Among the 46 Missourians inducted into the Missouri 4-H Hall of Fame this Saturday will be William and Cindy Kautsch, of Cole County.
The Missouri 4-H Foundation annually recognizes the work of 4-H friends and volunteers who have created exceptional legacies of service and dedication.
County 4-H councils nominate individuals with at least 20 years of volunteer service.
William and Cindy Kautsch were nominated by the Cole County 4-H Council for their many years of volunteering with the Stringtown Corinth 4-H Club.
Cindy served as a club leader, and both William and Cindy have been Cole County Fair Board superintendents for more than a decade. They've been instrumental in running the Cole County Fair for more than 25 years and established the Pee Wee Show at the county fair to help get children involved at a young age. Since then, the show has grown exponentially.
The Kautsches have raised their family on a farm in the Russellville-Lohman area that has been in William's family for more than 100 years.
"Kids that are in 4-H learn responsibility, they learn how to work, and they learn where their food comes from; and a lot of people this day and age do not have those qualities," William said. "You seldom find kids in trouble that have been in 4-H. They grow up to be better people, I think."
"It's character building," Cindy said. "They may see some of these kids only once a year, but they have formed a friendship at the fair that continues through their lifetime. They show their animals against one another, and they build a relationship many times. It's wonderful to see."
The Kautsches' three children are heavily involved in county fairs. Their daughter judges at fairs across the state, their two sons help raise and show animals, and their young granddaughter now is starting to show animals.
"They're showing the next generation how to do things," William said. "It doesn't always happen that way, but it usually does trickle down. Everybody still eats, but there's a lot fewer farmers to raise the food. When I was a kid, everybody had small farms, but now there are bigger farms and fewer farmers. It takes more land to make a living anymore."
In today's 4-H, there are programs designed for those who were never raised on a farm.
"You don't have to have animals even," Cindy said. "There's gardening, robotics, welding and landscaping. There's so much more than in the past."
The Kautsches didn't get started in 4-H until their children were able to show animals.
"My brother-in-law, Martin Kautsch, showed animals when he was in high school; and my oldest son was 2 years old and he wanted to show, but to do so he had to be in 4-H," Cindy said. "So we joined the Clover Kids and then 4-H, and that expanded to where we are today."
"I want to thank the Cole County Fair Board for allowing me to be a part of the fair all these years," she added. "Small animals and bucket calves have always been a part of 4-H, and the fair board allowed me to start the Pee Wee Show. I've had people come and thank me because they showed at this show when they were little, and they tell me all the great experiences they've had through the years."
"We hear a lot about how our country has peaked and we're going backwards at a high rate of speed; but as long as we have kids who have gone through programs like 4-H, I don't think this country is whipped yet," William said.