Couple honored for 26 years at Monroe fair

Published 10:24 pm Wednesday, September 2, 2009

MONROE — Every year, Nancy Depner hears the same thing from her husband Stan.

He’ll tell her: This year, for sure, will be the last time they will volunteer at the Evergreen State Fair.

They’ve been married 37 years. So she knows better.

“Every year he says, ‘I don’t want to do this again’ but every year he starts looking forward to it again,” she said.

Then the excitement escalates and they’re both back for another year. This year is their 26th.

“I get kind of attached to the fair family,” Stan said.

The Monroe couple have been involved in the Snohomish County 4-H program and the waterfowl and poultry departments at the fair for the past quarter century. They began when their oldest son was involved in 4-H and national Future Farmers of America programs and haven’t stopped, even though their three children are grown.

Their dedication has never gone unnoticed.

The Depners are this year’s fair honorees. The annual honor recognizes individuals or families who contribute a significant amount of time and energy to improving the fair.

“They sprung it on us; it was a pretty good shock,” Nancy said. “We were very surprised because there are a lot of people who have been there for a lot of years … it could have been anybody.”

Many volunteers have dedicated a considerable number of hours to the fair, Sherry Stovner, superintendent coordinator for the fair said. The Depners’ willingness to pitch in wherever needed year after year sets them apart.

“They’re outstanding people,” Stovner said. “They’re just great with kids, great with adults, great with everybody.”

It was a lack of turkeys one year that really kick-started their involvement, Stan remembers. A friend had six, and Stan had two of the eight existing turkey breeds. So together they made sure the turkeys were at the fair. He’s been checking cages and repairing wires ever since.

The fair usually coincides with a week of summer vacation for Stan, who is a custodian at Hidden River Middle School in Snohomish, and Nancy, who is a bus driver for the Monroe School District.

During the fair, the couple are involved with the poultry educational posters hung on the barn walls, various showmanship contests, the 4-H Small Animal Round Robin and the fair’s annual “Duck Day.” But preparation for the fair really begins in the spring when they help the students in their 4-H club pick out and work with the right bird.

“You could take a bird to fair that maybe fits in the palm of your hand and weighs 5 ounces or you might want to take a bird that is a couple feet tall that weighs 20 pounds, but it depends on the kid,” Nancy said. “You need to get the right type of bird for the kid.”

As 4-H leaders they help the more inexperienced students learn how to handle, wash and care for their birds and give them an idea of exactly what the fair judges will be looking for.

At least 52 kids from their 4-H group will compete at this year’s fair, according to Nancy, and interest in the poultry program is strong.

“It’s one of the few animal projects that (participation) is actually up,” she said.

The Depners have raised their own dogs, horses, cows and pigs. They’ve raised their own poultry up until this year, when coyotes and other predators came through their property.

“We had about 30 some chickens, and slowly they just started disappearing,” Nancy said. “It’s been worse than past years.”

After leaving the fairgrounds behind, the Depners say they’ll turn their attention to another familiar volunteer position they share as Special Olympics coaches.

Both have volunteered with Special Olympics for as long as they have been volunteering at the fair. Stan is the Northwest Region’s area coordinator and coaches basketball, soccer and power lifting. Nancy coaches bowling and is the aquatics head coach.

They were named the Special Olympics coaches of the year in 2008.

“I guess we’re just not ready to retire yet,” Stan said.

Amy Daybert: 425-339-3491, adaybert@heraldnet.com.