If I heard it from one person, I heard it from a dozen others:
"Won't be a county fair if we don't have rain."
And the rain came, fortunately in the early morning hours and except for humidity and wet ground, few fairgoors were concerned.
Elmer Gellerman, secretary of the fair association, should have been awarded a purple ribbon for his fine master of ceremonies job for the 100 year farm family presentation.
His comments were warm and friendly and obviously much appreciated by the honored families.
Orville Koch, the fair board of directors, Marvin Hoffman and Mrs. Helen Nichols, extension agents, and their staffs are to be commended for directing a successful fair.
Mr. and Mrs. Lester Ehlers, Grand Island, made the rounds visiting friends. Lester is the former Otoe county engineer. And it was at the United Church foodstand that I met Mr. and Mrs. Don Reuter and family who have returned to Nebraska City. Don is with the U.S. Corps of Engineers and is now assigned to the district office in Omaha.
Society Editor Mrs. F. L. Duffey and I are becoming pretty good authorities on the style revue. Well, not really, but we have been covering the revues for 12 years for the newspaper.
The best part I like about the style revue is when the 4-Her hears her name called for a purple ribbon. You've never seen such bright and dancing eyes.
Steve Ruenholl, Cook, who received reserve championship for his Angus heifer, said the beef was in a herd bought by his father about a year ago.
The animal was cut from the herd and Steve started making plans to get the big prize.
Dale Bolz, Palmyra, a fixture in the livestock pens and on the fairgrounds, seems to have one of the most active 4-H clubs in the county.
The North Palmyra Livestock club has 30 members.
In addition to blue ribbon livestock, the club also produces blue ribbon voices — boys and girls vocal groups, and they will all compete at the State Fair.
I can picture Dale climbing a fence, helping with an ornery sow or a stubborn calf, but somehow he just doesn't seem to fit the part as a song leader.
Although the Angus and Hereford are the prominent beef breeds at the County Fair, the Charolais is making a marked appearance. Judge Shorty Munn, Waverly, a livestock breeder, joshed some about particular Charolais, but he pointed out the good stock when the top ribbons were awarded.
For the second year, one of the popular booths was the Culligan Soft Water display where a large water faucet hangs from the ceiling and it appears that water is flowing from the faucet into a wooden barrel.
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Rudd said many curious children poked their finger into the water flow to "see how it's done."
Memorial.
An acre of Britain's historic meadow at Runnymede where, in 1215, King John sealed the Magna Carta, has been ceded in perpetuity as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy.