NORFOLK, Neb. (AP) - With a box of ribbons of many sizes and colors that illustrate decades of hard work, Willis Schlote has accomplished countless show victories throughout his years as a 4-Her, club leader and open show competitor.
The Norfolk Daily News (https://bit.ly/2jiJvNh ) reports Schlote was born in rural Knox County in 1923. In his 93 years, he has devoted much of his time to 4-H, both as a club member in his youth and as a club leader. Schlote participated in numerous events and competitions throughout his years in 4-H.
The middle child with an older brother and a little sister, Schlote first joined 4-H after he graduated from eighth grade.
“When we took the seventh grade, we could also take the eighth grade test, and I went through the seventh and the eighth in one year. I keep telling everybody, ’My dad’s still trying to get me through the eighth grade!’ But then, you know, that was really hard times and my dad and mom didn’t have the money to send me to high school,” he said.
So Schlote joined 4-H instead of going to high school. He was in the Happy Go Lucky 4-H club.
But he credits his success with his livestock in 4-H to earlier times.
“Before I started in 4-H, me and my dad, we used to always go to these cattle shows and hog shows. Years back, they used to always have a judging contest. And I always entered them judging contests. And that’s really where I learned,” he said.
Schlote showed Hereford and Angus cattle and Berkshire hogs.
“I had a grand champion (Berkshire boar) at the state fair, I think it was (19)42,” he said.
“In fact, when I walked out of the show ring, a guy walked up along the side of me and he said, ’You know, Willie, if I can have that hog, I’ll give you what I’ve got in my hand.’ And he had a thousand dollar bill in his hand. And I turned it down.”
Schlote kept the boar.
“We raised Berkshire hogs. And I kept him for a service sire,” he said.
“How I got that grand champion, we had a neighbor that had purebred Berks, too, and he come over one day after I’d used mine for a year. He said, ’How would it be if we’d trade boars?’ He said, ’I’ll even deliver it over to you and then pick yours up if you’ll do that.’ And I said, ’Well sure.’ So I traded for him with the guy, and that’s how I got ahold of the grand champion!”
Schlote was a state fair competitor in multiple categories, even demonstration teams and gardening.
“I was on a demonstration team, and we won at the state fair, first place, and we won at the interstate in Sioux City, first place,” he said.
Schlote was able to travel with 4-H.
“I was a Burlington trip winner at the time. All expenses paid for a solid week in Chicago, we got to tour pretty near everything. . That was a good trip,” he said.
“Then I also won a trip to I Dare You camp . I learned a lot on that camp. Over the years, it really helped me. I think I learned more in 4-H than if I’d have went to high school,” he said. “’’We was out there for a week. I had to go back one day early because I had my hogs entered at the Nebraska State Fair. So I had to leave one day early. But otherwise it was a whole week deal.”
In 1941, Schlote was crowned the Knox County 4-H king alongside his cousin, Shirley, who was named the queen.
After his 4-H years, Schlote worked multiple jobs as World War II was being fought overseas.
“I didn’t go to the service, I was bothered with asthma so bad. I was down for the check twice, and I never passed either time. But then I got the service award by Standard Oil, a $25 bond with that,” Schlote said about his award for contributing to the country’s war effort through agricultural production.
“Back then, during the war, we couldn’t get a mower unless you signed up. If anybody needed any hay to mow, you had to go mow it. So we got that mower, and then when anybody had any hay, we got paid for it. But I had to go and mow, and at the same time, I had a road dragging job, after every rain I’d have to float eight miles, and I had to do that. And my neighbor . he was a big farmer west of me and whenever he had any tough jobs to do, me and my dad always had to help him, like dehorning cattle and all of that, really tough jobs. And I took a welding course one time down at Lincoln. And so I used to do welding, evenings after work, for a lot of farmers years back. I never ever had a high-paying job, but I did a lot of work . That was before I got married.”
In 1954, Willis married a farm girl, Norma. She was 24, and he was 31. In 1964 the family moved to Norfolk, where Schlote worked as a mechanic.
Schlote also spent time competing in open shows and helping kids involved in 4-H. Many of his ribbons are from other shows in which he participated after his 4-H years. He was the 4-H leader for the Madison County club, Wonder Workers. He also worked with multiple area county agents to teach judging to 4-Hers. Once, a 4-H member from Pierce County, and her father came to Schlote for advice.
“They said, ’Willie, what’s your secret?’ And I told them, my main secret was a lot of people when they get beat, they get mad, they don’t like it. My theory always was go up and congratulate the person that beat you and nine times out of 10 that’s when they’re in their weak spot, and they’ll tell you how they done their project. And I used to do that over the years. And I learned a lot from that,” Schlote said.
The girl won the Nebraska state judging contest two years in a row after that and even won a trip to Atlanta, much like Schlote’s trip to Chicago.
Even after retirement, Schlote continued to be active with 4-H and open shows and exhibits and still worked as a mechanic on magnetos, the units on older tractor models that created a spark.
“In fact, when I retired, my wife said to me, ’You worked harder than you did when you was working.’ I said, ’You never followed me around either when I was working!’”
Today, Schlote lives in Norfolk with Norma. He has scrapbooks from his 4-H and showing days. The books include his accomplishments, the accomplishments of his students from his years as a club leader and coach, and even thank-you notes from his 4-Hers. He also has all of his ribbons. His most recent inventory count came up with 671 ribbons total.
“Well I was a pretty tough competitor over the years, I tell you that.”
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Information from: Norfolk Daily News, https://www.norfolkdailynews.com
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