Morehouse keeps memories, leaves 42-year legacy

By JoAn Bjarko
North Forty News

Larimer County is dedicating part of a building at The Ranch to one of its most dedicated employees.

On March 25, Fort Collins native Paula Morehouse retired after nearly 42 years of work with Cooperative Extension. During that time she became the face most identified with the 4-H program.

"Her blood runs green," said county extension director Laurel Kubin. "She's dedicated her life to 4-H and extension."

Morehouse Hall will be the name of a portion of the First National Bank Exhibition Hall, in keeping with the tradition of naming rooms for those who have made significant contributions to the fairgrounds or the Larimer County Fair.

While the county fair itself lasts less than a week, preparation is a year-round job. After all the fair results are carefully entered into the county's official logs, it's time to start getting trophies, ribbons and details ready for the next one. Like clockwork, Morehouse handled the job year after year after year.

Morehouse knows 4-H from the bottom up. As a youngster she belonged to the Pleasant View 4-H Club. Even so, she never thought about working in Cooperative Extension. After graduating from Fort Collins High School, she majored in secretarial training at Colorado State University and then landed a part-time job at the upcoming county fair. It soon turned into a full-time job and her entire career.

"I just kind of worked my way into it," Morehouse said, adding that meeting so many people was her favorite part of the job.

Over the decades, Morehouse worked for four different county directors in the extension office and with numerous 4-H agents. Larimer County has the largest 4-H program in the state.

"She was a very efficient woman and very organized," recalled former director Gayle Knott. "I doubt you will see many secretaries in the whole county that have dedicated themselves to an office like she has."

Morehouse remembers the weekend of the Big Thompson flood in 1976. Hearing that high water was making its way toward the fairgrounds, she and her parents drove to Loveland to rescue the 4-H entries, trophies, ribbons and checkbook. When floodwaters receded, the whole community turned out for a cleanup day to get ready for the upcoming fair. "We made baloney sandwiches like crazy," Morehouse said.

"Paula was a wonderful teammate," said retired 4-H agent Tom Brown.

She was someone he could count on when a little trouble came his way. He recalled locking up the buildings at the fairgrounds late one night and then hearing a woman screaming in the restroom. "I told Paula, 'You go let her out. I'm not brave enough.'"

Another time, they were thankfully spared the job of telling several 4-H parents that their children were lost. The young people had flown from Denver to Florida for a 4-H exchange program, but the airline changed its route and arrived three hours late. Brown said the wait for word was especially worrisome because that was a year planes were being hijacked to Cuba.

Retired director Don Kaufmann, who continues to work with Morehouse on the Larimer County 4-H Foundation, describes her as helpful, competent, responsible and timely. He recalled that years ago the fair office was located in an old garage at the fairgrounds. "Every morning we had to empty mousetraps or chase them out," he said.

It obviously wasn't enough to make Morehouse quit. Computers were another story, however. Morehouse admits she was very resistant to trusting her 4-H records to a machine. "We worked very late into the night to make sure everything did go OK" the first year fair records were computerized, Kubin said.

Morehouse and computers apparently found common ground because she is using one at home in retirement.

The new extension liaison to the fair is Pam Heeney, who also grew up in 4-H and served as leader for the Harmony Hustlers. Heeney already has 27 years as a part-time extension employee and started full-time work in May.

Yes, Morehouse will be at the county fair and rodeo this year, but mostly as assistant to her niece, Korrie Cox, who is this year's queen. In upcoming months she will finally find time to visit old friends, travel and pursue her hobby of photography. She especially enjoys trips to northwest Wyoming.

"I really appreciate everything everyone has done for me to make my job easier," she said. "Everyone's so good and gracious."