The Wood County 4-H organization has a proud history and has produced countless productive citizens who
regularly carry out the 4-H legacy in their careers and lives. Recently two alumni members received
honors from the Ohio 4-H organization.
Their stories appeared in the farm tab inserted into Wednesday’s paper.
What you will find here is a feature on four alumni members of the local 4-H program and some of their
responses about the organization and how it has influenced their lives.
We will start with the late Carroll Frank, and then we will share the information about Janelle Brinker
Vickers, Katie Koerner Isler and Brooke Chidester Schulte.
Carroll Frank
Information on Frank was provided by his daughter, Elsie Newman.
Frank’s work with 4-H actually predated the 4-H development as he worked in a Boys and Girls Club. That
club was a forerunner of 4-H. That club transitioned into what became the Duke’s Mixture 4-H which was
originally under the operation of Homer Frank Sr., until he resigned in 1930. At that point Frank became
the adviser until his death in 2000. That was a 70-year reign as a 4-H adviser.
Frank told his family that his original club had been primarily for Jersey cattle projects. Soon, members
began showing other types of livestock and eventually gardening and doing other things. He stated that
he had “received all the free trips a boy could have…,camping, 4-H Congress.” He said he had “not only
shown cattle at the State Fair but had been on state judging tours.” One year he and his brother, Homer,
and Franklin Beard took third in the state as a general livestock judging team.
Newman shared the following story, “Mom remembers Dad visiting one of her classes at Liberty High School,
appealing to any students to consider joining his club. This would probably have been in her junior or
senior year, 1931 or 1932. I don’t think Mom and Dad knew each other yet, but she was impressed that
such a nice looking young man cared so much about this passion of his (4-H).
“Later that year, Dad who had graduated a few years earlier, happened to attend a play at the Liberty
school, and Mom just happened to be in that play. Dad said it was love at first sight. They were married
in June 1932, and Dad’s 4-H enrollment sheets took on the lovely script of his wife, Grace.”
The 4-H members over the years included his own siblings, his wife’s siblings, cousins, neighbors, and
many others including the Newlove brothers who later became area Realtors, Ralph Kelbaugh who became a
local dentist, Milton Boxley who was later known for tree trimming, Gene Klotz who is the current owner
of the Klotz Flower Farm, Brett Palmer who is the owner of Jim Palmer Excavating, Dana Frank who is the
owner of Frank Sales and Service, and many other familiar names including Dick Adler, Paul Brim, Paul
Herringshaw and Shad Ridenour. His own children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces are among this long
list of his past 4-H members.
Simple multiplication shows that for Frank’s 69 or 70 years as adviser with an average of 20 members per
year, at least 1,400 projects would have been completed if each member completed only one project per
year. The records showed that many, if not most, of his members were completing two or more projects per
year, so this was a true outreach to the youth in Wood County.
He considered his parents the most influential people in his 4-H career as his father started the Boys and Girls Club. His parents had 11 children with his father becoming the farm supervisor to oversee him and his siblings in their chores. 
He learned responsibility on the farm as he grew up as the farm had horses, cows, chickens, guineas,
vegetables, and many grain crops as well.
Newman said, “This taught all of them responsibility to each other, and that carried over into their
later lives. According to Dad, his father ‘raised us this way: Go to school, go to church, and go to the
(4-H) club meetings.’Dad did not question his father’s wisdom.”
She added, “Dad knew the satisfaction of completing projects, he realized the value of learned skills and
social interactions, and he passed this along to his 4-H members.”
In a Sentinel-Tribune story written near the time of his death,it was stated that “He touched a lot of
peoples’ lives in a lot of different ways.”
Frank once said, “We all just had fun together.” Newman shared from a 1954 Sentinel-Tribune story, “He
had a natural pride in the record of all (those members and especially) in the many boys who have come
under his own supervision.”
His daughter summarized, “Dad believed that the years he has spent in 4-H work … cannot be measured in
dollars and cents. It is still his highest interest and first choice of an avocation. For Dad’s whole
adult life, he was involved in many community and civic organizations but his 4-H commitment was the
strongest. This is evident in that 4-H was his first civic involvement, and it ended up being the one
that lasted until his death in 2000.”
Because of his failing health in his last years, he gradually vacated his posts in all his other
organizations, but 4-H outlasted them all.
Newman also shared that the career farmer spent much of his life promoting 4-H by making contacts and
coordinating 4-H exchange trips to Iowa, Minnesota, New York and Pennsylvania and by contacting business
and organizations in Wood County for camp scholarships. He was also instrumental in the comeback of the
Wood County Fair in the early 1950s, serving as the fair board president for 14 years, and then
continuing as dairy barn supervisor for many years afterwards.
