Senior Fair Queen Pageant

Marcia Krebs of Nappanee won the Senior Fair Queen Pageant in 2011.

The Elkhart County 4-H Fair Senior Queen pageant is, and has always been, a showing of Elkhart�s most dedicated women. Though one lucky woman took the crown yesterday, all of these women are deserving of recognition.

Elkhart County is a better place because of the service of each of the candidates for the 2012 Senior Queen. They are the mothers and grandmothers and mentors of our children. Many of them are former 4-Hers who grew up involved in various clubs. Now they spend their time volunteering in the clubs they have an interest in and their children and grandchildren participate in.

Beyond 4-H, these women volunteer at schools, churches and hospitals. They�ve served on boards of local neighborhood groups, having an affect on the places where they live. They�ve also been involved with regional groups dedicated to various causes. These women have owned and managed and worked at many local businesses. They are enthusiastic and encouraging. They offer a helping hand and a smile to anyone in need and they make a difference in people�s lives every day.

These women have dedicated themselves to making Elkhart County a better place for all of us, and we want to tell you more about them. As you scroll down, click on the pictures of these lovely ladies to learn more about their outstanding work.

� Krystal Vivian, Web Content Editor, Digital Division

Page created by: Krystal Vivian, Web Content Editor; Ian Robinson, Digital Content Director; Damon Null, IT

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Billie Gipson

Elkhart

Sponsor: YMCA of Elkhart

Billie Gipson

She has been married to Bill Gipson for 47 years. They have three sons, one stepgrandchild and one great-stepgrandchild. She has lived in Elkhart for the last 50 years.

Gipson is very active as a volunteer and �helper� for many people. She has been employed as a cashier and, although she �had a real job,� she was devoted to being a volunteer and a helper. When her kids were small, she volunteered at the school, church and ball park. As Gipson entered each stage of her life, the love of helping others never stopped.

Through her volunteering, she has made a difference in so many lives.

Rose Mast

Goshen

Sponsor: Greencroft Communities

Rose Mast

She was married to Ralph Mast for 67 years before he passed away. She has two daughters, six grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Mast was the 10th of 16 children born to her parents.

Mast stays busy reading, taking meals to neighbors, doing embroidery and sewing for herself and doing alterations for others. In 2005, she entered her sewing in the adult clothing division of the Elkhart County 4-H Fair, where she won not only first prize but also the President�s Award.

Mast was a 50-year member of Kouts County Lamplighters Extension Club. Over the years, she held every office possible in the club. She is currently a member of Elkhart County Busy Bees Extension Club and is the current Health and Safety leader.

Before moving to Goshen, she was actively involved at Hopewell Mennonite Church in Kouts. She was involved in the sewing circle, taught Sunday school, sang special music and was hostess for special dinners. Before retiring, she worked for eight years at Kouts State Bank. Mast was also the owner and operator of Rose-Lin Dress shop for 10 years.

Mast was a 35-year volunteer for the Red Cross and coordinated staff for many donation drives.

In 2011, Mast was honored to be the Grand Marshall (as a former resident) of the Pork Fest parade in Porter County.

Brenda Mestach

New Paris

Sponsor: Elkhart County 4-H Swine Club

Brenda Mestach

She has been married to Tim Mestach for 40 years. They have six children, four children-in-laws and nine grandchildren.

She enjoys her family, church ministry in music and teaching students of all ages to use the vocal instrument they were given. Her philosophy in instruction is to show students how to �let� their voice sing up to its potential, not �make� it sing better.

In her spare time, she likes to read, loom knit, garden and use the computer. She also enjoys writing and arranging music as well as singing and playing it.

Mestach has enjoyed her 28 years of involvement with the Elkhart County Fair. Her family is engrossed with the principles that the 4-H program promotes. She and her husband have always instilled in their children and grandchildren that being responsible for their projects and doing the best they can should be their goal. Mestach believes that a child and family involved in the 4-H program can learn to be responsible people who not only care properly for the world they live in, but people who respect the environment while learning skills that can help their community and their world.

Nancy M. Miller

Goshen

Sponsor: Linda Simmons, owner
of Unique Finds in Goshen

Nancy M. Miller

Miller is the widow of Floyd C. Miller, who died 28 years ago. She has two daughters, Elaine and Sheryl; and two grandsons, Alex and Brandon.

Miller has enjoyed being a member of Elkhart County Extension Homemakers for 43 years, where she has made many friends and has taken educational lessons that help with personal and home management. She has been an assistant leader of the Bentonettes and Cadets 4-H clubs for 27 years. Her daughters and grandsons have attended this club for 10 years and Brandon is still an active club member and officer.

She enjoys attending and helping at her grandsons� activities: 4-H club, chess club, school band performances and school sport activities.

Miller has been a member of the Maple chapter of International Association of Administrative Professionals Association for the past 15 years. She volunteers in the community and helps senior citizen ladies when they contact her with a need.

Miller is a people person who lives to be with friends, laugh and have a good time. She believes we all should smile more, help others and pass on acts of kindness to others. Everyone should have a happy and healthy life.

Alice Moy

Goshen

Sponsor: Elkhart County
Extension Homemakers

Alice Moy

She is married to Harry Moy. They have three daughters and 10 grandchildren.

Moy and her husband owned Pagoda Inn in Goshen for 35 years before they retired 15 years ago. She worked for Das Dutchman Essenhaus for 13 years after that.

