A36-LancMfcr Hnnhig, Saturday, Saptambw 23, 1995
JOANNE E. MORVAY
Maryland Correspondent
TIMONIUM, Md.—John H.
Rcmsberg Jr.—better known as
Jack—has been treasurer of the
Maryland Dairy Shrine since it
was founded in 1964.
Each year, the shrine honors a
member of the Maryland Dairy
Industry by lauding him or her and
his or her accomplishments during
induction into the shrine.
This year it was Remsberg’s
turn —and no one was more sur
prised than he.
Remsberg, a longtime Freder
ick County dairyman turned live
stock photographer, accepted the
honor before family and friends at
the recent Holstein Futurity at the
Maryland State Fair.
“Congratulations Pap Pap,”
echoed through the arena courtesy
of 12 of Remsberg’s 13 grandchil
dren who were as excited about
the award as he was.
Remsberg admitted he had
some inkling the award might be
his when he saw his entire family
gathered at the Cow Palace. A
grandson who inadvertently said
“We’ll see you later” as Remsberg
left one of the boys’ afternoon ball
games also clued him in.
When Marlin Hoff called out
Remsberg’s name, however, “I
was overwhelmed,” Remsberg
said.
“It’s a very cherished honor,”
Remsberg said. “It means an
awful lot to me.”
Remsberg’s contributions to
Maryland’s dairy industry are
many.
They include:
•vice president of the Maryland
State FFA in 1944.
•recipient of the FFA’s Mary
land Farmer and American Farmer
degrees.
•president of the Agriculture
Alumni Chapter from 1981 to
1983 and a member‘of the chap
ter’s board of directors from 1974
to 1983.
•president of the Frederick
County Holstein Club for two
years and treasurer of the club for
25 years. .
In addition. Renisberg has been
an active member and leader with
the Maryland State Fair Board, the
Livestock Sale Supports Maryland Youth
TIMONIUM. Md. A good
crowd came out to support Mary
land youth on Wednesday night at
the Maryland 4-H and FFA Lives
tock Sale.
The sale was held in the swine
pavilion at the Timonium fair
grounds in conjunction with the
114th Maryland State Fair.
Champion rabbits, market
goats, hogs, lambs, and steers went
thtough the sale ring at the culmi
nation of a year’s hard work for
many of the state’s farm youth.
“These kids worked hard on
these projects for many months,
taking care, feeding, learning
responsibility, and decision mak
ing. I’m impressed with the quality
of the animals for sale tonight,”
said Dr. Scott Barao, extension
livestock specialist with the Uni
versity of Maryland Cooperative
Extension Service.
Jennifer Dodd, Queen Anne’s
County, sold her grand champion
rabbit market pen to Glen Falls
Realty of Westminster for $lOO.
The reserve champion pen,
belonging to Frederick County’s
Sally Anderson, was purchased by
Bill Marlow of Towson for $5O.
In market goats. Ernest Hare of
Dairy Shrine Honors Remsberg
Maryland Holstein Association,
the National Holstein Association,
the National Dairy Shrine, the Fre
derick County DHI A, and Middle
town Valley Grange. He also
works with the All Maryland
Committee to select winners for
the All Maryland Contest
Remsberg’s father, the late J.
Homer Remsberg Sr., was a for
mer president of the National
Holstein Association and a presi
dent of the Md-Virginia Dairy
Cooperative for IS years. He and
Jack Remsburg built the Locvale
herd at the family hum in Middle
town into one of the state’s most
respected herds. ThV Locvale herd
was the first classified herd in
Maryland and had the first cow
classified as “excellent” in the
state.
Helen Remsburg, wife of the
late Doty Remsburg, has known
Jack Remsberg since he was a stu
dent at Middletown High School.
Doty Remsburg and Jack
Remsberg showed cows alone and
together for many yean. Helen
Remsburg said she rememben
when the two men were driving
“ratdey old tracks” to out of the
way spots like Cumberland and
Marlboro for cattle competitions.
After they married—Jack and
his wife Marcia have logged 43
years together—the families
became friends.
“We had a lot of fun together,”
Helen Remsburg said. “It’s been a
close and lasting and enduring
friendship. Jack is great. I’ve quite
an affection for him.”
Jack Remsberg stopped milking
cows in 1973.
“It was a question of get bigger
or get out,” he said. Remsberg and
his father, who was in his 70s by
then, decided to sell their herd and
let Jack see what kind of living he
could make taking pictures.
