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Cathy Jacobs

Nominated by: San Juan 4-H Council

Inducted in: 2005

Cathy signed up to be a San Juan County 4-H leader in 1990 and is now the organizational leader of the Strait Country 4-H Club. She has been instrumental in expanding local 4-H programs. In 1991, she formed the Hoofbeat Gang, a special-interest horse group that holds workshops and schooling shows. She built the program from six members to more than 40, more than half of whom attend the State 4-H Horse School. Cathy is known as the county's rabbit expert, and she teaches the basics of showing and supplies rabbits to local 4-H members. In 2002, she became passionate about the 4-H Dog Program and formed a program for her county, Pooch Patrol Dog Group. In three years, she attracted 103 members and held successful fundraisers. With the help of senior 4-H members, Cathy has held workshops to assist other counties with their dog projects. She has served as president of the Four Corners Horsemen Association and is a member of the National Barrel Horse Association, and the American and New Mexico Rabbit Breeders associations. This year she won the President's Volunteer Service Award for 4,000 hours of volunteer service.

Murry & Fay Jeffries

Nominated by: Floyd McAlister

Inducted in: 2006

J.M. and Fay Jefferies of Roosevelt County Murry and Fay Jeffries have a long history in Roosevelt County 4-H. Mr. Jeffries served on the Roosevelt County Fair Board for 34 years as livestock superintendent and concurrently as a 4-H leader. Throughout that time, as beef projects became increasingly more expensive, Mr. Jeffries managed to increase participation in the beef show with the addition of a breeding beef class. Mrs. Jeffries has also served over 30 as a 4-H leader. She saw record books as an important part of any 4-H career and offered encouragement and support to youth in their completion. Several of these youth went on to attend National 4-H Congress, including the Jefferies' two daughters and granddaughters. Several of the youth active under the Jeffries' leadership have gone on to serve as effective 4-H leaders themselves - what better legacy could we ask for? Accepting this award on behalf of Mr. and Mrs. Jeffries is Patrick Kircher, Roosevelt County 4-H Agent.

Doug and Tommie Sue Jensen

Nominated by: Otero County Extension Service

Inducted in: 2022

Doug and Tommie Sue Jensen have been leaders in the Otero County 4-H program for twelve years. They serve as leaders for the Alamogordo 4-H club, assist with indoor exhibit projects, and are valued shooting sports leaders in multiple disciplines. They’ve mentored numerous youth during their service to the New Mexico 4-H program. In 2018, Doug and Tommie Sue led the Otero County archery team to a fifth place finish at Nationals. They foster a positive relationship with 4-H youth and the community through civic engagement and community service activities. Doug and Tommie Sue Jensen are outstanding county leaders.

Becky Jenkins

Nominated by: Catron County Extension Office

Inducted in: 2004

Evalon Johnson

Nominated by: Sierra County

Inducted in: 2002

Evalon Johnson has been a Sierra County 4-H leader for 25 years, guiding her own children and grandchildren through the program. She has been a project and organizational leader, helping 4-H clubs throughout the county. She has also served on 4-H and Extension Advisory committees and was superintendent of the county fair.

Robert & Elizabeth Johnson

Nominated by: Betty Lou Leeson

Inducted in: 2005

The Johnsons have dedicated more than 28 years of service and support to Sandoval County and Cuba 4-H. Elizabeth has donated her time to an art workshop, encouraging 4-H'ers to enter art exhibits at the fair. Robert has built trails for the County Pony Express Run and horse shows. Together, they have helped fix up the fairgrounds by repairing gates and water lines, rebuilding the livestock barn, and helping with construction of the dance pavilion, new parking lot and RV parking areas. The Johnsons have donated animals to the livestock scramble for those who couldn't afford them and established a buyer's club, which takes in money for the yearly auctions. Their dedication to the 4-H program has also helped find rodeo livestock for the annual rodeo and bring the first petting zoo to the fair. Although their terms have expired, the funding they brought in still continues.

