Several locals have been making Monroe County proud up in Springfield, earning plenty of awards and displaying their ag skills and other specialties as the Illinois State Fair runs through next Sunday.

Among the highest recognitions went to Monroe County Fair Board Vice President Ron Mueller, who was named Outstanding County Fair Person of the Year on Thursday.

Mueller was presented the award by Gov. JB Pritzker, joined by other officials and 2025 Monroe County Fair Queen Riley McDermott.

Mueller spoke with the Republic-Times to discuss his many years of service with the fair, recalling how his time there began when he was a child participating in 4-H, growing up with the fair as a summer staple.

His contributions to the fairgrounds began as a teen when he helped put up fences and dig outhouse holes, and his work with the fair continued into adulthood when he began serving on the board 40 years ago.

Of those 40 years, about 20 of them have been spent as vice president, and he also served four years as secretary.

Mueller said one of his first big projects was working to digitize fair operations in the early 1990s alongside his friend Eric Offerman.

Beyond that, Mueller said he’s been involved in a wide array of improvements to the fair and fairgrounds.

“My fingerprints are everywhere on the fairgrounds, been involved with all kinds of building projects, you name it,” Mueller said. “PA systems have kept me busy over the years. We’ve grown that quite a bit.”

He recalled how the current fairgrounds started out as about 20 acres but has expanded substantially through the years, with the commercial building standing where the property line was to begin with.

Mueller also mentioned how the idea was floated to establish a venue for horse racing at the fairgrounds, though the focus instead turned to existing staples of tractor shows and automotive attractions.

He further mentioned the additions of pavilions and the beer stand that have improved the grounds since the fair moved.

Though he spoke about his own contributions and experiences with the county fair, Mueller also placed great emphasis on the community elements of the event, stressing the degree of volunteerism that goes into fair week.

“The key thing is, we’ve gotten so much volunteer help through the years, especially during the fairs,” Mueller said. “To put on the fair, all these nonprofit organizations help us with parking and the beer stand and collecting. It’s all volunteers that help us… It’s a community fair. There’s no way the fair board by itself could do everything.”

Speaking on his award and recognition at the Illinois State Fair, Mueller said it came as a bit of a surprise as he didn’t immediately catch on as to why some of his friends and family had traveled up to Springfield unannounced.

“The governor’s reading off all this stuff that this person’s done, and I think to myself, ‘That’s all stuff I’ve done,’ and next thing I know, he was announcing my name,” Mueller said.

He noted his appreciation for the award.

“It’s a pretty good honor,” Mueller said. “It’s really good to know you’re recognized for a lot of the work you put in.”

Mueller also spoke more on the importance of the fair as a major community event, with attractions for everyone and plenty of opportunities for young folks to learn responsibility and be recognized for their hard work.

He again emphasized the amount of volunteer work and support that goes into the fair.

“It brings the whole community together,” Mueller said. “During the fair, you see people and work with people that you don’t see the rest of the year. Everybody is there to help pull in the same direction to help produce the fair and keep it going.”

Another local recognized for his service to the county fair was Richard Woodcock, who serves as treasurer on the Monroe County Fair Board.

Woodcock was previously recognized with the Outstanding County Fair Person of the Year award in 2019, though this year saw him honored for 50 years spent as a director on the fair board.

Woodcock also has a lengthy ag history in the area, starting with his time in FFA shearing sheep and turning that skill into a business.

Working many years in Purina’s animal nutrition department, Woodcock spent a great deal of his free time contributing to the fair as board treasurer and superintendent of the sheep department. He played a major role in starting the lamb auction at the fair.

With other ag work in the county – including his time as president of the Monroe County Sheep Producers and treasurer of the Monroe County 4-H Education and Extension Foundation – he’s also been involved in plenty of renovation and improvement efforts at the fairgrounds.

Woodcock spoke fondly as he looked back on his tremendous history with the county fair.

“It’s just always been a part of my life since the 4-H days when I was a 4-H member,” Woodcock said. “I’ve been on the board 50 years but an exhibitor even longer than that… When they said, ‘Well, you’ve got 50 years on the board,’ I said, ‘Well that can’t be,’ but then I stopped to think about the time.”

He also spoke to the quality of the fair and fairgrounds, voicing his thanks for his fellow board members.

“Time flies, and I’ve always had a good board to work with,” Woodcock said. “We’ve really, as a group, focused on all the exhibits, especially with the livestock and all the 4-H and FFA exhibits, really emphasize the youth in the area because that’s where our future growth is gonna come from.”

Monroe County Fair Board President Don Schrader – also a previous County Fair Person of the Year award winner – expressed his congratulations and appreciation for Mueller at receiving “the highest award for any county fair director” and Woodcock for both his many years as fair director and all his service to the community and 4-H.

“Two great awards for two great people,” Schrader said. “The hours these two individuals have put into making the Monroe County Fair what it is today is just unbelievable.”

Another award at the state fair went to the Neary family, whose family farm was newly recognized as one of the several centennial farms in the area.

Mark Neary said the farm originally came into the family as a wedding present gifted to his grandmother and grandfather from their parents.

Further speaking on the history of the property, he noted the house his mother lived in was built in 1904, keeping the foundation of the previous building which was built in the 1860s.

Neary said the family raised hogs on the farm for a long time, though they have since honed their focus on raising purebred Angus cattle.

Discussing how the farm has been in the family for a century now, he voiced hopes that his kids and future generations will continue to take care of the property and pass it on.

“I kinda look at it like as long as I’m alive, I’m a caretaker of the farm, and my kids’ jobs will be to see who the caretaker is to pass it on to the next generation,” Neary said.

Along with these awards, Monroe County 4-H Youth Development Program Coordinator Kelly Brandt shared some more highlights from the state fair.

As reported last week, Raeleen Neary was inducted Friday into the Illinois 4-H Hall of Fame for 15 years of leading the Clover Friends 4-H Club on top of numerous other contributions to local 4-H and ag activities.

Among 4-H youth, 23 members exhibited general projects in the Orr Building on Friday, with many receiving awards.

Champions included Elizabeth Koch (Creative Writing), Kaleigh Halleran (Entomology), Avery Cope (Cooking), Gwen Wiegand (Forestry), Stanley Hoerr (Natural Resources), Valerie Branson (Theater Arts) and Brayden Koester (Welding).

Isabell Shelton (Sewing) and Elizabeth Murphy (Visual Arts) received Reserve Champion recognition, and Madeline Luther (Cake Decorating) received the Inspire Award.

Cohen Brandt participated in the Master Showmanship Contest, competing against 64 other Illinois 4-H members exhibiting cattle, swine and sheep.

Cohen also received the Reserve Grand Champion award for the All Other Breeds division of the Junior Sheep Show, which led to him taking part in the Parade of Champions in the  coliseum for the champion drive, and he ultimately received the Grand Champion award in the All Other Breeds division of the Open Sheep Show.

Other excellent youth livestock exhibitors from Monroe County included Gracie Stechmesser in swine, Greyson Kruse in beef and Luke Lutman, Kaleigh Halleran and Erin Halleran in sheep.