MALOY, IOWA CENTENNIAL HISTORY: 1887 - 1987
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4-H CLUBS
Submitted by Elizabeth Lynch
As anyone who grew up in the wide open spaces of Benton township will no doubt agree, it was a super place to be as a
kid. "To Make the Best Better" is one of the mottos of the National 4-H program. That is what the pioneers who were
responsible for organizing the 4-H clubs had in mind when plans were made.The 4-H clubs were to become an
improtant part of the Maloy community when they were formed in 1947. Most of the following information was collected
from the extension office. The boys club, the Maloy Shamrocks, was organized with Jerry SHEIL, John SHAY, Gary PARKS,
Dean HARVEY, John GARITY, Mike SHEIL, Raymond CULVER, Jack SMITH and Tom SHAY as charter members. Bob LYNCH, himself
a 4-H alumnus, was their leader. They had a variety of projects: beef, swine, sheep, dairy and gardening. The girls
chose Maloy Colleens for the name of their club. Mrs. Bob LYNCH, a 10-year past 4-H member, was their leader. Goldie
MERCER, Mae Marie CULVER, Patricia HARVEY, Shirley SMITH, Ellen GARITY, Monica SHEIL and Rita Anne WARIN were the
members the first year. The girls program rotated from home furnishing to food and nutrition to clothing for their
projects to exhibit at the fair. Even the first year this young club jumped right in and had a junior demonstration
team - Shirley SMITH and Patricia HARVEY. Shirley was so nervous she was ill. Our home economist, Belle CORNELISON,
advised her to say to herself, "I'm doing this now, the very best I can. If later you can do better you're welcome."
It was good advice. They won and received a fun trip to the St. Joe Interstate Show. As expected, each member
exhibited at the county fair and turned in a completed record book. In 1948 Cleota LEPLEY joined Mrs. LYNCH as
leader and Barbara CAVENDER, Verda LOVITT, Barbara and Verna DEARDORFF, Helen SICKELS and Donna HARVEY joined the
Colleens.
The Shamrocks enrolled Junior MERCER, Allen "Bud" COMER, Gary KING, Ronald and James JARVIS, Bill
BURGHER and Merle JENNINGS. In 1949 the Earl LYNCH family moved to town and he consented to be the boys leader.
She was to help Liz with the girls. Patty CULVER, Jane WHEELEN, Rosemary WARIN, Doralee CAVENDER, Betty Lou DUGAN,
Donna Belle SMITH and Norma Maness joined the girls club. Rexal MERCER, Jessie SCROGGIE, Orval MOTSINGER and
Gary LYNCH were new Shamrocks. Buck MOTSINGER took over as boys leader in 1950. Mrs. Nellie NARVEY agreed to assist
withthe girls. Donna HARVEY was winner of the style show at Rally Day and was to represent the count at the State
Fair. The state 4-H personnel were trying to raise money at this time to build a state camp at Ledges State Park at
Madrid. Patricia HARVEY and Bill BURGHER, as officers, took over sacks of corn the club members had picked up on
Saturday for the fund raiser. Ronald LYNCH had joined the club and showed his Angus steer to grand champion, a
first for the club. He was aslo, when older, a member of a top state livestock judging team that went to the
International Stock Show in Chicago to judge. New members of the Colleens this year were Janice DAVIS, Joan
LYNCH, Shirley LYDDON, JoAnn MATTHEWS, Barrie and Monica PARKS and the CAMPBELL girls. This swelled the membership
to 18. Ronald LYNCH was elected county vice-president. In 1952 Norma SHAY became one of the girls leaders.
Joan LYNCH was now 10-years-old and had joined both clubs. She showed her Angus steer to county grand champion
and reserve champion at the Creston Bluegrass Show as well.
Each summer, a week before the fair, the girls club held a local achievement show where all exhibits were to be completed
and brought for display and local placing. Then homemade ice cream, cake and pie made by the moms was served for a price
to help the treasury. This was the town's social event of the summer and was held at the CARR'S Dance Hall. They also sold
pop and candy bars at various other events. A special event was when presidential candidate Adlai STEVENSON was at
Marycrest Angus Farms. In 1957 Teena and Joyce LYNCH had joined both clubs as did a big group of 10-year-old boys,
Bobby SHAY, David LYNCH, Larry WEAVER, Jim WORTHINGTON and Eddie DUGAN. Jack WACKERNAGLE, Larry WYER, Del and
John WORTHINGTON and Dan CARR also had become members of the boys club. Martha CARR, a 10-year-old, had joined the Colleens.
Barrie PARKS and Barbara CAVENDER gave a senior demonstration at state fair, "Pasteurizing Milk at Home." Rita Ann
WARIN and Mae CULVER had been elected to county offices. Joan LYNCH and Monica PARKS did a demonstration "Making
Dinner Rolls." Joyce and Teena LYNCH showed how to shine shoes when 10 and 11 years old. Later they did "Paul
Bunyon Burgers" on the grill.
