This week on SusanvilleStuff, in celebration of National 4H Week, we will be featuring the five inaugural inductees into the Lassen County 4H Hall of Fame.
Interview completed by Samantha Medvin and Abby Hemphill
Fran is 87 years old. She is one of 5 children. She has 2 brothers and 2 sisters. She first lived in Westwood before she moved to Susanville. She has never missed a fair in the past 75 years. You’ve probably seen her there in her green John Deere gator!
The Hemphill ranch was established in 1938 in Janesville CA, where she currently still lives.
Fran was a Leader of the Lake 4-H Club for 55 years. She helped with almost every project in 4-H but some of the most memorable were: beef, lambs, sewing and photography. She even had a dark room studio where kids learned how to develop film.
Fran was one of the first 4-H leaders that went to the Western Regional Leaders Forum, she attended Forums in Oregon, Hawaii, and Colorado along with many other locations. When she can Mrs. Hemphill still likes to attend Lake 4-H meetings.
Fran’s favorite 4-H memory is getting to see 4-H Club members learn new skills and complete their projects. She has many memories of kids that grew up in 4-H and they became great people in the community. Fran remembers a time that 4-H was sometimes all the family some kids had.
For Fran 4-H was more than a club, it was a family. Fran remembers a time when the State of California supported local 4-H Clubs and some of those funds were used to pay for member enrollment. She would like to see that happen again someday. She believes it would help a lot of kids join 4-H.
Fran believes kids should join 4-H to experience new things, develop leadership skills, and learn basic life skills. She does like seeing projects in sewing and basic homemaking skills. She really likes the 4-H Leadership project and wants to see the program continue for a long time.
Welcome to the Lassen County 4-H Hall of Fame Mrs. Fran Hemphill! May we all strive to devote as much to the program as you have over all these years.
