The West Liberty Lions Club this week announced their 2024 Lion of the Year recipient and the Labor Day Parade Grand Marshal for this year’s Labor Day Festival.
Both of these individuals will lead the parade Saturday, Aug 31, which begins at 10:30 a.m.
The Lion of the Year is Bob Harrison, who has been a member of the West Liberty Lions Club for 29 years. Joining Harrison in the Labor Day parade honors this year is grand marshal Joe R. Buck Sr., 92-year lifelong resident of the West Liberty community.
Lions Club members said Harrison was “very honored, appreciative, and surprised” when he learned of this honor. Growing up on a farm on Ricketts Road with his parents and two sisters, he graduated from West Liberty High School in 1957.
After graduation, he farmed for several years with his father, milking around 28 holstein cows, and then began commuting to Urbana College.
In 1970, Harrison was hired as the Urbana College maintenance supervisor which is where he would meet his wife, Dorothy, through their mutual love of motorcycles. The couple married in 1976, and he graduated in 1978 with a BS in Comprehensive Science.
He left Urbana College to become a farm equipment salesman for three years, and then purchased and operated an appliance store and operated it for 10 years.
At that time the Village of West Liberty had a job opening in the Water Department, and in 1991, he was hired as an operator for the village. He then worked to obtain his Water & Wastewater licenses to operate both the water and the wastewater systems.
During 1996, he became the Village Water Superintendent and held that position until his retirement in 2011. Bob never left the comfort living of West Liberty, residing in the village for his 85 years and now is enjoying retirement living on Green Hills Drive.
Harrison said his favorite thing about living in West Liberty is that the majority of the residents are friendly, and they work together to solve local problems and help others out.
His most memorable part of the Labor Day weekend is the camaraderie that takes place between fellow Lions, from preparations through final tear down, but his passion lies with the golf cart raffle drawing.
He has been involved in many organizations throughout his lifetime serving as a member of the Logan County Senior Fair Board for 10 years, participated in the 1967 sesquicentennial and also the 2017 West Liberty Bicentennial committees. The latter led him to be involved in with the Troop Banner program and for many years has helped to place and hang them throughout the village to recognize local veterans.
An active member of the West Liberty Historical Society, Harrison has has served in a very active role in the restoration process of the Townhall and Opera House. He was a member of the Urbana University Board of Trustees from 1987-2014 and is still very active in our Lions Club.
Harrison played a vital role in assisting the Lions Club to obtain funding for its first ever ADA restroom in the park, along with many other service-oriented activities.
His advice to the younger generation would be to get involved in helping others and become a Lion. The organization’s motto is ”We Serve,” and that is his favorite part of being a Lion.
Lions Club members said Buck was “honored, humbled and very grateful” when he was informed of the grand marshal honor. He said he started out with “next to nothing” and built “a pretty amazing life with hard work, a little bit of good luck, a great wife and his faith in God.”
He has been able to watch his family grow from seven children to more than 100 in his lineage.
Through the years, Buck has farmed, worked in many positions in the state government, campaigned for many candidates (local, state and nationally), served as a township trustee, and helped with operation of Valley Fencing.
He said his favorite part about West Liberty is the fact that is in a close-knit group of people.
“If there is an illness or tragedy, everyone comes together to support one another,” he said.
Buck noted that his favorite part of the Labor Day weekend is the parade and the tractor show, but he looks forward most to seeing all the people who he hasn’t seen in a while. His favorite memories of the festival are the wheat thrashing, the tractor pull, eating apple dumplings and beef-n-noodles, and the tug-of-war.
The grand marshal has been a member of the Madriver Lodge #161 for 45 years, contributed to the West Liberty-Salem FHA and FFA from 1965 to current and is an honorary lifetime member.
His advice to the younger generation is “to work hard, respect your elders and keep their stories for the next generation.”
