4-H Tradition Spans Four Generations
Many families hold traditions near their hearts. From Christmas dinner together to family vacations, traditions help strengthen family bonds. The Cornelius family of Rogersville in Lauderdale County has kept one tradition alive through four generations–their involvement in 4-H.”To my family, 4-H has always been second to Sunday school,” Barbara Cornelius said. Her entire family–from her mother, Alta, to her husband, Thomas, to her three sons, Rob, Eric and Jay–have been 4-H’ers.The Corneliuses live on a farm where they raise walking horses, sheep, pigs, goats and other animals. This year, Jay and wife Alison were named the Alabama Farmers Federation’s Outstanding Young Farm Family in the meat goat and sheep division.Maintaining a farm takes skill and hard work, and Barbara said 4-H, which is a program of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, provided training that helped her sons.”The livestock judging really helped the boys. They learned to look at an animal and tell whether it was good or bad and defend it with a reason,” she said. “And when it came time to sell our Charolais cattle and bulls at the local market, they always fetched a fair price because the boys knew how to groom them, and our cattle just looked better. That was a direct result of 4-H.”Rob agreed that his 4-H experience was extremely valuable. “There’s nothing better than 4-H to build a young man’s or a young woman’s character,” Rob said. “Because of my livestock judging experience I got with 4-H, one of the biggest beef farmers around here asked me to go with him one time to pick out a whole set of heifers.”The three Cornelius men said 4-H’s “learning by doing” motto and the help of one special Extension employee have molded them into the men they are today.”Ronnie Lane was a role model,” Eric said. “He never stressed we had to win or that we had to be competitive. He would just say, ‘You can do this, and you’ll do a good job.’ He helped bring out the best qualities in us that we didn’t know we had.”Lane, who has been with the Lauderdale County Extension office for more than 25 years, said he instantly bonded with this family when he took the position as county agent in 1974. “I’ve been good friends with this family for more than 25 years, and it’s been a great relationship,” Lane said. To the Corneliuses, Lane is much more than just a 4-H leader.”Let me tell you how much Jay loves Ronnie,” said Barbara. “Last year he got married, and who do you think he wanted in his wedding? His brothers of course, but he also wanted Ronnie. So I think that tells you how much he thinks of him.”4-H helped the family not only build special relationships but achieve goals as well. “All three of my boys received scholarships because of their 4-H activities,” Barbara said.Rob is an accountant with his father’s firm, Cornelius Accounting. He continues to work on the family farm, training horses and working with the goats. He also judges horse shows as part of the National Horseshow Judging Commission. Jay raises horses and sheep for show, and Eric is a teacher in the Lauderdale County school system.The tradition of participating in 4-H is still going strong in the Cornelius family. Rob and Eric both have children who are involved in the club. Two of Rob’s children, Caid, 7, and Cannon, 5, already are showing lambs. “Caid started when he was 3, and Casen, who’s 2, doesn’t have long before he’ll be out there,” Rob said. Eric’s children, Aaron, 5, and Taylor, 9, both compete in the lamb club. Aaron recently won first place in Lauderdale County for showmanship.The Corneliuses intend to keep their 4-H tradition alive for many years to come, as have other families throughout 4-H’s 100-year history. It’s a tradition, the Corneliuses said, that has given them strength.”Our family represents what 4-H is all about,” said Barbara. “It’s taken us so far. It’s good. It’s beneficial. And it’s made us what we are today.”For more information on the 4-H youth program, contact your county Extension System office.Kara Neloms is an agent assistant with the Lauderdale County Extension System