Sieren family named 4-H Family of the Year

Washington County 4-H named the Scott and Renee Sieren family the 2021 4-H Family of the Year.

Both Scott and Renee have deep roots in the Keota 4-H world, being nine-year members of the 76 Chickadees and 76 Progressives. Renee was honored to take several projects to the state fair over the years.

In the "boys" club, 76 Progressives, she showed sheep at the local and state fair throughout her nine years. She has great memories of Jr. 4-H camp at Lake Darling and a senior 4-H trip to Washington, D.C. She was also a member of the 4-H county council, in the days when you had to run a campaign and give a speech to be voted into county council.

Scott was also a member who showed cattle and pigs. He has fond memories of going on an exchange trip to Canada during his Intermediate 4-H years, making the Jr. members sweep the walkways in the barns, and having water fights after all the shows were over.

Scott and Renee are the parents of three daughters, Staci, Shelby, and Shawna. As their daughters became active in 4-H, Scott and Renee again became active at the county level. Both of them have been members of the County Youth Committee and Renee continues to help with sheep weigh-in, bookkeeping during the sheep show, and helping during the non-livestock judging day activities.

All of their daughters were members of the 76 Progressives club and showed pigs and sheep. They also did many home-improvement projects and were successful at the local and state level. One year, when all of the girls were older, they actually had to bring a trailer to haul all of their different projects to the fair to be judged.

When the girls were senior 4-H members, all of them were members of the county council and helped with the Jr. skating parties, haunted Halloween barns, and day camps. Staci actually met her husband, Tyler Friese, when they were both members of the county council.

Each of their daughters were county fair queens and represented Washington County at the State Fair. Their daughter Shelby had the privilege of being named 1st Runner-up to the state fair queen in 2009. Their daughter Shawna continues to be very active at the county level, and especially during the county fair each summer. She can be seen helping with anything from weigh-ins, to answering questions in the extension office, to doing behind the scenes work at the queen contest, to entering fair results. She has earned the important title of one of right hands during county fair.

Scott and Renee now have five grandchildren and are looking forward to watching them become active 4-H members.