COLUMBUS — The Ohio Fair Managers inducted Mel Hagemeyer, Jacqueline and Jack Wood II and Darrel D. “Cubby” Cubbison into the Ohio Fairs Hall of Fame class of 2019, Jan. 6.
Hagemeyer
Hagemeyer has contributed to the fair community in Warren County for more than 60 years. Hagemeyer has been on the Warren County Agricultural Society Board since 2002 and has worked at the Lebanon Raceway 45 years, serving as program director, mutual clerk, paddock judge, director of operations, and since 1992, general manager. He has served as served as the fair harness racing superintendent for 12 years. Mel has also been the open class superintendent of antique tractors, competitive arts, baked goods and horticulture. For the last five years, Hagemeyer was one of the driving forces behind getting video terminals legalized at Ohio’s horse tracks.
Mel is a member of the Optimist, Shrine, Masonic Lodge and Scottish Rites Lodge. He is a past president and current member of the Ohio Valley Standard Bred Association, the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association and the United States Trotting Association. Mel is also a past director for Harness Tracks of America. Mel is actively involved in the multi-generational operation of Hagemeyer Farms in Clarksville, Ohio. He has been married to Pam for 34 years. They have four children, Scott, Tiffany, Steven and Cheryl, and five grandchildren.
The Woods
Jack was born and raised in the concession business by his father. Jack missed two fair seasons in his lifetime due to two tours of duty in Vietnam. Two weeks out of the Navy, he attended the 1971 OFMA convention and was elected to the seat held by his father on the Greater Ohio Showman Board. He served on that board for 22 years with four years as president.
Jacqueline and Jack started out buying two trailers from Jack’s parents in 1971.
After Jack’s time on the Greater Ohio Showman board, he served on the board of the National Independent Concessionaires Association for five years with one as president.
Jack has served three terms on the Ohio Food Service Advisory board and several years on the Games Rules Advisory board.
Jack and Jacqueline started and operated Rite-Way Custom Trailer for 25 years, building concession trailers for the industry.
Jacqueline served on many committees for the Greater Ohio Showman Association. She belongs to the Women in NICA committee, was secretary of the Logan County Fair, Indian Lake school board, Daughter of the American Revolution and earned the Certified Concessionaire Executive designation.
Jack and Jacqueline have been the food midway concession manager at the Warren County Fair for more than 30 years. They have been married more than 51 years. They have two children, who are continuing the legacy of Woods Concessions, and three grandchildren.
Cubbison
Cubbison is a lifelong resident of Muskingum County. He was an active 4-H member who showed chicken and sheep, then later became a 4-H adviser. After serving six years in the National Guard, part of which was active duty, Darrel operated Cubby’s Poultry. He retired from Guernsey-Muskingum Electric Cooperative, Inc. Cubby has always had a passion for fairs and has visited nearly every fair in the state, along with many fairs in the eastern half of the United States. He has served on the board of the Muskingum County Fair since 1972 and has led the board through many building projects and property negotiations. He has served as the OFMA District 7 director and received the OFMA District Director of the Year in 2009. He has also served as the first and second vice president of the OFMA and served as the OFMA president in 2014 and 2015.
Darrel is active in his community where he has been a 4-H adviser, Sunday School teacher and lay leader at his church, a member of the local Board of Trade, and serves on the board of directors of both Pritchard Laughlin Civic Center and the John and Annie Glenn Historic site. Darrel is also a past member of Caret Council Agricultural Research Extension and Teaching. Darrel was inducted into the Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame for East Muskingum Schools in 1996. He also received the Bob and Delores Hope Good Samaritan Award in 1996 for his contributions to his community. He was recognized by the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center and received recognition of outstanding public service and support of the Ohio Cooperative Extension Service and its educational programs from the Epsilon Sigma Phi.
Darrel and his wife Carol operate a small grassland farm near New Concord, Ohio. He has two children, two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
See related stories:
Current named Ohio Fairs’ Queen
Ohio volunteers honored for work with fairs
