Helen Musselman, 99, has been involved with the Hamilton County 4-H program for 78 years. Her 75 years as a Hamilton County Extension Homemaker was recently celebrated during the organization’s year of achievements on June 26.
“To me, 4-H is the most wonderful organization there is. I try to encourage everybody to belong to 4-H,” she said. “They learned by doing and had to complete projects.”
Musselman started as an adult volunteer in 1936 when she moved back to Noblesville, where she was born, after living and going to school in Detroit.
“My sister belonged to 4-H so I took her there. We were a group of country women that became a homemaker’s extension club, and we all were really active until we got old,” Musselman said. “We had a lot of fun in a lifetime. It’s been a lot of work, but it’s fun.”
Musselman said the girls clubs specialized in home economics topics, but were not strictly sewing and cooking or baking. She said other skills included making soap, redoing furniture, canning food at churches, etching glass and cross stitch.
“It made better homemakers, a way of life for country kids,” she said. “It kept the family together. They do things together, and they show cattle together. They work together and help other children with their projects.”
The Hamilton County Extension Homemakers are made up of more than 200 volunteers committed to strengthening families through continuing education, leadership development and volunteer community support. For more, visit www.extension.purdue.edu/counties/hamilton.
