Newspaper article about my mom, Kate, you did an excellent job writing this..... Smith honored at state fair for years of exceptional service By Kate Howes Staff writer Marvel Smith of DeWitt never imagined she would win an award simply for doing her job. So she was pleasantly surprised when she learned she was inducted into the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame at this years Iowa State Fair. Smith began working as an office assistant at the Clinton County Extension Office in DeWitt in the fall of 1969 and retired in 1994 after 26 years of service. It all began when she learned one of the office assistants was going to be leaving DeWitt. Smith, who had experience working as a secretary for a law office and the county attorney in Poweshiek County, expressed an interest in the position. Just a few days later, she got a phone call from Norman Goodwin, who was the county extension director at the time. The two visited at Smiths kitchen table over a cup of coffee and by the time he left, she was the new office assistant. How different the world was then, Smith recalls. There was no aptitude test, mental health evaluation or drug test. Just a cup of coffee, a conversation and a handshake. 4-H leaders and members remember Smith for her ability to know all the forms and all the changes dealing with all the projects. If Smith didnt know, more than likely, no one would know. She had the privilege of starting her career under the tutelage of three widely respected bosses. The first was Goodwin, who, upon retirement, served as an Iowa state senator for many years. There also was Helen Whittington, the extension home economist, who Smith describes as a sweet lady who felt it was her duty to make sure young girls and women of the county lived up to their potential. And finally, there was Jim Miller, a 4-H and youth leader, who had the tremendous responsibility of overseeing the entire program for Clinton County. While I, myself, had never been a 4-H member or leader, it didnt take long after beginning my job to realize what wonderful opportunities and education extension, as an outreach of Iowa State University, had to offer. Not just for 4-H, but for all aspects of peoples lives. Smith did work for all the staff and was bookkeeper for both the education and trust accounts, but her main responsibility and enjoyment was the 4-H program. The job involved enrolling all interested youth in 4-H, making sure they were properly signed up for the projects they wanted, keeping all the records, processing their entries for the Clinton County 4-H Club Show (as it was called back then), along with the normal duties of letters, newsletters and making sure 4-H leaders and the youth had their questions answered. Ive always tried to be an organized and conscientious person, Smith relates. I felt it was my duty to keep the leaders and youth aware of everything that was happening that would involve them. Knowing volunteers are the backbone of any organization, Smith says she admired the dedication of the volunteer 4-H leaders, youth committee and fair board members who put in so much of their time for the benefit of the youth in Clinton County. Throughout her 26 years, Smith witnessed a lot of changes, including entering the computer age, the statewide restructuring of extension and many staff changes. One of the highlights of her career was the relocating of the extension office from the basement of the post office to the building across the street from the fairgrounds. Each summer, a young person was hired to be a summer aide to work primarily with the 4-H and youth program. Even today, Smith exchanges Christmas and birthday cards with one special aide she met over 40 years ago. She also stays in touch with Miller and a former home economist who began her extension career in DeWitt many years ago. Smith recalls many of the people in the office going above and beyond the call of duty during fair time. Every staff member brought his or her own unique perspective to the position, but their goal was the same - to be a source of tried and true valuable educational information for the county citizens. Following her career at the extension office, Smith worked for 10 years as a part-time secretary at a local real estate office, has served her church in many capacities and kept the books for the family business, Warrens Repair, named for her husband, which she still does today. Though fair time always was a busy time, Smith says she and her co-workers enjoyed every minute of it. They looked forward to the final day and getting back to their regular routine. Yet, the following year, they all were ready for another adventure at the fair. Its humbling to know my many years of service to the 4-H program was appreciated, Smith shares. I thank the Clinton County youth committee for nominating me for this honor.
Posted on: Sun, 07 Sep 2014 18:48:36 +0000
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