LETTER: 4-H Fair Queens, family connections and old memories

To the Editor:

Last Saturday I was sitting on the porch at The Valyrian Place and watched several pretty ladies coming and going. Finally, I asked one about the occasion.

“We are here for interviews regarding the Fair Queen for this year. One of them was the present Queen, three of them were candidates for this year, one of the three was last Sunday’s Fair Queen for 2023, Miss Fry.”

I stopped her and asked, “Are you a great-granddaughter of Noble and Edith Fry?” You see, I have a great-granddaughter. Back to the Fry family — Pat, my wife, grew up with them in the Parkersburg Christian Church. Her grandfather brought her dad and his two brothers, a family of five, to church when I preached there.

Back to 4-H. 1946 was my first year in 4-H. Back then you had to be 10 to start.

My grandfather gave me two Duroc pigs weighing about 40 pounds. I showed them then sold one of them in the sale. My dad took me to the bank, and I opened a passbook savings account in the West Lebanon Savings and loan for four percent. This was in Warren County. On Jan. 6, 1953, I bought my first car, a 1953 Plymouth hardtop. I still had money in that savings account when I left for Bible college.

While I was in 4-H, they started the Junior Leaders program. That was where the older 4-H’ers helped the younger ones. That certainly helped me later in the ministry, not just with the young but with the older ones, where I am today. I was in 4-H eight years.

I would like to get to the fair if I can find an Uber driver. They didn’t have tractor pulls in 1946, but later they had a project in regard to how to take good care of tractors. I learned to drive on a 1938 John Deere, without power steering.

The best to our new Putnam County Fair Queen, her eight escorts and the queen from 2022.

Loren J. Hetrick,
Greencastle