Hora still active in 4-H at 97

For some 4-H?ers, high school marks the end of their involvement in the program. For Marie Hora, it was only the beginning. Hora was enrolled in 4-H as a child and became involved again when her daughter Kathy (Ebert) joined. Hora, 97, has been active in the photography program since 1967.

The Iowa State Fair recognized Hora for her long tenure in 4-H. She was inducted into the 4-H Hall of Fame in 2008. Two years later, Hora received a special plaque from the state fair congratulating her on her 95

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birthday.

Hora was the superintendent of the Washington County 4-H photography program for over 20 years. She stepped down in 1991 and handed the reins to Kathy, who has been the superintendent ever since. Her granddaughter Jodi Ebert took photographs for 4-H, too. She showed her photos at the state fair. She is now a reading teacher at Lincoln Elementary and is still involved in the 4-H photography program as an assistant.

Kathy joined 4-H in 1963 when she was 14 years old. Hora became a 4-H club leader that year. She headed the ?Iowa Maidens? 4-H club. Kathy participated in the 4-H photography program in high school. She left 4-H when she graduated from high school, but Hora kept an interest in it. She was asked to be the photography leader, which she agreed to do.

As the photography superintendent, Hora met with the staff at the ISU Extension Office to discuss programs for her students.

?We got tips on picture taking and developing from the extension office, and then we passed on that knowledge to the kids,? she said. ?Because of these classes, the kids knew what to look for when they took a picture.?

Kathy resumed an interest in the photography program when she moved back to the area in 1989. She helped her mother for a few years before the two switched roles. Kathy became the supervisor and Hora assumed a new position as an assistant.

The superintendent usually gives classes on photography to beginners in February and March. Kathy said these are often very basic tips, such as how to hold the camera still.

?We tell the students not to forget their camera if they?re going someplace,? she said. ?But now, all the kids have to do is take out their cell phones and use those as cameras.?

Kathy said that some of the photos in Saturday?s exhibit were taken with cell phone cameras.

Photography has changed substantially in the decades Hora has been involved with it. The images are much sharper today than in the 1970s.

?From Kathy?s era to now, there is no comparison,? she said. ?In fact, I?ve noticed improvement in the quality in just the past two years.?

Washington County 4-H hosts a photo mounting day prior to the county fair in which 4-H?ers receive help cropping their photos and gluing them to a mounting board. Modern digital cameras and photo printing businesses have allowed photographers to do more work at home, but Hora wishes they would continue the photo mounting tradition. Hora said it saddens her that some kids miss out on the mounting board day. She said those kids don?t have the whole view of the photo-development experience.

Hora just celebrated her 97

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birthday last week. She was born July 10, 1915, and grew up on a farm near Riverside. Her parents were Edward Kueneman and Sophia Schnoebelen. She remembers that her father farmed the land with horses since tractors were still fairly new when she was a little girl. She said her family had a Model T car, so the horses did get some rest.

She had three brothers and three sisters. They attended a country school about four miles south of Riverside and about one mile from their farm. Instead of walking to school, she and her siblings rode in a cart pulled by a horse.

Hora?s farm chores included helping her mother pick cherries, peaches and other fruit from the fruit trees in their orchard. The most distasteful job she had was to clean the separator in the milk machine, the device that separates the milk from the cream.

Hora entered 4-H when she was 11 years old. She learned cooking, canning, sewing and meal planning in the club. There were 15 girls in her club. She remembers her leader was Mrs. Nicola, and the girls liked to sing to her when she started the meetings. Hora said she enjoyed singing and she wanted to play the piano but the family did not have enough money to pay for lessons.

In 1935, Marie had a double wedding with her older sister Gladys. They both married Hora brothers ? Marie married George and Gladys married Arthur. Marie and George had three children, Keith, Kathy and Kevin. Marie now spends her days playing with her 10 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.