Boys and girls went to the Ledges to state camp in the summer. Leaders chaperoned all these trips and jaunts to the
livestock shows where supervision sometimes required ten days at the state fair.
In a clothing year there was a style show to model any item made by the member. The winner advanced to state fair and
Jane Wheelen was given the opportunity to do this. JoAnn MATTHEWS was runner-up in the Better Grooming Contest in 1956.
In June, Rally Day was held with election of county officers. Each club had a candidate and actively campaigned for her.
Monica PARKS was elected from the Maloy club.
Also in June a girl from each club was chosen for a trip to Iowa State College [present-day Iowa State University, Ames,
Iowa] to spend four days on campus at Convention with girls from over the state. The boys went the next week and called it
Short Course.
Campaigning for Monica Parks: Teena Lynch, Martha Carr, Joan Lynch, Susie Norris and Joyce
Lynch. She won!
June was also when the boys clubs went in a caravan to visit each member's home and view the projects they
were planning to take to the fair. The Shamrocks' parents went along and sometimes a picnic was enjoyed.
On June Tour: BACK ROW, L-R: Martha Carr, Bob Lynch, Joan Lynch, Dan Carr, Joyce Lynch,
Iver Wackernagle, Teena Lynch, Richard Bell, Howard H. Mercer with black hat, Ralph Brammer. Ralph's truck in back.
FRONT ROW, L-R: Vicky Wackernagle, Judy Brammer, Eddie Dugan, David Lynch, Bobby Shay, Elvin Mercer, Larry Weaver,
Craig and Randy Lynch.
Judging four individual market pigs on June Tour.
Judy BRAMMER, Dick, Debbie and Diane WEEHLER, Carol Anne SHAY, Wayne and Cecil DOLECHECK, Howard and Elvin MERCER,
Jack and Leila GOODALE, Vicki WACKERNAGLE, Wade MOTSINGER, Craig and Randy LYNCH and Dennis PARKS joined the club at
various times or as they became ten years old.
The Shamrocks took a trip to Boys Town one year and the next to Kansas City to a baseball game. The families went along to
these.
The social highlight of the boys winter program was the family soup supper held at the schoolhouse. Again the moms
supplied the pies and went to the lunchroom to make the chili and oyster soup.
At the meetings, talks and demonstrations were given by each member at least once during a club year and the club
met in members' homes teaching them to be host and hostesses and to speak on their feet.
The Shamrocks. STANDING, L-R: Richy Bell, Joan Lynch, Judy Brammer, Jack Wackernagle,
Dennis Parks and Elvin Mercer. MIDDLE ROW, L-R: Craig Lynch, Jack Goodale, Eddie Dugan, David, Joyce and Teena
Lynch. FRONT ROW, L-R: Bobby Shay, Randy Lynch and Larry Weaver.
Club Officers, 1959: Judy Brammer, Joyce Lynch, Dick Weehler, Jack Wackernagle and
Dan Carr.
In 1959 Ralph BRAMMER agreed to be leader of the Shamrocks and remained until the club's demise in 1965 when the
community ran out of kids and Randy LYNCH joined the Liberty Boys Club the last year.
The Maloy Colleens had disbanded and a new club was formed and named Irish Gems. Liz LYNCH and Regina LYNCH were leaders.
Members were Joan, Joyce and Teena LYNCH, Barrie and Monica PARKS, JoAnn MATTHEWS, Sandra WYMAN, Mary MERTZ, Leila
GOODALE, Martha CARR and Susie NORRIS. Mary and Sandra did a cookie demonstation and on the way to the fair, Sandra
left the car door open and a dog ate most of her finished product. Teena and Martha showed their audience how to
test their well water for hardness one year. Phyllis GOODALE became a leader and Teena LYNCH was elected county
recorder.
Boys did demonstrations too. Dan CARR and Jack WACKERNAGLE showed how to earnotch pigs. David LYNCH and
Larry WEAVER went to State Fair with a projected named "Easy Does It" which showed ways of handling livestock. Craig
and Randy LYNCH also went to State Fair with "Clothing for the Individual."
4-H Basketball Team.
BACK ROW, L-R: Larry Weaver, Jack Wackernagle, Dan Carr, Jack Goodale and Richard Bell.
FRONT ROW, L-R: Eddie Dugan, Bobby Shay, Craig and David Lynch.
In the early spring, basketball tournaments were held. The boys never did win but were runners-up a time or two. On
a rotation basis the clubs got to serve food for the players and bleacher crowd at these thus helping their treasury.
Ivor WACKERNAGLE and Chuck GOODALE helped with the boys also.
