Thomas, Blair Recognized for Distinguished Service
Marilyn Thomas, of Wetzel County, and Ralph Blair,
of Wood County, were chosen as the recipients of the
2014 Distinguished Service Award at the 2014 West
Virginia Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in November.
Ralph Blair has always had farming in his blood.,
working in his grandfather’s hayfields as a young boy.
Later, Ralph planted a garden on his parents’ property
and sold vegetables. He continued this venture through
high school and college, where he obtained a B.S. in
Agriculture.
Marilyn Thomas learned about farming early in life,
spending summers on her grandfather’s farm. He raised
Ralph and his wife, JoEllen, eventually settled in
chickens and grew nut trees, and instilled in her a love
for all things agriculture. Today Thomas lives on 73 acres Belleville in Wood County with children Victoria, Sue
Ellen, Douglas and Sam, on a 250-acre farm, where they
in Wetzel County, where she raises polled short-horned
raised cattle, sheep and chickens. These days the Blairs
heifers, chickens and rabbits.
raise corn, soybeans, hay and beef cattle, and have a
Thomas has personally financed three visits to Wetzel large garden.
County of the Mobile Agriculture Education Science
A Farm Bureau member for 40 years, Ralph has
Lab. She singlehandedly raised funds for a new livestock
served on the WVFB Board of Directors as well as
barn/arena for the local fairgrounds. She established
serving a twenty-year term as Wood County president.
Wetzel County’s Autumnfest, serves on the Southern
Currently he serves as vice-president of WCFB, and as
States board, is president of the Wetzel County Cancer
a Region 6 director on the West Virginia Farm Bureau
Coalition and past president of CEOS.
board. He is also a former member and past president
of the Wood County Board of Education and the West
Thomas served as the Wetzel County Farm Bureau
Virginia Sheep Producers Association, as well as many
president from 1989-2002, and has also served in a
other committees and organizations, where he has
number of other roles and committees. she has been
received numerous awards. He has been recognized as
honored with many awards throughout her career.
both a Friend of 4-H and a Friend of FFA.
West Virginia Farm Bureau News 27