Houghtalings chosen as 4-H Hall inductees

Bob and Lois Houghtaling of rural Greenfield have given decades of service to make the 4-H experience of many Adair County youngsters the best that it can be. To recognize their heart for the 4-H program, the longtime volunteers were given an award at the Adair County Fair last Wednesday befitting of the effort and love they’ve poured into so many.

The Houghtalings are Adair County’s 2025 inductees into the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame. The hall of fame is sponsored by the Iowa 4-H Foundation. Only one individual or couple can be nominated from each county each year for exemplifying outstanding service and dedication to the 4-H youth program of their county.

Lois received the award for her and Bob as two of their daughters — Deb of Greenfield and Mary of Creston — watched on. The third daughter, Amy, resides in Texas.

“It was a complete shock. I wasn’t expecting anything like this at all,” Lois said.

Bob grew up in Mahaska County involved in 4-H. A trip to the National 4-H Congress in Chicago was life-changing for him. To this day, he credits the impact 4-H had on his life as a big reason why he went to college.

Growing up in Hardin County, Lois didn’t participate in 4-H as a youth. It was Bob that originally introduced her to the 4-H program and sparked a lifelong commitment to supporting and uplifting youth. They moved to the Greenfield area in the mid 1960s.

Bob’s involvement in 4-H in adulthood has included serving on the local fair board and serving as its president. He was a 4-H leader and superintendent of the dairy goat project area. He judged livestock all over the area and over multiple species, sharing his gift and knowledge with many.

The Houghtalings had a program for many years that allowed 4-Hers to borrow their dairy goats to show them at the county and state fair. They could return them when they were finished showing or keep them through the winter.

During fair season, Lois would go home and make sure chores were done at home while Bob stayed at the county or state fair, thus excelling in her role as the family’s No. 1 supporter and fan.

Lois often created, wrote and implemented the skits their daughters performed in the communications event Share the Fun. Lois wasn’t the leader of their club, but she certainly took on an active role of giving back to it — a natural fit for her.

More recently, Lois has become immersed in the Pride of Iowa cooking contest during the fair, which celebrated its 25th season this year. She has also organized many a sewing workshop, judged cookies or apple pie recipes as well as static exhibits entered by the Clover Kids — the fair’s youngest participants.

“Bob and Lois have been a pillar of support, education and encouragement in the Adair County 4-H program,” Adair County Youth Coordinator Caroline Savage said in last week’s presentation. “Volunteers and supporters like the Houghtalings are the foundation of 4-H’s success, and Adair County is proud to honor them.”

Lois said 4-H is a wonderful program that she and Bob encourage all to be a part of. They were very grateful to be recognized for the impact they’ve had on local 4-H.

“4-H teaches so many skills. They can get it in other organizations, but 4-H is unique in that it’s a whole family,” she said. “It’s just an overwhelming sense of gratitude that people recognized what we’ve done is significant. We were very humbled. The fact that they pulled it off as a complete surprise gives them an awful lot of credit.”