We are pleased to announce the 2024 Van Buren County Fair is dedicated to a special fair member:
Richard Workman
1947-2023
Richard Workman joined the Fa_irboard the mid-80s when his daughters first started joined 4-H. He was quick to pitch in to help, but sometimes he was content to lean back against the fence smoking his pipe just watching the situation unfold. When he first joined, the veteran board members were excited to have new blood and new muscle and over his tenure on the fair board he became the veteran fair board member who enjoyed mentoring the new young strong members. He put in countless hours helping set up gates and fences and tearing down gates and fences, mowing, talking, and supporting the United Methodist food tent with his daily long John fix. Many will remember Ole Dixie and the work that the tractor got in on! He served as ring man for the horse shows and taught different judges what to look for in driving classes and described what that funny gate was that the Tennessee walkers had. Later, he became the horse superintendent.
He helped with the cattle shows holding renegade calves who decided that they had had a little extra spunk that day, he pulled out campers and trucks when of course the occasional monsoon would set in during the county fair. He helped bring demolition derbys, concerts, horse shows, rodeos, and tractor pulls to the county fair and to open the fair to members of the community not just the folks showing. He was responsible for several years for he storage of campers on the fairgrounds. Lots of renters who also became friends over the years. As a Fairboard member he not only devoted his time when his daughters were in 4-H, but he helped hundreds of young people as they learned how to care for their animals And he was on the fair so long that he even saw his his grandsons show. It wasn't until after he had a heart attack in 2017 and the doctors and his wife told him he needed to remove stress from his life that he decided to step down as a fair board member.​​
Besides the time he was with the local fairboard, he also was a member of the Association of Iowa board for several years and held the treasurer/secretary office with them.
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In 2015, he was honored with the award of Iowa State Fair Fairman of the year award. A huge honor and a very surprised recipient. Those that were there remember that well because he was speechless!!
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Many thanks to the Van Buren County Fair for our family's memories.