She is currently Michigan City District Representative for Indiana Extension Homemaker Association, where she is also a chairwoman of the Heritage Skills/Cultural Arts Committee and has helped organize a Needlework Networking Group. Moy is known as �the bag lady� on the Volunteer Community Support Committee because of the many bags she has made for the Elkhart Woman�s Shelter. She is active at First Baptist Church of Goshen, where she has led a Bible study for more than 10 years and was co-editor of its 175th anniversary cookbook last year. Moy also helps as a hostess for the church�s New Path Christian Counseling Service.

In her leisure time, Moy enjoys knitting, crocheting, sewing and reading.

Leone Petry

Goshen

Sponsor: Room 4-U 4-H Club

Leone Petry

She has two children and one grandchild. Petry was leader of the 4-H Media Club for seven years and was past president of the Clinton Woods Condo Association for six years.

Petry is a member of First Brethren Church, Goshen, and attends Grace Community Church.

Petry spent 27 years working as a LPN in geriatrics. Now she is a bookkeeper at the Elkhart County Sheriff�s Department.

In her spare time, Petry enjoys gardening, reading, sewing, traveling, Bible studies and history.

Jeanne Raska

Goshen

Sponsor: Morningstar Insurance Agency,
Elkhart

Jeanne Raska

She is married to Stan Raska. They have one daughter. Raska is a full-time employee at Morningstar Insurance Agency, where she works as an insurance agent.

She likes to bicycle with her husband and daughter, bird-watch, bake, help take care of the flowers and landscaping at home and walk her dogs.

Raska volunteers at the South Bend Juvenile Facility. She has also volunteered at Elkhart County Courts Services, the Goshen Detention Center and other children�s facilities. Through the South Bend school system, she participated in the Read To A Child program and helped Kiwanis deliver dictionaries to Harrison School.

She attends Granger Community Church and has taught Sunday school for many years. Raska did Prayer Line at LeSea and Feed the Hungry.

Raska is a member of Elkhart County Extensions Homemakers. Her club is Pie Gabba Sew and she has volunteered at the 4-H Dog Club.

Raska loves to spend time as a family.

Peg Trobaugh

Elkhart

Sponsor: Greenleaf Health Campus

Peg Trobaugh

Trobaugh stays busy with her many interests, which include crocheting, knitting, arts and crafts, reading and shipping. She has also enjoyed traveling and has been to Ireland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

Trobaugh has volunteered at Elkhart General Hospital, Midwest Museum of American Art, Ruthmere Mansion, C.A.R.E.�s school program as a noontime reader and at various church organizations.

Trobaugh enjoys participating in the activities at Greenleaf Campus.

Marsha Wade

Benton

Sponsor: The Maples at
Waterford Crossing

Marsha Wade

She has been married to Kenneth Dwight Wade for 40 years. Wade moved to Elkhart County when she was assigned here through the Department of Natural Resources as a conservation officer. They have two children and three grandchildren.

While at Anderson College, Wade did a Student Summer Service project in Japan. Years later, she and her family were able to host a Japanese student with the 4-H Labo program.

Wade worked in human resources as a personal assistant for 22 years.

She has been involved in many church functions in and out of her own church. She attends meetings of the Clinton Benton Jackson Christian Education Association and has served in the past on the committee.

Wade is keeping busy with the reverse role of care-giving for her elderly mother. She and her mother enjoy attending functions in elderly care facilities. She also visits any church members and friends in these facilities or hospitals throughout the county. Wade also cares for her two youngest grandchildren in the summers and enjoys activities with them. She also helped with her oldest grandchild when her son was on tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Besides her family, her interests include reading, music, various games and traveling.

Dottie Kauffman

Goshen

Sponsor: Greencroft Goshen Campus

Dottie Kauffman

Kauffman is married to Duane Kauffman. They have one son and two grandsons.

Kauffman retired from Goshen General Hospital (now IU Health Goshen Hospital) in April 2011 after working there for 43 years. She started and coordinated the Cardiac Rehab Program at Goshen Hospital for 32 years.

She and her husband now live at Greencroft Goshen Campus, where she volunteers at several different areas and activities. Some of Kauffman�s activities at Greencroft include leading a walking group twice a week, delivering campus mail and Campus Life twice a week, serving as the chair of Greencroft Residence Council and leading some of the day trips that Greencroft provides to residents and community people.

Kauffman also watches her grandsons one to two afternoons a week.

Other interests include photography, where she has won ribbons over the years, including 4-H Fair contests, walking, cross-country skiing and traveling. An avid walker, Kauffman can be seen walking at Greencroft or exercising in the new fitness center in the Greencroft Community Center. This past winter, she went to Idaho to cross-country ski and snow-shoe since there wasn�t enough snow in Indiana. She is a member of Goshen Photo Guild, president of the local American Heart Association, Mennonite Healthcare Fellowship, Sigma Theta Tau International (an honor society for nursing), Menno-Hof, Friends of Merry Lea, Friends of Pumpkinvine Nature Trail, and American Association of University Women.

Her community involvements include having donated more than 50 gallons of blood and platelets through American Red Cross, photographed various functions at church, MDC Goldenrod, Millersbury school reunions, and American Heart Association Heart Walk. Kauffman is also a speaker on heart- or exercise-related topics and photography programs to different clubs and organizations.

Kauffman was involved with 4-H as a child and teenager in Pennsylvannia and as an adult at the Elkhart County 4-H Fair presently and over the past years.