Milks Grove Township, a township without a town, tucked in a remote corner of Iroquois County, is where Yvonne and William Behrends Family 4-H story began. Despite having never been members themselves, they decided to give 4-H a chance and enroll their eldest child. With a total of 7 children, it seemed like it was always time to sign up another Behrends for 4-H. The boys joined the Agriculture club, the Milks Grove Jr. Farmers. The girls joined the Home Economics club, the Milks Grove Jr. Farmerettes, but since they also wanted to show livestock, the girls joined both clubs. In 1968, the two clubs joined to become one community 4-H club.
The rush of completing projects and walking beans before fair went hand in hand for the Behrends kids. Fair was the family vacation. If the beans weren’t walked, you weren’t going to the fair, so everyone pitched in to get everything done! 71 years later, Behrends 4-H is still going strong. There has been at least 1 descendant of Yvonne and William enrolled in 4-H and showing at the Iroquois County Fair every year since that first enrollment in 1947.
The role of Behrends 4-H leader began in 1956 with the oldest son taking on the boy’s club. The matriarch of the family, Yvonne, soon followed suit and led for 15 years. In all, 14 family members totaling 153 years, have chosen to share their time leading 4-H youth. Currently, there are 7 family members as leaders, including Yvonne’s grandson and his wife. They, after an absence of decades, took the initiative to restart a club back in the cornfields of Milks Grove where it all began.
Spanning over 5 generations, 71 Behrends’ have been 4-H members, including the initial 7 children, 21 of 25 grandchildren, plus spouses, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren totaling 545 years. Collectively, they have attended 95 years of 4-H camp and shown 153 projects at the state fair. Additionally, 389 years of 4-H volunteer service have been completed, from raising money to expand the 4-H camp, washing dishes at the Salvation Army, Feeding the Farmers, baking cookies for shut-ins and building playground equipment.
We have been fortunate to have 2 family members attend National 4-H congress, one as a member and one as a chaperone. 7 have participated on State Judging teams and 2 have attended the National Dairy Conference. But even more significantly, around 50 members show up at the Iroquois County Fair each year to support each other and the current generation of 4-H’ers.
Winning with humility, losing with grace, completing a project, speaking in public, holding an office, being a leader and serving out community are just a few of the traits that have become etched in us because of our involvement in 4-H. Our ongoing successes in our families, careers and communities are continually being enhanced by our commitment “To Make The Best Better”.