Recognized by
Michigan 4-H Youth Development

With support from
Michigan 4-H Foundation

Last updated: August 4 , 2006

Retired School Bus Driver

“4-H gave me the opportunity to attend workshops, build floats, work on committees and develop myself…I made many new friends and this helped me know about the world.”

Helen M. Simon has dedicated her entire life to 4-H and young people. She dreamt of becoming a school teacher, but due to financial difficulty in the Great Depression was unable to finish school. Simon was a school bus driver for 22 years after raising 14 children. In addition to her work, 4-H became her outlet to reach out to and teach the young people of her community.

For the past 70 years, Simon has been an Ionia County 4-H leader of several clubs including the Variety Club, Maple-Grand 4-H Club and Plains People 4-H. Plains People received the Community Service Group State 4-H Award the first year it was given. She has led her clubs in a variety of community service projects over the years including making and donating baby clothes to the local hospital, cooking and serving dinner for senior citizens, planting flowers in the community, and donating a book collection to the hospital pediatrics for patients to take home. She has hosted two IFYE exchange students from Switzerland, chaperoned the Ionia County delegation to Citizenship Washington Focus and drove a group of 4-H leaders to Chicago for a trip. She served on the State 4-H Global Awareness Programming Committee for over 10 years, taught many sessions at 4-H Exploration Days, was the 2001 Ionia Free Fair Marshall and has managed the 4-H Still Exhibit Quonset during the fair since 1989. Simon also served and held office on the Ionia Public Schools Parent Teacher Council and has chaired and worked on many community dinners, fundraisers and general activities.

In memorium August 3, 2006.