EAST LANSING, Mich. — Vera Kempf is a lifelong 4-Her. She began her involvement with 4-H as a member of the Happy Hustlers 4-H Club, one of the first 4-H clubs in Michigan. She later led the same club. The Happy Hustlers 4-H club is the only continuous club in the nation spanning over a century. During her youth, Kempf learned to cook, can and sew through 4-H. In her teens, she developed an interest in animals and learned to select and judge animals based on their conformation — a skill she used while on the judging team. She was also selected to represent the 4-H club in both the dairy and horse divisions at the state level. As a member, she helped the club fundraise for club members to travel abroad through International Four-H Youth Exchange (IFYE). The club remains active with the program today. Kempf has led the Happy Hustlers 4-H Club since 1952, and the club grew to over 100 members under her leadership.
She encourages members to participate in many 4-H activities including spring achievement, share of the fun, square dances, 4-H camp and fair. Kempf expanded the club’s 4-H projects by recruiting experts in science, arts, crafts, dance and more. As a result, club members joined the State 4-H Performing Arts Troupe that performed at the Wharton Center during Exploration Days, the Grand Hotel on Mackinaw Island and at the U.P. State Fair. She also instills leadership, community service and global learning to youth. Each year, Kempf rallies the club to create sunshine boxes to cheer up hospitalized children and directs fundraising for youth to travel abroad. She has hosted youth from India, Brazil, Japan, Ireland, Australia, Belize, Jamaica, Mexico and Finland. Kempf was the first woman to serve on the Newaygo County Fair Board, and served ten years on the Newaygo County 4-H Council, serving on each of the sub-committees for a period of time.
Kempf has received many awards and achievements during her time as a leader and servant to the community, giving her time, talent and a passion for youth. Until her death she continued to attend the weekly meeting where she was a positive role model and leader to the youth in her club. In recent years, she received the heritage award from MAFE during the State Convention. She received recognition from Governor Rick Snyder for being a leader for 65 years in 2017. She was inducted into the Michigan Emerald Clover Society in the 2008 class, along with many others including: Frederick Meijer, Steve Thelen and Norman R. Veliquette.
Recently she attended the fall leadership banquet to get her 66 year certificate of being a 4-H leader. Vera was active in the community as a member of the Holton Twp. Historical Society, Member of the Holton Lutheran Church, where she enjoyed being a member of the ever ready circle and church choir. Through the years she assisted her husband in milk testing for “the old Newaygo County Herds” for DHIA. She continued to work the family farm where she drove tractor and baled hay each and every season since 1950 and raised quality beef and many other animals for 4-H youth.
Vera Kempf has passed the leadership of this club onto the current leaders with the grace, grit, abilities and opportunities that 4-H has to offer for youth in the decades to come. If you were ever in 4-H or Vera had an interaction with you at the fair that you are willing to share please email the club your story at hiddenkove@frontier.com.
— Happy Hustlers 4-H
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