She said, “To him, the Wood County Fair gave 4-H members the proper venue to display and compete with
their 4-H projects. Dad also served the county as American Heart Crusade Chairman for many years,
volunteered for the American Cancer Society for many years, served on the noon Kiwanis, worked as a
volunteer Center Township Fireman, and so many other civic organizations. He always was giving his all
in service to each one. At the time of his death, Dad was called Mr. 4-H by many, and he was remembered
for persuading people to support the youth program both financially and through volunteer work.”
Isler, Schulte and Vickers
Isler was involved in 4-H from 1989 until her graduation in 1999.
While in the clubs she took a variety of nutrition projects. “My favorites were the bread projects. I
still use the zucchini bread recipe from my Quick Breads book,” Isler said. She also took photography,
genealogy and leadership projects.
She added, “I was a 4-H member who never took a livestock project.”
Schulte started 4-H in fifth grade when she moved to Wood County and her neighbor asked her to come to a
meeting and added, ” I have been in 4-H ever since.”
After college she became an adviser from the Tontogany 4-Leaf Clovers. And after she married Jeff, they
together went to help advise at his 4-H club, Lake Harvesters.
She said, “That is almost 21 years in 4-H total and I have loved every second.”
As a member, her projects included rabbits, cooking and redecorating her upstairs bathroom. She added, “I
was shocked that my parents actually let me remodel the entire bathroom.”
Vickers was active in 4-H from 1963-72 and noted that was only nine years because at that time they did
not have the Cloverbud program yet.
In 2005, she started a 4-H club in Perrysburg called the Gold Medal 4-H Club, and was 4-H adviser for 10
years.
“I have really enjoyed leading about 20-30 4-H members every year, including our daughter, Raegen. I
worked and developed friendships with several advisers, including Chris Schaller. It’s great to see how
4-H members mature and the excitement they have.”
As a member her projects have included cooking and sewing. She noted her first year was making a towel
and a turquoise checked apron that had cross-charging.
Her miscellaneous projects included home decorating and babysitting.
Her livestock projects focused on sheep and her Dorset and Columbia sheep, both breeding and market
lambs, have taken her to eight different county fairs, the Ohio State Fair and the Chicago International
Show.
“I would leave the middle of July and not return home until Labor Day, the day before school started,”
she recalled. “We had a trailer that was along the fence by the sheep barn. I would feed and show
several other breeders’ sheep.”
They were also asked about their clubs.
Isler said she was in several clubs during her career, mostly it was the B.G. Krafty Kids, which was
advised by her mother along with another mother.
Vickers was involved in both Dowling Stitch and Stir Club (prior to it adding Stock to its name) and the
Blue Ribbon Rangers. Her mother, Helen Brinker, was a sewing adviser for 25 years at the Dowling club.
Her father, Lawrence Brinker was one of the advisers for the Blue Ribbon Rangers for 25 years.
Her memories of both clubs are very detailed. She recalled such things as playing basketball, projects,
snacks, reports, hayrides, hot roasts and even selling tickets to the sausage and pancake meals by
riding her bike down the road.
Schulte was a member of the Lake Harvesters 4-H which she noted is one of the oldest 4-H groups in Wood
County. Her husband and his friend, Aaron, were among the members when they were in 4-H.
She adds, “Luckily, my best friend Erin married Aaron, so now the four of us run the club. We have about
35 members ranging from Cloverbuds to freshman in college.” Much of her focus is on the Cloverbuds. She
also help set up fundraisers, community service and the float building.
“I am so proud of the members in our club and how they work together to make the best better.”
All three of the women have fond memories of 4-H Camps.
Schulte said, “I did go to 4-H camp and loved it, however I remember my time as a counselor and adult
staff as my fondest memories.”
Her memories include dressing up like characters, such as Bugs Bunny and Little Bo Peep, at both the Wood
County 4-H camp and Conservation Camp. She said those memories always bring a smile to her face.
Schulte added, “I also loved working with the kids. It is such a humbling experience when you talk to a
camper that you had in your cabin or group that remembers something that you did or said to them.”
Vickers remembered her camp experiences including the first one when she was very young and having to
take a ferry across to Kelly’s Island. She remember fondly the vespers and singing, making crafts such
as a popsicle stick hot pad and little leather coin purse.
Isler recalled 4-H Camps from the time she was 8 until she got married and spent one summer working as a
member of the Camp Palmer staff.
She said, “Camp shaped me in so many ways. It was by far the best week of every summer. My friends and I
looked forward to the week of camp for the entire year. That excitement did not change at all even when
we transitioned from being campers to counselors; as a matter of fact we may have looked forward to the
week more as counselors.”
Isler added, “As a child, camp helped me build confidence and discover who I was outside of my family. It
also gave me a chance to be mentored by older teens; in many cases those relationships spanned years and
continued outside of the week of camp.
“Camp gave me an opportunity to learn leadership skills and gain the ability to adapt to unexpected
situations. As an elementary school teacher, the skills I learned as a camp counselor are put to use
everyday.”
Naturally, all of these women had people who were influential in their 4-H careers.
“Without question Jayne Roth and Jenny Morlock were the most influential people in my 4-H career. I
learned so many things from them,” Isler said. “ Many of them I use everyday. They taught me so many
things about leadership and decision making. They also taught me to look for fun in life and work hard
to insert joy and laughter into everything you do.”
She also said they empowered her and believed in her and gave her opportunities to learn and grow and
provided a safety net when she failed.
Isler added, “I can’t think of a time when their doors were not open to listen to the everyday drama of
our teenage lives or a time when they didn’t make make me feel valued and important.”
Schulte also listed both Roth and Morlock among her many influential people.
“Jayne Roth is someone that I truly can say has shaped my life in such a positive way. She taught me to
work hard for something that I want and how to be a true leader,” Schulte said. “Jennifer Morlock is
easily the kindest person I know. Her passion to help others is something that I hope I can pass on to
others like she has passed on to me.”
She also listed both Doug and Linda Michaelis who were her 4-H advisers. She said, “They always worked
hard to give me the best possible opportunities. They also created some amazing memories.”
Vickers noted her parents.
She called her mother very patient as the sewing adviser and credited her for teacher her much about
sewing, but also cooking. She also noted her sister, Ruth Ann, who also passed on sewing knowledge.
Her father, she said, “worked tirelessly” for the Wood County Fair and the sheep industry.
“He taught me a lot about hard work and friendships are important.”
All three noted the important skills they learned through 4-H which have helped them later in life.
Vickers said friendship, persistence in finishing a project and being committed — “that you said that you
would do it” — were important. She also noted improving her communication skills and interviewing
skills.
“Choosing the most important skill I learned in 4-H seems almost impossible,” Isler said. “I learned
everything from how to cook to how to line dance to how to lead people. I learned how to think
creatively and how to mentor young people. I learned that showing kindness is the right thing to do
always. I also learned that it is our responsibility to always be working to ‘make the best better,’we
should never be satisfied with the status quo.’”
Schulte echoed the sentiments.
“There are so many that I can list such as leadership, responsibility, passion, and friendship; however,
the most important skill that I can think of is creativity. I was taught to think outside of the box,
which is something that I have found is not a common trait. We were able to take something as simple as
‘things that grow’ and create day themes, programs, skits, meals, groups, cabins and so much more out of
it. I find myself using that creativity on a daily basis while teaching.”
When asked about maintaining friendships from their 4-H years into adulthood, it was unanimous with each
sharing details with such details as common bonds, closeness and continuing the bonds even years and
decades later, even if it’s only through social media in some cases.
“I am so thankful for the friends that I have made through this program,” Schulte said.
All three women said 4-H was a positive in their lives.
“As a 4-Her, I often heard 4-H professionals joke that they bleed green and white,” Isler said. “While I
don’t make my living as a 4-H educator, I think the same could be said for me. I have never left the 4-H
program. As a college student, I was still a camp counselor and even helped advise a club in Wood
County. When I got my first job and moved to Marion County, the first place I looked to find ways to
become a part of the community was the 4-H program. I married a 4-H alumni and have been an adviser to a
local 4-H club for more than 15 years. My husband and I have served as the advisers for the Marion
County Jr. Fair Swine Committee for over 10 years and I recently began helping with camp counselor
training.
“My own children will tell you that they have been a part of 4-H since before they were born. They both
show sheep and pigs at our county fair. Being the children of 4-H parents, they are always expected to
go the extra mile. They will also tell you 4-H camp is the best week of the year.
“I proudly display a sign over my desk that says, ‘I got my start in 4-H,’ and I in the moments when I
can entertaining 100 fourth-graders at a moment’s notice or I challenge my colleagues to think more
creatively or infuse more fun into school events or I am working with teen members of our Junior Fair
Board, I see all the things I learned in 4-H not just being applied in my life but spilling over into
the lives the people around me.
“Without fail in the middle of our county fair, every year something happens and I make a decision or
help a youth and I am beyond grateful to the people of Wood County for giving me my start and modeling
the best ways to handle people and problems by applying integrity, creativity and fun.”
Schulte said 4-H has impacted her and every aspect of her life.
“First off I met my husband through 4-H. We have two beautiful daughters and great friends. We have met
amazing people and made lifelong connections. 4-H also influenced me to go into teaching, which is a
profession that I truly love.
“I am so proud of the volunteer experience that I have had in my life and the good that we have done in
our community. I love watching our young leaders go out in the community and help others. 4-H has shaped
me into the person that I am today and I am so grateful.”
Vickers recalled numerous things from her fair years including the friends and the “greased pig contest”
now known as Catch a Pig. She also recalled the years working with her father, who served on the fair
board for 25 years and her years as the Junior Fair Queen in 1970. She earned a trip to Chicago
International show through her win in senior sheep showmanship.
“4-H taught me responsibility,” Vickers said. “Learning new skills. Taking care of animals,
cooking/baking, sewing. Hard work pays off, and the love of competition.”