Stonecreek Peas and Carrots 4-H Club faced adversity with true 4-H spirit
By Jennifer Kneuss
September 20, 2012
546
For the youth, leaders, and parents who are part of the Stonecreek Peas and Carrots 4-H Club in Tuscarawas County, 2012 has been a year of both loss and of pulling together as a family. Gene and Cheri Boone have been the primary leaders of the club for years, and in early spring, Gene received a diagnosis of a type of bone cancer that would require a bone marrow transplant and other treatment. During the same period of time, another club co-leader, Veronica Riccardi, was already battling cancer. The club members were shaken as both the Boones and Riccardi had to step back from their leadership roles. Thankfully, parents Jennifer Greer and Doug McGlumphy, along with Denise Ely, agreed to step up to assist co-leaders Brent and Mary Kretzinger.
Meanwhile, Cloverbud member Thomas Wielands father, Ryan Wieland, had been diagnosed with Lou Gehrigs disease, and the club quickly agreed to assist in a fundraising event for the family. The Stonecreek Peas and Carrots are well known in the area for their many outreach activities and community involvement.
We volunteer with the Norma Johnson Center, the Stonecreek Firemans Festival, trash pickup, clean up at the fairgrounds and at Camp Piedmont, and all types of similar community service activities, noted Brent Kretzinger. So helping out the Wielands was definitely something we wanted to do.
Then, in June 2012, sadly, Riccardi suddenly lost her battle with cancer. The Stonecreek community and club members were stunned to learn, one day later, that former club leader Patty Hixenbaughs husband, Jerry, had succumbed to a heart attack while working in the family barn. The two funerals were one day apart. Stonecreek and the surrounding area is a close knit community, and the string of tragedies was overwhelming.
Just two weeks ago, tragedy struck again. Club member Quenten Fabiano was critically injured in an ATV accident, and is still in a coma. Once again, members have stepped up, agreeing to provide desserts for an upcoming spaghetti dinner fundraiser and planning another club fundraiser to assist the family with medical expenses.
We couldnt have made it through all of this without Marys leadership and organizational skills, stated Greer. The Kretzingers had only been in co-leadership for a short while prior to having to take over at the helm for the 47 young people who belong to the club.
I have to be organized, or it would be chaos, commented Mary Kretzinger. All of these terrible things happening to our group in such a short time have been difficult for all of us to handle.
Brent Kretzinger credited the closeness of members and their parents in pulling through.
Having parents helping us so much is what has made it work.
Without our regular leaders, there were a lot of things we werent sure about. But parents helped. Jen and Doug took over getting our fair booth together, and parent Sommer Scott agreed to make all of the barn decorations, added Mary. I was already on the Clover Café committee and Brent on the 4-H committee, so we already had our plates full.
In addition, the club has been assisting the Boones with such things as caring for their dog when they are at the hospital and doing lawn care.
Meanwhile, Gene Boone finally was able to receive a bone marrow transplant Sept. 19, and Fabianos 4-H dairy heifer is at the fair, being cared for and shown by other members.
Gene needs to come back to his Cloverbud kids, commented Greer. Although I love leading those little kids, I know Gene misses them. He does such a great job with all 12 of them.
Our club families have definitely shown the true spirit of 4-H through all of this, Brent stated. We are putting all four of the Hes – heads, hands, health, and hearts – together.
That is, indeed, what the 4-H community is all about.
