Mary Alice Harcourt earns 2018 Spirit of Fair Award
The spirit apparently more than moves the 2018 winner of the Putnam County Extension Homemakers Council’s Spirit of the Fair Award.
The honor, presented annually during Family Fun Day at the Putnam County Fair, lists support, participation and enthusiasm as the prime attributes sought in the Spirit of the Fair winner.
And to hear Extension Homemaker representatives talk, there hasn’t been a more obvious winner than Mary Alice Harcourt.
“She is one of the most deserving people I know to receive this award,” emcee Jennifer Romalia said in introducing the winner of an award created in honor of the late Betty Sendmeyer and Edith Fry, both of whom worked diligently to build and develop the Adult Open Class Exhibit at the fair.
“Mary Alice is always supporting homemakers as well as all of us in Adult Open Class each year,” Romalia added. “She comes on entry day, enters her projects with pride and chats with all of ladies and gentlemen in the building.”
Harcourt, who was greeted on stage by Romalia, Judy Miller and Pam Miller in the east wing of the Community Building after being revealed as the winner, seemed stunned by it all.
“This is a total surprise,” she said. “I’m very honored to receive this. I have enjoyed being an Extension Homemaker for many, many years.”
In fact, she has been an Extension Homemaker for more than 50 years, serving multiple times as club president as well as county president.
“She is always on board with helping in any way she can to support Homemakers’ projects,” Romalia noted, adding that a few of Harcourt’s favorites have been the annual craft show each November and the Past Presidents Garage Sale, as well as Family Fun Day (formerly known as Ladies Day at the fair).
Harcourt is also credited with playing a big role in the Adult Open Class building’s growth over the years, serving as Quilting Department chairman and having had input into the new quilt rails used to display the colorful quilts around the building.
One of her favorite projects came last year at the Indiana State Fair when Harcourt represented Putnam County in demonstrating how to “turn quilts.”
As for her personal life, the Spirit of the Fair winner and her husband, Russell Harcourt, have been married 66 years and have four sons, Michael, Kenneth, Steve and Darrell, as well as six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
She’s exhibited family spirit too, deciding at age 40-plus to attend Ivy Tech to become an LPN and help put her children through college while working at Putnam County Hospital.