Dedicated to Jay

Bob Schmit was worried he would be forgotten.

There was never any chance of that.

And now, his name is a permanent fixture at Jay County Fairgrounds.

During a ceremony on Independence Day, the 4-H building at the fairgrounds was officially christened the Bob Schmit Memorial Exhibition Hall.

“Thank you so much for this tremendous honor for Bob,” said his brother Gene, invoking the 4-H pledge in noting Schmit’s dedication. “He loved everyone associated with 4-H.”

Beth Stephen, president of the Jay County 4-H council, explained that not many days have gone by since Schmit’s death on Dec. 5 that she, another council member or someone at the local Purdue Extension office discovers something that he handled behind the scenes. He was always there, she said, ready to lend a helping hand.

A 10-year 4-H member himself, he was an avid supporter and bidder at the annual auction. He donated coins to be given as an award to 4-H members. The Indiana State Fair honored him for his 4-H volunteer efforts, and he also received the Jay County Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year Award in 2012, the Cincinnatus League Hall of Fame for a Lifetime of Service and the Jack Cole Award for Volunteerism. He was inducted into the FFA Ag Hall of Fame.

“Bob was definitely a giver,” said Stephen. “He not only gave of his time, he gave of his talent and he gave of himself.”

Born in Detroit, Schmit graduated from Bryant High School in 1947. He farmed for more than 50 years and worked as a machinist at Portland Forge for 42 years. He also served on the Bryant Community Center Board, Jay County Soil and Water Conservation District Board and Purdue Extension Advisory Board, and he was a Hoosier Recreation Workshop member.

At its first meeting after his death, the 4-H council voted unanimously to rename the exhibit hall at the fairgrounds in his honor. Because of his three years serving in the U.S. Army, Independence Day seemed like a natural fit for the dedication ceremony.

About 100 were in attendance for the event, many wearing a T-shirt in Schmit’s honor. The back of the shirt reads: “I called 4-H volunteers and members ‘my kids’ because in all the years together they were not just names on a list or people I worked with, they all became part of my life.”

Schmit’s brother Phil relayed another story about how much those 4-H members meant to Bob in his waning health as they made the trip to Fort Wayne to visit him.

“Not just one. Not just two. But several dozen showed up,” Phil Schmit said. “And they all were sincere. And on the last day when he was going to hospice, they were lining up outside. It gave Bob a huge smile to know he had good friends. … Thank you to every one of you, from the bottom of my heart.”

In addition to the dedication of the building, Jay County 4-H gave out several awards that held a special place in Schmit’s heart.

Among them were the supreme achievers, with winners Victoria Kunk and Jacob Wangler, first runner-up Erika Heitkamp, second runner-up Lucas Lyons and third runner-up Eden Basford. Farm Bureau tenure awards went to Gabi Paxson and Justin VanSkyock, and 10-year awards went to Eden Basford, Charlie Brunswick, Asilyn Davis, Leah Hamilton, Sara Hemmelgarn, Gabe Link, Jackson Lyons, Garrett Mann, Ashlynn May, Audrey May, Austin May, Taylor May, Damon Muhlenkamp, Faustina Muhlenkamp, Miranda Nuckols, Gabi Paxson, Ella Roessner, Justyn VanSkyock, Jacob Wangler, Sean Weaver and Abigail Weesner.