J. Miles and Maribel McGrew had a family of eleven children, plus another boy who needed care. One evening a family of five stopped at the McGrew farm looking for help, a job, a place to stay, or gas to drive a little farther. Maribel, about to put supper on the table, gathered her children: "We can give them a little gas and send them on their way. Or, if each of you cuts your piece of meat in half, they can join us for supper." "We'll share!" was the unanimous answer. After supper, cots were set up so the family could stay the night.
This beloved family story exemplifies how Miles and Maribel lived and taught giving to others, a core value of 4-H. Though there was no 4-H in the area yet when Miles and Maribel were youth, they saw to it that all of their children became involved. Over the years, 14 spouses, 31 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, and now 2 great-great-grandchildren have been part of 4-H in 7 states.
Several of those have been 4-H leaders as well, including the eldest son, Jim, who after 35 years of leadership was inducted in 2006 into the Illinois 4-H Hall of Fame. Jim's eldest daughter, Judy, even made 4-H part of her career. She was a 4-H Youth Development Educator with University of Illinois Extension for 22 years, training more than 20,000 4-H youth, volunteers, and professionals and developing multiple program materials, which have been used as far away as China!
It was natural for many of the 82 McGrew 4-H members to do livestock 4-H projects, but their choices expanded as the scope of projects increased over the years. 4-H has impacted us in innumerable ways. For some, it built the self-esteem needed to graduate from high school; for others, the public-speaking skills they developed advanced their careers. The numerous activities and opportunities we experienced through 4-H have taught us teamwork, leadership, and communication skills. Through 4-H, we learned practical information and applied it in everyday situations. 4-H helped us understand economic principles and provided us tools to succeed. The skills we gained through 4-H have helped us build strong and responsible families.
Members of the McGrew family group have entered varied careers: we have been an Illinois state representative, nurses, teachers, business owners, farmers, a school superintendent, a farm supply manager, day care providers, a medical sales rep, a medical researcher, agriculture business employees, physical and music therapists, and EMTs. One family member was a state
FFA officer and others have served or are serving in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and National Guard.
The responsibilities, hard work, giving spirit, and leadership roles we have taken on may have been made possible by our rural Christian upbringing, but that background was only enhanced through our experiences in 4-H. We thank 4-H with our whole hearts!
