Honorees named by Dublin Grange

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Debbie Pifer, right, manager of White House Fruit Farm in Canfield, was recently honored as Outstanding Community Citizen of the Year by the Dublin Grange in Canfield. Grange lecturer Gary Reel, who presented a history of the group, was honored as a past master.

CANFIELD

Dublin Grange met recently to confer honors on a community member and several group members.

Debbie Pifer, manager of White House Fruit Farm in Canfield, was honored as Outstanding Community Citizen of the Year. She became the 38th honoree so named by the group, whose intention is to highlight a person who makes a strong contribution to the community, especially in the field of agriculture.

Discussing the history of the farm, Pifer explained that the Hull family has been at the same location for nearly 200 years, as part of the neighboring Baird family original homestead of 640 acres purchased in the early 1800s. Her grandfather, Jerome Hull, saved the farm from foreclosure in 1920 by starting a fruit and turkey operation. The focus today is on fresh fruit and vegetables, with doughnuts being a strong seller.

Also honored were Golden Sheaf members with more than 50 years of continuous membership. Jack Mauch has 71 years; Paul Manchester, Esther Snyder, Marian Manchester, Vera Brown and Vada Reel each have more than 60 years; and Elsie DeHoff and Ken Reel each have 52 years.

Final honorees were past masters, Bill DeHoff, Mauch, Brown, Zella Baker, David Corll, and Ken, Gary and Vada Reel.