gene

The South Dakota State Fair celebrated
Gene 's 75th year at the State Fair by having
EUGENE JAYCOX DAY on
Saturday August 30, 2008

We had a celebration picnic lunch with
Gene and his family at 12:30
during the rabbit show.

A little about Gene...

In 1933, Eugene (Gene) Jaycox had his first glimpse of the South Dakota State Fair. For an 8 year-old it was a whole new world of fun and adventure. Gene belonged to the Moody
County 4-H Club, back then he showed Duroc pigs. They raised them on the family farm near Pipestone Minnesota. For a few days every year, parents - Myrtle and Everett packed up Gene and his brother Gerald and headed to Huron. The family of four lived in their small camper during the fair. Many ribbons and awards were won over the years.

That wasn't the only prize Gene brought home from the fair. In 1950 he met Yvonne; she was only 16 at the time but Gene knew he had met his future wife. She also belonged to 4-H and was at the State Fair showing Hereford cattle. In September 1952, Gene and Yvonne were married. The trips to the fair continued every yeat, a sweet reminder of the days they first met.

Six daughters later, Gene and Yvonne still found time to go to the South Dakota State Fair. What had once been a brief reprieve from the farm, had become a tradition. Not going was never an option.

Over the years, Gene and Yvonne met a lot of people. The South Dakota State Fair was a place to reconnect with friends who had become more like an extended family. A hobby of raising rabbits eventually turned into another opportunity to show at the State Fair. This started a whole new era for Eugene and Yvonne. The 'rabbit friends' they met over the years are some of the best. They are definitely family. Gene will tell you they helped him get by when he lost his wife in 2006.

Just a year ago at the State Fair, Gene was inducted into the State 4-H Hall of Fame. This award was a great honor to him; one he still talks about today.

It's been 75 years since that first trip to the South Dakota State Fair. At 82, the Fair still holds much of the same excitment as it did for that 8 year old boy. Gene passed along some of that excitment to his grown daughters, grandchildren and great grandchildren, many who faithfully attend the State Fair every year. What a wonderful legacy to pass down the generations.

Gene with one of his beautiful Flemish Giants

Over the years things may have changed at the South Dakota State Fair, but one thing is certain - good health and God willing, Gene will be there.

Gene thank you for all those years of helping celebrate the South Dakota State Fair!

A very special thank you to Genes daughters for sharing this special story and Dale Knode and Blaine Hyde for sharing pictures with us.

Gene was honored at the race track later that evening by a ride in the pace vehicle at the start of the races during the fair... and treated to a standing ovation by the crowd!