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Joyce LeFevre named honorary fair volunteer

Joyce LeFevre
VolunteerLeFevreRGB

Joyce LeFevre was born in Cody, Wyo., and grew up with 4-H and an attitude of serving others. She began her 4-H “career” growing up on a ranch near Meeteetse, Wyo. She has been involved ever since.

In Meeteetse she was involved in cooking, sewing and lamb projects. Her mom was a 4-H leader for the Upper Graybull 4-H Club. Joyce remembers taking as her lamb project a pen of three bum lambs, as they did not have market classes at that time. Sewing, cooking and leathercraft were taught in school, giving her a background in those areas.

After graduating from high school, Joyce went to Central Business College in Denver. It was a tough time for Joyce, moving from the ranch to the big city. She worked for friends on the racetrack at Centennial on weekends and every possible break, which helped fulfill her “ag” habit.



During this time, she met Tom, who was going to automotive school. They were married in 1967, and Joyce moved home for a brief time when Tom got drafted. Upon Tom’s return from service, they moved to Basalt for Tom’s job with the state highway department. In Basalt, Joyce was a leathercraft leader for a very large club. In December 1980, Tom was transferred to Maybell, so they packed up their bags and their children, Connie, then 3, and Gene, a first-grader.

Joyce quickly became a big asset to the Maybell community. She took over leadership of the Maybell Rustlers 4-H Club. She noted that the Maybell club was the second club to be chartered by the state. She taught all projects, from cake decorating to livestock, but leathercraft and horse were her favorites. She was the horse “taxi” for all the horse members in the area, going around picking up all the kids and their horses and taking them to the Maybell arena to practice their horsemanship skills. She fondly remembers helping one of her young protégés get bucked off.



The club was very active under Joyce’s leadership, taking many projects to both the county fair and the state fair. She has also been a leathercraft judge. She’s just about done it all.

Joyce has not only been involved with the 4-H program, but has been and still is, involved with all aspects of the community. She taught leathercraft through Colorado Northwestern Community College to seniors at Sunset Meadows II, has been a bus driver for the Maybell senior van, on the Maybell ambulance crew for 12 years, helps tend the Maybell Cemetery as a master gardener, planting trees and helping install a drip system for watering. She has been involved with Little Britches and the FFA Advisory Board, serving as an FFA chaperone for numerous state trips. She does the Maybell senior citizens route, has been a member of the Maybell roping club, and has been a substitute school bus driver. She worked at the post office in Craig from 1995 to 2009, along with all her other “jobs.” Currently, she carries the mail on the Browns Park route, a 180-mile route.

As a result of all her volunteer work, Joyce has been honored as Citizen of the Year from the Maybell Women’s Club, and as an Outstanding 4-H Leader. She and Tom have been recognized by the National Weather Service for 20 years of service recording and reporting the weather. They have also been honored with an Honorary FFA Chapter Degree.

Both Gene and Connie were also very active in the 4-H program. Gene took leathercraft, beef, sheep, swine and small engines, receiving numerous senior showmanship awards. While still in high school, he began an active shotgun club. Gene and his wife, Morsan, live in Moffat County with their two children, Travis, 4, and

Nathan, 1.

Connie and her husband, Brandon Lyster, also live here. Connie took horse, leathercraft, beef, sheep, swine, breads and cakes. She is still an active participant at the open horse show and is a consistent winner in the salsa contest at fair. She has won numerous horse awards and she and Joyce used to put on the Open Horse Show. She currently is the state director for the National Barrel Horse Association and sponsors and participates in barrel races all over the region.

Joyce believes in 4-H. She has been an open class superintendent for many years and is currently an open class photography superintendent. She believes 4-H helps build character and responsibility. It is a good family connection. As you can tell, Joyce most assuredly deserves the honorary volunteer award for the 2011 Moffat County Fair. Joyce, we sincerely congratulate you and thank you for all you have done and continue to do to promote 4-H and the fair, despite your busy schedule. Our hats are off to you.

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