THIS year Merv Steinhardt will have been part of the Marburg Show for 80 years.
Show president Brian Heath recounted the story of how a 14-year-old Merv tagged along to a show society meeting with his father and a job came as a surprise.
“The highlight for me, and this may sound really crazy, but it was awarding Mr Steinhardt with a certificate for his 80 years of continuous participation in the show society,” Brian said.
“Member for Ipswich West Wendy Bourne helped me present that certificate and I think Merv was touched by the number of people who came up to him to congratulate him after the presentation.
“He’s a bloke who is almost 95 and still involved in the show society.”
This year’s show was no exception, Merv helped to clean the showgrounds the Monday before showtime, and was there most of Friday and Saturday helping out and giving advice.
“He only stopped being a steward three years ago at 91,” Brian said.
“Merv told me how he joined and it’s a funny story.
“Now, this is 80 years ago, he went to a show committee meeting with his father to help out because he was the eldest child.
“When he arrived, the president, or chairman of the show as it was then, said all present would be stewards.
“He said, ‘I was told I was now part of the show committee until told otherwise, and I thought I’d only come to observe’.
“And just like that, he was a 14-year-old steward and stayed in the role until he was 91-years-old.”
