Posted on August 17, 2014 at 9:34 AM by Global Reach
Eleanor’s 4-H career began when she was 10 years old in Mills County where she and her brothers showed horses. She loved helping her dad tend to the horses and was an accomplished barrel racer. In her younger years, she even entered a men’s barrel race at a county fair. To enter the race, she put her hair up and rubbed dirt on her face. She ended up winning that race.
Her love for horses was further fostered as Grandpa Max was a pickup man for rodeos, during the summers and Eleanor traveled with him. She loved to hang out with the cowboys, clowns, and animals. As she got older she began to learn the value of volunteering. As a senior in high school she helped the underclassmen lending a hand where it was needed.
After moving to Atlantic in 1965, she became very involved with the kids and their horses in Cass Co. She helped with the practice sessions to teach kids how to take responsibility for having a horse, including its general care. Kids also learned how to groom a horse for exhibiting. A major part of her volunteering has been helping with and announcing the horse show at the Cass County Fair since 1965. There is only one year she missed during that time! That’s nearly 60 years of this commitment.
Eleanor loves helping kids and giving back. She hopes kids are learning responsibility, leadership skills, and the importance of service to the community as they go through their 4-H years. It honestly warms her heart to see the kids she has helped grow and to see them evolve into young adults.
Other volunteering Eleanor has done includes announcing at the Marne softball games which she has done every Sunday for over 20 years. She is an active Chamber volunteer where she has won the Athena Award. During the school year, she typically works at least two sporting/drama/or musical events a week for the Atlantic school system. She is a huge Booster Club member and volunteer. She even dresses up as a clown for various functions in the community. Volunteering and donating to the Nishna Valley YMCA is also a common activity for her.
When she is not volunteering in the community she spends her time reading, chasing grandkids and great grandkids, as well as being a super Mom.
Categories: Cass
