The Enon Community Historical Society recently honored Jessi DeVore with the beautiful etched glass Fowble Award for her work with the organization. DeVore is only 26, but her list of accomplishments would be impressive for someone three times her age.
Being a DeVore in Enon means you will be helping with the Apple Butter Festival. Since we moved here in 1992, I’ve watched DeVore help her grandparents, Lou and Carol DeVore, and her parents, Tim and B.J. DeVore, as they all were a part of setting up, running and tearing down Apple Butter Festivals.
I watched this little girl struggle with a trash bag almost as big as she was and later watched her stop traffic as she painted red apples on the streets of Enon. Every year she did more to help.
In 2007, she became the head of the Apple Butter Festival Committee at the age of 18, around the time that she graduated from Greenon High School.
In addition to the Apple Butter Festival this last year, she was also a vice-chairman of the Valentine’s Day Dance, and worked on the Historical Society floats for the Memorial Day and Fourth of July parades.
Somehow she has still found time to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Phoenix and is currently working toward her Masters degree in behavioral health.
She works for her father’s business, DeVore Works, and enjoys raising chickens and rabbits with the assistance of her son Vincent, who is following in the footsteps of the three generations before him.
“Vincent is our spokesman for the Apple Butter Festival,” she told me.
As Jessi DeVore explained, she took Vincent with her to a television interview for the Apple Butter Festival. As it turned out, he stole the show and did most of the talking.
One of the most endearing things I find about Jessi DeVore is that when I called to talk to her about her award, she insisted on first telling me about a new award the Historical Society recently gave to one of its founder’s, Bob Fowble.
Fowble was honored with a Trustees Emeritus Award for his lifetime of work with the Historical Society and the community of Enon. He and his wife Lois were at the Historical Society’s banquet at Knob Prairie Church to receive the award when she was honored with the award named after them, the Fowble Award.
The Fowbles have been a part of the Historical Society from the beginning. At that time, the Fowbles lived next to the Enon Mound which, I imagine, had to be inspiring. The Apple Butter Festival was started by Fowble and others who were trying to figure out what to do with the apples growing on the mound.
“Bob Fowble was the founder and the energy behind the Historical Society and Apple Butter,” said Ann Armstrong, another long-time member.
Fowble was president of the society for 10 years and has been a board member for decades, Armstrong explained. The Trustees Emeritus Award was created to thank him as he officially retired from the board.
I wanted to write about these two awards because, the Lord knows, we always need to publish more good news. How great it is to be able to honor citizens in this community for a lifetime of unselfish service. What treasures we have in Bob and Lois Fowble.
How wonderful it is to also see a member of this younger generation stepping up to volunteer and having a positive effect on her community at the ripe old age of 26.
I hope to write about more of our fine young people and devoted volunteers in the near future. Please let me know when big awards are given and milestones are achieved. It helps us all to see that the future is brighter than we think.
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