Holmes County 4-H honors volunteers, partners for exceptional service

The Holmes County 4-H program and Holmes County Fair don’t magically operate themselves.

Each takes a sea of volunteers, dedicated to helping youth grow in their endeavors.

This year at the annual Holmes County 4-H Volunteer Recognition Banquet Nov. 20 at Harvest Ridge, several community members and organizations were honored for their effort to enhance the experience of the youth involved.

In 2025, as usual, the Outstanding Supporters category was filled with worthy recipients.

Friends of 4-H went to Angela Sparr, who was extremely active in her work and community before passing away May 29 following an automobile accident this past year. Sparr taught CPR and was an EMT for the Lakeville Volunteer Fire Department. She was a 4-H adviser for the Lakeville Country Farmers and for the last 18 years worked catering for Exclusively Yours Catering.

Current Lakeville Lakers adviser Hannah Goines expressed her gratitude for Sparr and to what she meant to so many people in the Holmes County 4-H world.

“She was an amazing daughter, sister, wife, mother, friend, co-worker and person,” Goines said. “She was willing to help her parents, no matter the task or the weather. She loved her husband Chris and children fiercely, and there was nothing she wouldn’t do for them.”

Sparr began her 4-H career as an adviser with the Clover Bud program and was committed to serving 4-H in any way possible ever since. Goines said serving her community by caring for all the 4-H kids was always special to Sparr.

“She was full of life and was often the life of the party,” Goines said. “She is missed every day by everyone who knew and loved her.”

Partners of 4-H honors went to Exclusively Yours Catering, which has been blessing the 4-H programs, banquet and many others with its presence at Harvest Ridge for many years. It was presented by Roxane Allen, who said of the business and its members, “If you feed them, they will come,” in reference to the quote made famous by the movie, “Field of Dreams.”

She said Exclusively Yours Catering has been faithfully serving the 4-H community and Holmes County and beyond for many years by the staff’s willingness to serve small groups and big occasions.

“We are deeply grateful for their dedication, both to 4-H and to our community,” Allen said.

The 4-H Alumni Award was presented in absence to Taylor and Katie Faunce.

The Friend of Fair award was presented to Debbie Scholl and the grandstand crew that works the grandstand affairs every year at the annual fair.

Presenter Kim Kellogg said Scholl and the entire crew have dedicated themselves to a job that is thankless but necessary during each fair.

“Seven years ago (Scholl) and the committee volunteered to clean the grandstand after every single event,” Kellogg said.

Later they volunteered to help with ticketing and seating during grandstand events, adding those responsibilities to their already demanding agenda.

Kellogg said Scholl supported many advancements during the fair including going to online ticket sales, improving signage, and creating access points to the grandstand for general and reserve admission seating.

He said of Scholl’s willingness to adapt and face challenges, “She has been unphased.” He said she and her staff take on challenges and handle each professionally.

“She has a remarkable talent for drawing in friends, family and co-workers, entities, West Holmes sports teams, and many others in her circle to help year after year,” Kellogg said.

The group’s grandstand duties now include checking in guests, ensuring proper seating, assisting guests with disabilities and cleaning up after each event, making sure each event is an enjoyable experience.