"Cowboy Boots & Family Roots" to honor Haynes' as Grand Marshals

It's fitting that Jerry and Vernette Haynes will be honored as grand marshals of the 2024 Phillips County Fair - it's the same county fair that brought the two together over 40 years ago, creating a lasting legacy of passion, service and dedication to the youth of Phillips County and those surrounding it. The Haynes' are no strangers to the grand marshal honor as the pair were named the same for Sedgwick County's fair last year.

Jerry, who had just returned to Holyoke from college, was serving as the Phillips County fair manager when he met a girl from Ohio who had recently moved to Holyoke and was working as a county extension agent.

"That was our first argument," Jerry jokes about meeting his future wife, Vernette, while both were in important roles of the annual week-long fair.

The two were later married on Jerry's birthday and have celebrated over 40 years of marriage together.

Jerry's family roots run deep within Phillips County; his father and mother's sides of the family both hold Centennial Farm honors, the Haynes and the Kobersteins.

"We have been here since time," Jerry proudly proclaims.

Jerry's parents, Delbert and Emily Haynes, served as Phillips County Fair Grand Marshals in 2001. The two passed within the last year, both just shy of celebrating a century.

Growing up, Jerry and his brothers showed cattle at the fair. The Haynes boys were members of the Better Beef Makers, the local 4-H club Delbert was a founding member of.

After graduating high school, Jerry went to school at Northeastern Junior College and then to Colorado State University. While in college, he served as the Phillips County beef superintendent, an area he was especially familiar with since showing cattle since the age of nine. Jerry said the Haynes boys showed their own stock; so if their cows had heifers, they showed heifers, if the cow had a bull, the boys showed steers.

After college, Jerry went home to Holyoke and worked for Sonnenberg's and HBF in Haxtun before returning back to the family farm. In 1982, Jerry began a long-time career with Jack's Bean Company and he and Vernette welcomed their first daughter, Bailey. Twins Brandi and Brady joined the family in 1985.

"The only county fair I missed was in 1985 when they were born," Jerry said.

Vernette, who was originally from Brecksville, Ohio, came to Colorado while working in the carpet industry. She first landed in Denver and later in Holyoke working for the extension office. She met Jerry and decided Phillips County was where she wanted to be. Her sister still lives in the home their father built in Brecksville.

Jerry served as the Phillips County Fair Manager for 18 years and Vernette worked as an extension agent for six. Jerry said while he was the fair manager, the position paid $1,500 a year. Jerry graciously donated his salary back to fair premiums for exhibitors each year.

Once their children were old enough, the Haynes kids showed sheep, beef and pigs through 4-H and FFA. Their son, Brady, was injured his sophomore year of high school, which slowed things down for the Haynes kids, but Jerry and Vernette haven't stopped giving back to local youth.

Throughout the years, Jerry and Vernette have been a part of the Bo Peep sheep program with Denean Fuesz. The Haynes' have provided rams for the program to help area kids get a start with a sheep project. And every year at the end of the tiny tot sheep show at the fair, the Haynes' give each entrant a cash price and a new halter.

"We just enjoy kids. We love working with the kids," Jerry said.

Over the years, Jerry served on several boards and committees including Phillips County Pheasants Forever, Colorado Pheasants Forever, Colorado Dry Bean Board and the Holyoke Golf Course.

Jerry just recently went part-time with Jack's Bean Company and is more often than not in the stands of an area sporting event. He also raises club lambs running about 150 ewes on their ranch between Ovid and Sedgwick. The two moved from the family farm west of Holyoke to the ranch once their kids were grown. Vernette underwent major medical treatment following a COVID diagnosis, but has recovered and is home. "COVID hit her pretty hard. It affected her physically and mentally," said Jerry.

While his children were growing up and active in 4-H, FFA and sports, Jerry said he rarely missed an event. He credits his boss at Jack's Bean Company who supported employees as they attended their kids' events.

The Haynes oldest daughter Bailey now lives in Sedgwick and works at Lucy's. She and her husband, Daniel, have three kids, Max, Maddison and McKenna, along with the Haynes' first great-granddaughter. Brandi lives in Ogallala, Neb. with her husband JJ, who also works at Jack's Bean Company, and their two children, Camber and Carter. Brandi is a school guidance counselor and is licensed in both Colorado and Nebraska. Son Brady, who is set to marry his fiancé Brittany Evans in November, works at CHS as an agronomist. They all plan to be present when their parents, now second generation grand marshals, are honored at the 2024 Phillips County Fair and ride through the parade in downtown Holyoke on July 27.

The 2024 Philips County Fair, "Cowboy Boots and Family Roots," kicks off at the Fairgrounds in Holyoke on Monday, July 22 and runs through Sunday, July 28 and includes new and returning events like BlackHawk live in concert, KidZone Carnival, CPRA Rodeo and Muttin' Bustin, lawn mower tractor pull, barrel racing, ranch rodeo and of course, 4-H and FFA livestock shows beginning with the horse show on Tuesday morning. The annual junior livestock sale is slated for Saturday afternoon following the parade.

"It's all about the kids," Jerry said about the endeavors he and his wife have been a part of over the past four decades. "I'd rather read about them on page six than the courthouse roundup on page one."