went to front, from left,
Amy Dutry, Mary Godfrey, Danny Gross, Joann Rishel; and
rear, Chris Shive, Bill Wise, Tammy Eisenhour, and Kirsta
Rankin.
of Chris Shive, Julie Myers, Bill
Wise and Bob Livingston. Wise and
Livingston also were recognized as
the year’s two graduates from the
beef club Both are pursuing
livestock-related studies at Penn
State
Speaker Karl Kettering was
well-received by the group with his
Up Your Enthusiasm presentation
Calling enthusiasm the “most
contagious and persuasive part of
your personality,” Kettering told
the audience of 350 beef producers
and supporters that true en
thusiasm can only come through
personal involvement, first hand
knowledge and a positive attitude
breeder, cast can be trained to answer
Nemo, a linx-point Himilayan cat who