2002 Chickasaw County - Joan Mueterthies

Joan Mueterthies enjoyed being an active 4-H member and trying a variety of projects during her nine years in 4-H.  When her oldest daughter joined the Lawler Lively Lassies in 1969, Joan began working with the club as an assistant leader.  She helped the members with their projects and giving presentations.  In 1972, Joan became an official leader.  Joan also found time to work with her sons’ 4-H club, the Lawler Lively Lads.  Eventually, she helped join the two clubs together to form the Lawler Lassies and Lads, a club that continues today with an average of 25-30 members.

Joan has worked hard to keep her club working in their community.  Over the years, her club has done a number of citizenship projects including collecting fireflies for cancer research, donating food and money to needy citizens, and baking and delivering cookies to Lawler Senior Citizens annually on Valentine’s Day.  Joan has helped make this a successful project by baking eight dozen cookies and having the members work in her house to prepare the plates.  During June, her club had a bake sale to raise money for every club member’s program development fee.  Joan did more than her share by baking fourteen dozen cinnamon rolls and ten pies.

Joan and her husband, Alfred had six children who were all nine-year members in the Lawler 4-H clubs.  They also have fourteen grandchildren under the age of twenty.  Currently, eight of Joan’s grandchildren are members of the Lawler Lassies and Lads, two have graduated after nine active years and on is counting the days until she can join as a Little Clover.  Joan’s three grandchildren living in Atlanta, Georgia, are the only ones not involved in 4-H.  Over the years, Joan has shown her family and club members that 4-H is an important part of developing strong life skills for the future.