October is 4-H Month

Growing up in southwestern Jackson County, Cindy Brees was brought up in the family 4-H tradition.
“I come from generations of 4-H,” Cindy said. “My dad was in 4-H, and it was just kind of a family given that me and my brother and two sisters were all going to be in 4-H.”
Her husband, David, might not have had that kind of an upbringing — Cindy said both of her sisters also married men who weren’t raised in 4-H — but he’s pleased to be able to watch their two children, Breanna and Jacob, growing up in 4-H.
“I didn’t have any experience until the kids came along,” said David, who was in agreement with Cindy early on that when they had children of their own, the 4-H tradition would continue in their family.
“When Breanna came along, I just said, ‘We’re going to do 4-H.’ There was no question about it,” Cindy added.
Today, Cindy is the leader of the Delia Early Birds 4-H club, and Breanna, a senior at St. Marys High School, is preparing for her final year as a 4-H member next year, while Jacob, a freshman at SMHS, still has a few years ahead of him in the Early Birds.
Cindy’s father, David Rezac, had been part of the Grove 4-H club in Shawnee County north of Silver Lake, and for a time, she was a part of that club as well. She knew then that when she grew up and had children of her own, they would be 4-H kids as well.
“When our kids came around, my brother’s kids were already in,” she said. “We just decided that we were going where they were going, and they were going to Delia at that point.”
Breanna started in the Early Birds as a seven-year-old, and one of her first projects involved a Berkshire hog, which she enjoyed until it came time to sell it.
“I remember crying in bed, saying, ‘I don’t want to sell my pig! I don’t want to do pigs!’ But after that first year, I did pigs every year,” Breanna said. “It didn’t take much.”
Cindy said the $900 check she got for the hog was motivation enough to keep going.
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