Timothy and Charla Johnson

Timothy and Charla Johnson, Sandoval County

Inducted In: 2013

Timothy and Charla Johnson work to provide opportunities and values through 4-H to the youth of their community. For many years, the Johnsons have helped the youth with their sheep, meat goat and beef projects by opening their ranch, feed store and hearts to many Native American youth from the Navajo nation. They provide livestock and feed to the youth through contracts. The Johnsons host clipping and showmanship clinics so the youth may succeed with their projects. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have served on the Sandoval County Fair Board for many years. They have been instrumental in strengthening the youth livestock shows and Jr. Livestock Auction. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson know the importance of rewarding youth for their accomplishments so they have formed a buyers club. Each year they raise a significant amount of money for the livestock sale. They are dedicated in providing opportunities to the youth of their community. We welcome Timothy and Charla Johnson into the New Mexico 4-H Hall of Fame.

Edwin & Frances Johnston

Nominated by: Lea County Extension Office

Inducted in: 2003

Lucille Jones

Nominated by: Shelly Hathorn, San Juan County

Inducted in: 2019

Lucille Jones has served as a volunteer leader in San Juan County in almost every available position on the club, county, and state level for well over 25 years. She first became involved in 4-H when her children were old enough to join the Silver Dollar 4-H Club. She helped 4-H members prepare countless 4-H projects for the County Fair and assisted with club activities and community service projects. Through those years, she and her husband, Herman, were instrumental in developing the archery program in the county and at the Northern Navajo Nation Fair in Shiprock. She has also served a number of years as a County 4-H Council advisor. She has served on the San Juan County Fair Board for the past 14 years overseeing a number of departments, including the 4-H indoor exhibits. When asked to serve on the NM Adult Volunteer Leader Executive Board, she quickly agreed and continued to serve for well over five years.
Mrs. Jones is now supporting her grandchildren in 4-H by volunteering as a chaperone and instructor. She was a co-leader for the outdoor cooking workshop track at the 2019 State 4-H Home Ec School in March and in 2018 she traveled with 13 San Juan County 4-H members to Washington, D.C., for Citizenship Washington Focus. It is easy to see that Lucille Jones loves 4-H and the youth that have been enrolled in the program.

Tiny Faye Jones

Nominated by: State 4-H Office

Inducted in: 2002

Tiny Faye Jones spent 25 years of her career as a state 4-H leader, helping membership increase from 4,000 members when her career began, to more than 80,000 when she retired in 1977. She traveled throughout the state and played a major role in organizing the State 4-H Conference. She spent 12 straight Thanksgivings on the train with 4-H'ers going to 4-H Club Congress in Chicago and many nights on a camp cot to keep an eye on kids who never wanted to go to sleep. She worked with Eastman Kodak to develop a 4-H manual as part of the National Photography Committee and served on the National 4-H Development Committee to increase funding and support. No matter where she travels in New Mexico, someone always stops her to talk about 4-H.

Susanne Norton Jones

Suzanne Norton Jones of Lea County

Inducted in 2009

At birth each of us is given a gift or a talent. While this gift is ours, we must pass it along to others. According to Suzanne Norton Jones, a feel for horses was put in her bassinet. Based on her own vast experiences, Mrs. Jones found that defeat, sorrow, happiness, friendship, pain, hunger, tears and smiles all traveled as companions in the horse world. The greatest thing of all, though, was the knowledge gained not only about the horses but also about the riders. She has shared this knowledge with young people from all over, promoting positive youth development through Equine education. Mrs. Jones began volunteering as a 4-H horse project leader in 1962. In the mid-1980s, NMSU's Cooperative Extension Service was getting feedback that the 4-H program should better answer the needs of horse-oriented youth. So the 4-H Horse School was started in 1982 at the state fairgrounds in Albuquerque with just five instructors, including Mrs. Jones. She has been called back to teach each year since. The weeklong school has grown to be one of the best-known in the United States. The current program not only covers horsemanship skills, but also safety, feeding, first aid, packing, horse psychology and etiquette. In 1992, the 4-H Horse School was renamed the Suzanne Norton Jones 4-H Horse School.