In 1980 the Union County Homemakers Club voted through their County Council to purchase State required Children’s Car seats for the needy. (In 1977 the State of Tennessee was the first state to require child car seats.)

Ruby Graves was the County President over the Homemakers of Union County. She was then replaced by Joyce Hurst. Jean Palmer was elected to be Union County Voting Delegate at the State Convention. Ruby Baker was the Secretary and kept up with keeping the records. The Homemakers Agent was Mrs Hobt, by the 1990’s Extension had seen a few different Agents, Debbie Johnson Morgan, Andrea Vance and Carol Sue Hunter.

For many years the different Homemakers clubs provided birthday cakes at the local nursing homes. Each of the different clubs took turns about taking the birthday cakes. Clubs then were: Sharps Chapel, Big Ridge, Rush Strong and Hubbs Grove. Rush Strong folded that year. There was still a Union County Council. Hubbs Grove folded in 2017. Sharps Chapel folded in 2020 just as the Covid 19 Epidemic occurred.

Agent Carol Sue Hunter taught a Summer Sewing Class for 4-H Members at the Optomist Club in Maynardville. Volunteers Joyce Hurst and Carol Pratt assisted the Agent. I can remember a student (Lucas) sewing a needle right through her pointer finger. Sewing classes still take place for anyone wanting to learn. Retired agent Debbie Morgan, FCS Agent Abbey Cabbage Thomas and newcomer Sarah Cook.

In the 1990’s, the Union County 4-H members represented our county well in the State Wildlife Judging Team by members Brian Sharpe, Todd Dykes, Tony Bull, Tim Mobley and Jared Effler. They won First Place under the direction of Agent Bill Morgan. They went on to the Nationals in West Virginia, In 1992, under the direction of Agent Andrea Vance and later Agent Carol Sue Hunter, they formed a Union County Clown Troop. Members Erin Wilkerson was selected to attend the Resource Development Conference in Fontana North Carolina. Another 4-Her Jared Effler won the National Wildlife Judging.

The Union County 4-H Program has helped produced many successful individuals that have become successful in our community and outside our community. Erin Wilkerson went on to get her college degree and is working successfully at Oak Ridge National Laboratories. Jared Effler went on to Law School and is presently our Attorney General representing the 8th District.

The 4-H Programs have made many adjustments throughout the years with less family farms farming. Staff Member Beth Burgeron, Extension Program Assistant runs the local Bread Baking Contests at each elementary school and the Home Schools contests. She also runs the Public Speaking, Photography and poster contests. Beth was a huge contributor to organizing the Union County Farmers Market. Through lots of hard work and grants the new Farmers Market opened on Durham Drive in 2022. It has a Community Industrial Canning Kitchen for anyone to use. It even has a Board of Directors. Local Farmers Donna and husband Rick Riddle put a lot into building this as did Agent Shannon DeWitt and Union County Commissioner Danny Cooke. Work is still going on there with the building of Heritage Park where many famous entertainers from Union County originated and will be memorialized.

In 2010 the Sharps Chapel FCE Club under the President Gloria Holcomb hosted the Spring Lunch. They presented a program about the “Women of Union County”. They dressed up for the event in periodic dresses and told stories about the infamous women in the county. This was one of the best storytelling events I’ve ever attended. It was truly educational. I believe Union County Historian Bonnie Peters writings inspired this event.

These articles are just a smidgen of the information Jeri Lett and Carol Pratt found in the Union County Files. Finding the 1917 records that were hand written and in good shape sparked our interest.