Beech Tree News Network

The Butler County Extension Council met on Monday, April 25. Four inductees were recognized in the first annual Extension Hall of Fame. Tracy Thornton, Greg Drake II, and Lloyd Saylor shared short biographies of Loretta Moore, Dorothy Basham, Betty Farris, and Gabe Keen.

Loretta Moore

Loretta Barrick Moore was born in Indiana but was raised in Barren County.  She lived in the Logansport Community.  She was the wife of the late Richard Moore and the late George Nelson.  She has 2 daughters, Jan Hampton and Laura Beth Moore, a son who is deceased, Jimmy Sherrill, 3 stepdaughters, Joyce Render, Annell Givens, and Lisa Cannon, and 1 stepson Phillip Nelson.  She has 3 grandchildren, 3 great grandchildren, and two more on the way.

Loretta’s passion was loving her family and making the community better for all people.  She was one of the first members of the Morgantown Beautification Committee.  She served as a band booster, on the library board, cub scout den mother, Sunday school teacher, and church treasurer.  She retired from Morgantown Bank and Trust after a 30-year career.

She served as a member of Big Bend Rural Development Club, Butler County Extension District Board, Butler County Homemakers, and was the Butler County Extension Board Treasure for many years. 

Loretta Moore was a provider and leader in her family, leader and doer in her church and community, and will forever be remembered as a true servant of the Lord. 

Dorothy Basham

Dorothy Hays Basham was a Warren County native.  She was married to R.O. Basham and has a daughter, Shirley Alexander and a son, O’Neal Basham.  Dorothy has a host of grandchildren.  

Dorothy was a retired Butler County School cafeteria manager where she worked at 4th District Elementary School.  She was known for making sure there was never a student that went hungry.  She would “put them to work.”  During WWII she became a “Rosie the Riveter” to support her family.

Dorothy was involved in Extension in many ways.  She was a 4-H Leader, member of Reedyville Rural Development Club, Butler County Rural Development Steering Committee, Butler County Extension Council and Board.  Sam Kent even talked her into hosting exchange students.  Her civic involvement included Butler County Farm Bureau Federation and the Butler County Jaycees.  She was honored in 2004 as the grand marshal of the Christmas parade. 

She was known for her fried pies.  She loved to be in the kitchen, whether it be at home, at work, or for rural development fund raisers.  She will be forever in our hearts as the “Fried Pie Queen.”

For Dorothy will always be remembered….

Betty Young Farris. Wife the late Randall Farris, Sons Danny, and Eddie Farris. Eddie has long since moved to Louisville, but Danny still farms here in Butler co.

Betty had a long career with the Bowling Green City School system.

Betty is an icon in extension programs in Butler Co.

Her first extension experiences were a 4-H Club that met at the old Reedyville school, where she participated in sewing projects, as well as 4-H Speech and Demonstration Contests.

In 1956 The Butler Co. Rural Development program was established. Betty was a teen. The group first met in the feed room of the local store. Next, they moved to, and fixed up the old school.

In 1959 The Reedyville Rural Development Club built the current Reedyville community Center. They have added on, and improved it with municipal water, central heat, and air etc. over the years. This is the "go to" facility in that area of the county, for church diners, wedding showers, birthday parties etc. a real asset to the community. Not just the RD Club.

RD's first projects were mailboxes with address numbers general beautification of the community. They had a newsletter they would put in every mailbox (not mail) hand deliver to each box.

They worked hard to get rural phones, first party lines, then they tackled toll free calling across the county lines. Other RD clubs helped in this. Hard to believe today, but there were 5 different phone systems in Butler Co. and sometimes calling across the street was long distance and cost a couple of $ for a short call. It wasn't just convincing the phone companies, but Betty, Randall, and others made many trips to speak to the KY Public Service Commission to get this corrected.

Reedyville Rd, Betty and Randall and others worked hard to get Butler Co. rural municipal water, and our water board established. Randall and now Danny serves on this board.

Betty and Reedyville RD, maintain and upkeep some local cemeteries, they have a separate cemetery fund that pays for the mowing and upkeep.

Rural Development, Betty and a host of others have always supported our school kids, and 4-H program.   They always made me feel welcome when I was new to the community.

Betty Edyth Geary, Dorothy Basham and others made RD Scrap books from 1956-about 2015. These serve as a history of the local community. A history like no other. Births deaths, school evens, weddings, parties, etc. As a history Buff, they are amazing.

Betty has always been active in Butler Co. Homemakers. She participated Radon testing, in making clothing for locals, lunch for any family that has a death in the family, gardening, flowers, and is still a mailbox member.

Betty has held nearly every office in the RD club, Homemakers Club, served on the Rural Development Steering Committee, The County and Mammoth Cave Area Extension Councils, and served on the Butler Co. Extension District Board.

Betty was one of the Board members that helped us acquire the property and build the "New Extension

Office" on G.L. Smith St., in 1985. The financial responsibility of her and others resulted in our moving from a small cramped, not in very good shape facility, to the new office where the payments were $12.00 less a month that we had been paying rent.

Betty has been a leader in so many other programs as well. Farm Bureau, especially. She has been the driving force of so many programs.

Always so kind, always seeing the good in people and the possibilities of the situation.

For seven decades of participation, leadership, and vision, we hereby induct Betty Young Farris into our Extension Hall of Fame.

Gabe Keen

Born October 11, 1942, 80 years old

Born in Butler County and is married to Shirley Woosley Keen and has been for 53 years.

Has 2 children Scott who is married to Laurie and Donita Weeks who is married to Shawn.

Has two siblings still alive, Martha Franklin from Morgantown and Wilburn Nelson from Indiana.

Lived in Sugar Grove most of his life and lives 1 mile from where he was raised.

Loves to farm and garden

Has been involved in Cooperative Extension for years. He said he and Sam Kent started RD in Butler County. He said the first meeting was at Paul Cohron's house and the rest was at the Little Muddy School, and they still meet there today.

He has been involved in the RD Steering Committee, 4-H, AG, Community Development, and CEC Council. He has served in the leadership roles of VP, and President on the local and county level. He is involved in several community agencies such as ASC, Soil Conservation, and Farm Bureau.

When asked what his favorite part is of being involved, he replied, I have met a lot of people during my time and have been involved in different things. I just did what I thought I needed to do. I attend church and serve God and that is important. It all comes from him."

When asked what advice he would give to the young generation, it was: "have respect and care about other people. You are not always right. You need to set down together and work things out. Help your community and others around us and give God the credit for what he does for us each day.