ZANESVILLE, Ohio — The 45th annual Bossy’s Jug Auction was underway at the Muskingum County Blue Ribbon Fair, with the last three ceramic jugs Mary E. Miller painted before her death up for bidding.
The lyrical cadence of auctioneer Roger Kreis’ voice rang out. Combined with the sweet smell of hay in the dairy barn on the clear summer day, the atmosphere was charged with those who wanted to bid on Mary’s creations.
“She would have hated this,” said Sharee Miller, Mary Miller’s daughter. Sharee was referring to the words and commendations spoken about her mother before the start of the auction on the morning of Aug. 13. “She never liked anyone to make a fuss over her.”
Mary was a longtime and trusted 4-H advisor and an artist at heart. She combined those talents to create her legacy in Bossy’s Jug. Mary was thrilled each year when her hand-painted ceramic jugs brought in money for “her kids.” Mary E. Miller, 80, died on April 18.
Sharee said her mother was someone who never wanted any glory. It was instead “all about the kids.” These were the 4-H kids whom Mary and her husband, Gary, served throughout their lives.
Her primary aim with the jugs she painted was to award the funds to local dairy youth, rewarding them for showing their animals because they didn’t get to sell them like others in 4-H. She and Gary made it their commitment to return 100% of any funds raised back to the children and young adolescents they served.
The three remaining jugs brought in a combined total of $20,000, more than double the amount ever raised during the auction.
History
Mary Miller and her husband, Gary, established their own farm, which they named Twin Hills, in 1964, in Dresden, Ohio. Throughout 58 years of marriage, they raised their three children, Jerry, Terry and Sharee, on the 500-acre dairy farm where they also grew hay and corn.
The Millers constantly looked for ways to ensure the betterment of the Muskingum County Blue Ribbon Fair. The couple was responsible for establishing the Dairy Promoters ice cream barn. They mentored many youngsters and, according to son Jerry, made sure that the children “knew where their cheese and milk came from — and it certainly wasn’t from a grocery store!”
Still, Mary was always looking for ways to support the 4-H, to make sure that kids who wanted a project could obtain one, no matter their own financial status. She served as an advisor for 25 years to the Dresden Hilltoppers.
In 1979, while giving it some thought, Mary got the idea to paint a milk jug up with a cute and whimsical cow and call it “Bossy’s Jug.” She offered that through the beginnings of an auction that has grown, with numerous other homemade items, raising thousands of dollars throughout the years.
The auction is a popular event at the Muskingum County Fair. Gary, Mary’s soulmate, best friend, husband and partner in crime, worked for 42 years as a board member and ensured that the auction was known far and wide. Each jug is a unique masterpiece, painted with a cow and dated with the year it was auctioned, offering a unique piece of artistry from a woman who truly loved all that 4-H and farming is.
Legacy
There weren’t many dry eyes in the dairy barn as they recognized Mary’s contributions and honored her memory. The 178th Muskingum County Fair had a number of people who were still in mourning for this woman whom they had come to know and love.
“She touched a lot of lives,” said fellow fair board member Roger Crook, tears flowing freely. “And she never wanted anything for it. She just did it because she believed in it.”
Mary’s life is a testimony to the power of one individual acting upon ideas. Auctioneer and family friend Roger Kreis has, for the past 45 years, given his services to Bossy’s Jug free of charge. The Miller family is forever grateful to him for his selfless giving. The energy of serving the youth was contagious. People found themselves joining her in giving back to the community.
Husband Gary said that it’s very lonesome in the house these days. “I miss talking back and forth with her,” he said. “I was supposed to go first. But it didn’t happen that way.”
At this time last year, Mary was still on the tractor, supervising, directing and organizing as only a matriarch moving with supreme love for her family could do. Having been a two-time cancer survivor in her life, eventually, the ravages of time and organ failure took over in January and February. Mary passed away at home in April.
“We’re still doing what we can,” Jerry said. “My brother Terry is milking the cows. Sharee is a nurse in Butler, Pennsylvania, but comes by frequently to help out. I’m trying to do all the things my Mom did,” he said, referring to the myriad ways that she kept the family and the farm organized. Jerry is now also serving as a Muskingum County Fair board member, now in his fourth year of doing so. His dad, Gary, still mows their property.
Twin Hills farm currently has 28 milk cows and 50 beef cows.
Jerry is optimistic about the future. There have been talks about expanding the Bossy’s Jug Auction to include educational workshops for up-and-coming farmers and the development of mentorship programs between experienced farmers and the next generation. Additionally, it is thought that there could be programs to increase community involvement in the fair, fostering a greater connection between residents and their agricultural roots.
