The HSHS St. Francis Hospital Foundation has announced the winners of two special awards in local agriculture.

 

The Special Recognition award is not presented annually, rather
when the HSHS St. Francis Foundation’s Agricultural Committee seeks
to recognize an organization or person who is furthering the well-being
of our community through service, stewardship, or philanthropy. Past
honorees have included Litchfield Family Practice Center, the Arthur L.
Fogelman Trust, and the W. Darrell Kilton Foundation. Today we honor
the James A. and Owen M. Duff Memorial Trust.
James Allen Duff, a revered figure in our agricultural landscape,
left an indelible mark upon our community before his passing
on October 29, 2013. Born on April 25, 1921, to Fred Russel and
Florence Edith (White) Duff, James was a son of the soil, deeply rooted
in the farming traditions of Litchfield. His journey began at Litchfield
High School, where he received his education before embarking on a
lifelong commitment to farming alongside his brother, Owen Duff.
Beyond his agricultural pursuits, James was a pillar of the
community, dedicated to the well-being of Litchfield and its residents.
He found solace and purpose in his membership at the First Baptist
Church in Litchfield and his active involvement in the Montgomery

County Farm Bureau. Though he remained unmarried, his devotion to
his family, his land, and his community knew no bounds.
In testament to his generosity and foresight, James outlined in his
will his desire to establish the James A. Duff and Owen M. Duff
Memorial Trust Fund, entrusting the stewardship of his estate to the
Bank & Trust Company's trust department in Litchfield. This trust was
designated to support charitable endeavors within North and South
Litchfield Townships, with a particular emphasis on educational
initiatives within the Litchfield school district.
The scope of James' and Owens' philanthropy extended far beyond
educational pursuits, encompassing the enhancement of local amenities
such as the Litchfield Carnegie Library, the development of Lake Lou
Yaeger Park, and the beautification of the city itself. His vision for the
improvement and expansion of recreational and cultural facilities within
Litchfield serves as a testament to his commitment to fostering a vibrant
and flourishing community.

As we gather to honor James and Owen Duff and the enduring
legacy of their benevolence, we do so with gratitude. The Duff Brother's 
unwavering dedication to the betterment of our community serves as an
inspiration to us all.
At this time I would ask Denise DeLaCruz, Trust Officer, and
Trisha Bradley, Assistant Trust Officer at the Bank & Trust to come
forward to accept the award.

 

Today’s recipient of our St. Isidore award has been a farmer for 80
years in South Litchfield, beginning with 13 horses when he was just 8
years old. The family homestead was a creek bottom farm planted with
30 acres of corn, 10 acres of oats and 10 acres of hay. For livestock there
were cattle, chickens and pigs. They did their own butchering and
milked the cows for their own us while selling the cream and eggs.

The corncrib held 1000 bushels with the land yielding 35 bushel
per acre of corn. There was no weed killer or fertilizer. They utilized
check row planting and hand hoeing to control weeds.

The only son of his parents, Otto and Lorene Lay, Ross Lay
graduated from Litchfield High School in 1955. He had one younger
sister, Betty Hittmeier, now deceased. Ross and his wife, Mary, are the
parents of two children, Lisa Heyen and Daniel Lay and have two
grandchildren, Eric and Tyler Heyen, and five great-grandchildren:
Oliver, Eleanor, Rory, Clark and Sadie Heyen.

Ross bought a farm near WSMI where his family lived for the next
60 years. Ross now farms about 1000 acres in primarily South

Litchfield. Ross credits Lynn Back and his family who he has farmed
with over 45 years. Ross noted Lynn knows fabrication and the two men
enjoy modifying farm equipment, taking pride in the fact that they don’t
buy new, they modify what they have.

Mindful of conservation practices, Ross favors deep tilling which
he says turns the clock back a million years, bringing clay up to mix
with the silt. Deep plowing tills 30 inches deep, rather than the normal
six to eight inches. He also advocates for making dry dams which lets
the water out slowly onto grass which helps prevent erosion.

As for farming advise, Ross recalls his Dad always telling him that
you need to have a little piece of bottom land to help offset the drought.

Civic-wise, Ross is President of Litchfield Farmers Grain, and
served on the Montgomery County farmland assessment committee, the
Hart Cemetery Board and the Montgomery Service Board. He has been
a 4-H leader and in high school Ross achieved the State Farmer degree
in FFA.

At this time I would ask Ross to come forward to receive the
HSHS St. Francis Hospital Foundation’s St. Isidore Friend of
Agriculture Award.