GARNETT A lifetime of involvement with county fairs and 4-H will be celebrated this week with Bill and Rita Poovey.
The Pooveys have been selected as grand marshals for Tuesdays Anderson County Fair Parade.
Bill is a lifetime Anderson Countian, having grown up in Westphalia. Rita, meanwhile, was raised in nearby Osage County until moving to Anderson County when her family was displaced because of the construction of the Melvern Reservoir.
Both were heavily involved in 4-H as youth, and exhibited livestock.
Both were graduated from Garnett High School before attending Kansas State University. He earned a degree in animal science.
In addition to farming, Bill began working for the United States Postal Service as a rural carrier. He went to the USPS full time in 1991 as a postal carrier.
Rita began working for a local veterinarian in the mid 1980s. When the veterinarian sold the practice, she remained home to help take care of the farming operation, which includes livestock and row crops.
The Pooveys began attending Anderson County Fair Board meetings in the mid 1980s. Bill became the Fairs beef superintendent and held other offices with the Fair Board, including several years as Fair Board president. Off the farm, he also posed as Santa Claus for Westphalia Grade School and St. Teresa Catholic Church for about 20 years.
His last meeting with the Fair Board was in 2015, although he remains supportive of the Fair each summer.
While Rita was never a formal Board member, she attended the same meetings as her husband. She also coached girls softball and served as an umpire for several years.
The Pooveys also sponsored several awards and purchased livestock at the premium sale.
Such duties arent work, they insist, but an enjoyable way to spend their time ensuring each Anderson County Fair goes off without a hitch.
The Anderson County Fair begins Monday and runs through next Saturday.