Remsberg, who has a degree in
dairy science from the University
of Maryland, began photograph
ing cows in his spare time in 1965.
His work caught on with area far
mers and soon Remsberg had a
bonafide part-time job.
“At that time I was moonlight
ing—taking picture between the
daily milkings and processing die
film at night,” he said.
Allegany County had the ed by Stacy Beckley of Washing
-75-pound grand champion, bought ton County, went for $1.50 per
by Maple Lawn Farms of Fulton pound to George Wills and Associ
for $l.lO per pound. Reserve atcs of Baltimore. Goats and rab
champion, a 75-pound alpine own- bits were auctioned offby Bill Col-
Daggallar Attract lona, Stuart. Fla., bought John Norris’
125-pound Hampshira lamb. From laft, Grag Daggallar rep
resenting Daggallar Attractions, Maryland Lamb and Wool
Queen Laura Langlotz, Farm Quean Lori Evans, and John
Norris.
Jack Remsberg and hla wife Marcia ara surrounded by their family after Jack Is
inducted Into the Maryland Dairy Shrine. Pictured are sister Carol Bare, brother Mac
Remsberg and wife Peggy, daughter and son-in-law Valerie and Eddie Main and
children Matt, Mark and Amy; daughter and son-in-law GaH and Greg Waeber and
daughters Kristin and Kim; daughter and son-in-law Barbara and Charlie Fisher, and
children Ros, Charity, Ashley and John; daughter and son-in-law Jill and Perry Bran
denburg and sons Justin, Willie and Jake. Granddaughter Kate Waeber Is not
pictured.
When he went full time, he
missed the daily routine of milk
ing cows, but he’s never had time
to miss the animals themselves—
he sees them on a regular basis.
Remsberg’s philosophy is,
“Work as if you would live fore
ver, but live as if you would die
tomorrow.” He could have made
quite a life on the road out of his
work as a photpgrapher—
livestock photographers are
always in demand and there seems
to be no end to the interesting
places a photographer can go all in
the name of his job.
Remsberg said he loves the
challenge of photographing cows.
“Generally speaking, you have
to get inside their heads. They're
just like people—there’s no two
alike. And cows aren't always
cooperative. But I'm a patient per-'
fectionist,” he said.
But he would never put his job
before his family—the four
daughters he and Marcia raised
and now the four families that
have extended their table at holi
days with 13 grandchildren.
“I had opportunities to go all
over the country, but I always felt
I didn’t want to overdo it,”
Remsberg said. “That’s primarily
why I’m a one-man operation.”
Remsberg’s studio is attached
to the family’s home. He said one
day taking pictures usually equals
one day in his home darkroom.
“After three or four days taking
pictures, you’re ready to get back
home and see what you’ve accom
plished,” Remsberg said. “And
after a few days of being cooped
up inside, you’re ready to get back
out and take some pictures.”
Remsberg was taking about
1,000 pictures a year at one point,
but has since cut back to 500, he
said. He works for the Atlantic
Breeders Cooperative. Sire Power
and Select Sires, taking pictures of
the bull studs each company
advertises.
tins, Jr., a member of the board of champion, a Hampshire crossbred
directors of the Slate Fair. gilt belonging to Carroll County's
Thirty-five market hogs went 17-year-old Jennifer Wildesen,
through the sale gate, averaging brought $5.25 per pound from top
$1.45 per pound per head. Grand (Turn to p-8# M 7)
Ernest Hara 10M his 75-pound grand champion market
goat to Maple Lawn Farms, raprasamad here by Charles
lager, canter. On right is Farm Quean Lori Evans.
Remsberg said that is his big
gest contribution to the dairy
industry—taking a good photo
graph that can help a breeder
decide what ge.ietics to bring into
his herd.
“What I do has to be in concert
with production, because what I
take- is strictly type,” Remsberg
said.
, Ted Ridgely, vice president of
the Dairy Shrine and long active in
Maryland Holstein activities, laid
Remsberg has been “a wonderful
ambassador for the dairy industry.
“Jack has tried to make his pic
tures worth more than 1,000
words and strived to make every
picture perfect,” Ridgely laid,
Remsberg said his reward in
getting that perfect shot is the
ongoing opportunity “to work
with the people of this country that
possess the most integrity and
honesty of any group of people in
the country.”
“It’s been a wonderful life,”
Remsberg said.