5 generations, one 4-H legacy

Tucked off the intersection of U.S. Highway 50 and Kansas Highway 281 lies Clarence Alpers' farmstead, where cattle graze and wheat, milo, corn, alfalfa and soybeans grow throughout the year.

The expanse is striking to passers-by, partly because its tract showcases more than one kind of green. Beyond the fertile crops and bright grass pastures, the family's nearly 100-year-old farm is steeped in Kelly green — more familiarly known to the Alpers as 4-H green.

How legacy took root

In 1937, Alpers became a founding member of the Jolly Workers 4-H Club in Hudson and served as a community leader from 1942 to 1967.

Known for his gift for mentoring and his favorite saying, "You can never have too many friends," he continues to influence the Jolly Workers through the Clarence and Vera Alpers 4-H Scholarship, awarded each year through the Golden Belt Community Foundation.

As four more generations have joined the family legacy, they've also joined the Jolly Workers, each ready to leave their own mark on the club. And as the Kansas 4-H program celebrates its 120-year legacy at the 2026 Kansas State Fair, the Alpers family's 89-year tradition also endures in central Kansas.

"To me, 4-H is more than an organization; it's part of my family's story," said Tabra Alpers Ward. "Continuing that tradition is an honor, and I hope my children will grow up with the same values of service, leadership and community that have been passed down through our family for generations."

Alpers Ward is a part of the fourth generation of her family to join the Jolly Workers 4-H Club. As a member for 12 years and a community leader for an additional five, she's carrying on the legacy that began with her great-grandfather, Clarence.

Her grandfather, Marion Alpers, now 94, spent eight years as a Jolly Worker and several more as a project leader. The tradition continued with her father, Kevin Alpers, and aunt, Janell Alpers Foote, who each spent a decade in the club. Her siblings, Tyler Alpers and Taci Alpers Axman, and cousins Josh and Derek Foote also spent 12 years in the program, with Tyler serving five additional years as a club leader.

Generations in green

The family's 4-H legacy is now in its fifth generation. Eighteen of Clarence's great-great-grandchildren have been a part of the Jolly Workers; six will bring that legacy to the Kansas State Fair this year, showcasing projects ranging from foods and clothing to rocketry and a bee poster.

"Being part of a family with such deep roots in 4-H is something I am incredibly proud of. It's brought our family together while teaching us the values of hard work, service, leadership and citizenship," Taci Alpers Axman said. "It's given us opportunities to learn, grow and make lifelong memories together. It is a blessing that not only were we raised in this community, but our tradition has been carried on to the following generations."

Kevin Alpers, a third-generation Jolly Worker, remembers tagging along with Clarence and Marion to meetings long before being able to join 4-H himself.

"I got to spend many years with my grandpa and dad at the fairs watching the older 4-H members, and I wanted to be just like them," he said. "As I joined 4-H and helped younger members, I knew I wanted my children to have the same experiences. I feel each generation is leaving a legacy that will just keep getting better and better."

Looking beyond blue ribbons

Sarah Maass, the state director of the Kansas 4-H program, says five-generation families like the Alpers are more common in Kansas than people might think.

"What keeps 4-H going in a family for generations is not the projects completed or the ribbons received; it's parents and grandparents deciding that what they learned through 4-H is worth handing down to the next generation," she said.

The Alpers family says there's no shortage of benefits they've received from the program: life skills, lessons learned, experiences gained, lifelong friends, work ethic, responsibility, leadership, community service and more.

"I'm very proud of our family’s history in 4-H," Marion Alpers said. "Not many people get to see their great-grandkids participating in the program. Some years are good, some not so good, but learning to adjust is part of life. They are learning responsibilities that they might not have learned otherwise."

For Janell Alpers Foote, what stands out to her is the role 4-H has played in bonding the family across generations.

"4-H means strength in the family. Being raised on a farm, we had many tasks we had to help with; not all were fun, but we learned either way," she said. "We worked together, played together, laughed together and even cried together, and it made our family stronger. 4-H helps keep families working together. We still help our grandkids with projects, whether it's sewing or pigs. We are all connected."

The Kansas State Fair will take place Sept. 11-20 in Hutchinson.

Visitors are encouraged to visit the 4-H Encampment building on the north end of the fairgrounds, where more than 10,000 projects will be on display, including those from the Alpers family.