Day One At Kosciusko Fair: Ticket Takers And Ribbon Winners
One of the people handling tickets at the Kosciusko County Fair this year is Marilyn McClish, right. She’s taking turns with her sister Della Headford working at the booth at the entrance near the animal barns. Also shown is Kosciusko County Fair Board Treasurer Sheal Dirck, who manages ticket collection. InkFreeNews photos by Leah Sander.
By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews
WARSAW — If you head to the Kosciusko County Fair this week, you might see Marilyn McClish.
She’s one of the workers helping man the ticket booths, being stationed at the entrance near the animal barns.
Originally from Fort Wayne, she’s been coming to the fair regularly since moving to Warsaw more than 10 years ago and loves it. That motivated her to volunteer to work in a ticket booth for the first time ever.
“One of my dear friends asked me if I would like to try it and I said, ‘I’m your friend and I love the fair and so I would love to do it,'” she said.
Her sister Della Headford is splitting up 12-hour shifts with her through the rest of the week.
There won’t be all work and no play though: McClish has already planned what fair events she wants to attend.
“I like the grandstand; I’m going to the rodeo tonight,” she said. “And I’m going to take my grandson to the demolition derby.”
She encourages people to attend the fair.
“I just think people ought to come out and see everything,” she said.
17 Projects
Seventeen. That’s the number of projects Alice Keirn exhibited in the Open Class division at the fair this year.
Keirn, the treasurer of the Kosciusko County Extension Homemakers, noted that wasn’t even the highest number of Open Class projects someone did this year. Another woman exhibited 30.
Keirn’s been competing in the division since she retired from Creighton Brothers in 2015 after more than 45 years. This year, her projects included an apron, a bowl cozy, flowers, an herb, cakes, cookies and a quilted throw she made for her son.
“It’s fun,” she said of why people should show projects in the Open Class division. People don’t have to be in the Extension Homemakers to exhibit, but those who are collect points for doing so.
“Sometimes you know you’re not going to win a prize, but you get a point for exhibiting,” she said.
Keirn did receive some blue ribbons for her cake and Knock Out roses this year.
She invites people to join the Extension Homemakers.
“It’s a place that ladies can join and we do fun things and we learn things,” she said.
To learn more about joining, call Purdue Extension Kosciusko County at 574-232-2340.
Animal Judging
Various animal competitions at the fair were on Monday, July 12.
They included beef and rabbit judging and that for horse and pony western halter and trail.
Kosciusko County Extension Homemakers Treasurer Alice Keirn shows off one of the 17 projects she exhibited this year in the Open Class division, her Knock Out roses.
The quilted throw Alice Keirn made for her son is on exhibit at the fair. It features references to his job as a trucker. She gave it to him as a gift but borrowed it to show at the fair.
Beef judging was on Monday, July 12, at the fair. The judge was Tom Younts, left, of Markleville, an Angus breeder and ag teacher at Hamilton Southeastern High School. Here he checks out the feeder calf of Reese Rowland, right.
Kendra Kline, right, marked the end of her 10 years in 4-H and exhibiting rabbits by winning Best of Breed on Monday. Judge Dave Houser, of Lucerne, is on the left, holding her Florida White rabbit.
Bailyn Likens and her horse, Chandler, wait for the judge to make his rounds during competition on Monday.
Beef judge Tom Younts, left, inspects Skylar Miller’s Shorthorn Plus on Monday.
Judge Dave Houser, left, checks out a Dutch rabbit on Monday as Ella Jarrett, center, and Elizabeth Schmidt look on.
Lily Sweet stands with her horse Ripley on Monday.
