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Distinguished Service Award Winner, 70-year WVFB
Member Albert Wilfong Dies
Grow Christmas Trees for
Fun & Profit
Albert Lincoln Wilfong, 86, of
Dunmore, West Virginia, passed
away Thursday, May 16 at the
University of Virginia hospital.
He was born December 20,
1926, a son of the late Charles
and Orpha Lindsay Wilfong.
Mr. Wilfong was a lifelong
farmer, and loved the hard
work that accompanied it. He
was a 70-year member of Farm
Bureau.
Other activities included
serving on the Pocahontas
County Commission 19841990; as well as membership in
the West Virginia Cattlemen’s
Association; West Virginia
Shepherds Federation;
and National Wild Turkey
Federation. He served several
terms as a board member of the
Pocahontas Producers Livestock
Market.
Mr. Wilfong received
many honors for his work in
farming. Among those were:
FFA Star Farmer, 1947; WV
FFA Established Farmer, 1960;
Statewide Winner of Farming
for Better Living Award, 1965;
Do you have two to five acres
of gentle sloping land to spare? A
Christmas tree growing project may
be a viable option. Currently, there
are more than 20 West Virginia
counties without a “choose and cut”
Christmas tree farm. Christmas
trees can be grown successfully and
profitably in WV.
2 West Virginia Farm Bureau News
National Efficiency Award for
Sheep Production, 1974; and
Master Farmer Award, 1979.
He was inducted into the West
Virginia Ag & Forestry Hall
of Fame in 1995 and received
the West Virginia Farm Bureau
Distinguished Service Award in
2001.
He is survived by his wife,
Helen; sister, Ruth Horner; three
children, Shirley Wilkins and
husband Jack; Charles Wilfong
and wife Linda; and Patricia
Wilfong; six grandchildren,
Susan Wilkins, Jonathan Wilkins
of Hillsboro, Sarah (Wilkins)
Brown and husband, Lee of
Woodrow; Nicole (Wilfong)
Sattler and husband, Silas;
Kristine (Wilfong) Sharp
and husband, Arthur; and
Charles Albert Wilfong II, all
of Dunmore; and two greatgrandchildren, Trey Sattler and
Noah Sharp.
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A series of free workshops
sponsored by the WV Department
of Agriculture, the WVU Forestry
Extension Service and the West
Virginia Christmas Tree Growers
Association are being offered
throughout the state, covering the
basics of growing high quality trees.
A financial analysis will be provided.
Discussion of wreath production will
also be included.
Currently workshops are
scheduled for Pocahontas County
(July 20th), Gilmer County
(August 24th), Mercer County
(September 7th), Tucker County
(September 14th), and Lincoln
County (September 28th). For more
information, contact Ed Grafton at
(304-765-3014).