Awards Winners at Recognition Night. Joyce, Teena and Joan Lynch, Dan Carr, David
Lynch and Jack Wackernagle. Bob Lynch was the club leader.
At awards night held in November both clubs came away with their share of honors (individual) with their record books.
Craig LYNCH won the coveted Lions Club award his junior year and that fall was elected county boys president. He and
Nancy FOLTZ, girls president, represented Ringgold County and rode in the American Royal Parade at Kansas City. As
county presidents, Craig and David filled the pulpit in May at a church and gave the message for Stewardship Sunday on
conservation. David was also interviewed to be a state officer candidate but didn't make it. He, along with Susan
HENDERSON, was featured in a National 4-H magazine article. The club members always did well with their exhibits
sending many girls exhibits to state fair and had many champions in livestock shows, too numerous to mention. One year
in particular when the judge went to pick the grand champion steer, all six calves and showmen were from the Shamrocks.
Then in 1960, they really did it all - they, as usual, had herdsmanship award, the grand champion steer, reserve
champion steer, champion Shorthorn, champion market pig and champion pen of three. And they had the top beef showman.
This they did quite often with top swine showman a time or two. Dan CARR had grand champion market pig at the
Creston Swine Show one year and also showed the champion pen of three market pigs.
BREED CHAMPIONS, 1959 RINGGOLD COUNTY FAIR.
Champion Shorthorn, Craig Lynch; Reserve Hereford, Judy Brammer; Top Angus, Teena and David Lynch;
Champion Hereford, Randall Hanson (Clearfield).
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During the Lennox calf show, where club members showed the Monday before county fair, the prize money was fastened to the
back side of the ribbon so competitors had a little spending cash for the fair. It was the custom that whoever had the
top-placing calf at the show was to treat the rest of the club members to a watermelon feed.
Helping guide the youth through these years were the extension directors, Virden PAYNE, Dick FRANKLIN, Milt HENDERSON
and Neil CHICKEN and, of course, Belle CORNELISON, the home economist. All will agree it was an educational
and socially memorable part of their young lives.
The Shamrocks Rise Again
Bobby SHAY with four boys and David LYNCH with a boy and a girl wanted them to be in 4-H and
have the experiences they did of feeding and fitting and showing livestock, going to camps, being a
club officer, giving demonstrations and making new friends. The clubs in the area were overflowing,
so they started a new club. The kids voted unanimously to call it "Maloy Shamrocks." Bob and
David are the leaders. The club was reborn in 1983. Roby SHAY has been on the county council. He
went away to Iowa State this fall and his brother Cody will take his place.
Again they are in the winning group in the show ring, vieing against each other in the shows more
since they show by weight and height of the calves rather then by breed. Jason LYNCH had grand
champion at Lenox this year [1987], the first club member to win this honor. Cody SHAY showed
Grand Champion steer at the Ringgold County Fair in 1982. The members show steers, breeding
heifers, commercial heifers, cow and calf, horses and goats. Preston HAYSE is the 4-H
extension director with Judy HENSLEY, working tirelessly to plan programs and events as an aide.
The present members are Cody and Tory SHAY, Greg, Marci and Brian MOBLEY, Wyatt and Elaine
MOBLEY, Kelley GRAHAM, Jason and Meggan LYNCH, Lafe and Tyson DUKES, Leslie and Lance BARKER,
Jennifer, Billy and Timmy SCHAEFER and Russell STEWART.
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1987 Maloy Shamrocks
BACK ROW, L-R: leader Bob Shay, leader David Lynch, Jennifer Schaefer, Leslie Barker, Greg
Mobley, Billy Schaefer.
MIDDLE ROW, L-R: Lafe Dukes, Wyatt Mobley, Tory Shay, Cody Shay, Brian Mobley.
FRONT ROW, L-R: Russell Stewart, Timmy Schaefer, Tyson Dukes, Marci Mobley, Elaine Mobley,
Meggan Lynch, Jason Lynch.
NOT PICTURED: Lance Barker & Kelly Graham.
As with everything else, the 4-H concept has changed over the years. The members are offered
instruction in gun safety and veterinary care of their animals among other topics. They prepare
and exhibit science projects, some very complicated, small engine repair, woodworking, photography,
and posters that teach the public. There is not a club for girls alone in the Maloy area, but
Jennifer SCHAEFER is president of the 1987 Maloy Shamrocks co-ed club. Demonstrations are now
called presentations and topics vary from fun and games to piano solos. Individual talents and
ideas are stressed, but teamwork is still very important.
Most pictures courtesy of David LYNCH'S record book.
SOURCE: Maloy, Iowa Centennial History: 1887 - 1987 Pp. 64-71. 1987.
Courtesy of the Mount Ayr Public Library
Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, August of 2011
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