• 
• CLASS
• JOBS
• AUTO
• HOMES

Fair to honor outstanding seniors

Photo Gallery

Behind the scenes at the Walworth County Fair

Snapshots from the 2010 Walworth County Fair in Elkhorn, Wis.

View Gallery

ELKHORN — The Walworth County Fair will honor two men and three women as 2010 Walworth County Fair Outstanding Senior Citizens at a 2 p.m. ceremony Thursday at the park stage.

They are Al Gruling, 76, of East Troy; Mary Kaye Merwin, 68, and Donald Brick, 81, both of Delavan; Marlene Schliz, 68, of Lake Geneva; and Joan Johnson, 73, of Darien.

Gruling is vice president of the Elkhorn Senior Travel Club, president of Ev e r g r e e n Cemetery and Wa l w o r t h C o u n ty Cemetery Ass o c i a t i o n s , co-chair of the Walworth County Arts Council Display Case, past president of East Troy Area Historical Society, past director of Walworth County Farm Bureau and past director at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church.

Al does set ups for the Red Cross Blood Bank in East Troy, has been a RSVP Friendly Visitor and has volunteered at the East Troy Food Pantry for the past seven years.

Al and his wife, Joann were general leaders for many years of the Troy Center 4-H Club. Al chaired a day in the Walworth County Farm Bureau Ice Cream Tent for many years.

Merwin has donated her time at the United Church of Christ Congregational Church of Delavan, serving on the council, executive committee, board of trustees, finance/stewardship committee, food staff for Children’s Fine Arts Day Camp, coordinating committee for Madrigal dinners, designed and created more than 50 costumes.

Mary Kaye was on the board of directors of the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation, a secretary of the Wisconsin Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, treasurer for the Walworth County Arts Council, a volunteer at Black Point Historic Preserve, and on the tour committee for the Walworth/Big Foot Area Historical Society.

Brick has served on the Delavan/Darien School Board for 15 years, on the CESA2 Board for eight years, was active with the AFS program at Delavan/Darien for 10 years, served as lay leader at the Delavan Methodist church for 10 years, worked on the church’s harvest dinner for 22 years.

Donald has been the lay speaker at his church since 1988, served on the church b u i l d i n g c o m m i tt e e for six years, wrote the church’s usher booklet, headed the church’s garden committee, served as president of the Men’s Club, manages the church’s dart ball, managed the Lakes Area Dart Ball League since 1986 and county softball for 35 years.

Schliz is a retired employee of 32 years from Trostel Packings Ltd. of Lake Geneva. She currently volunteers at W.C REsource Center Food Pantry, works with Knights of Columbus Tootsie Roll Drive.

W h i l e helping at the Food Pantry, she offers extras such as fresh vegetables and fruits, diapers, pet food and personal hygiene items. She also was largely responsible for a fundraiser to accumulate pet food for the pets of clients. last December.

Johnson has been on the Darien Cemetery Board for 25 years, she started the Darien Senior Cards & Games six years ago and the Wednesday 500 Club at the senior center.

Joan is a member of the Triune Lutheran Church and helped with the Turkey Dinner Fundraiser. She owns the Darien hardware store.