Where there's a Wille ...

Ann and Dale Wille were selected to be the Grand Marshals of the Carbon County Fair this year. This isn't the first time a Grand Marshal has been selected in Little Snake River Valley in recent years.

"My mother had the honor about five or six years ago," Dale said.

Ann is presently teaching at Little Snake River Valley School (LSRV) and is also its athletic director. She has been teaching there for 35 years.

Dale retired last year after 33 years as the VoAg and FFA advisor at the same school. He was not the first Wille to be in this position.

"My dad taught Ag before I did," Dale said. "After he retired, I started teaching it."

The Willes came to the area in the 1950s when Dale's father O.R. took a job as a teacher at LSRV where he taught for 28 years.

"My dad came out here to teach and brought the family," Dale said. "I graduated and went to work in the oil patches while I went to college."

Dale's father took an early retirement due to an incentive program offered and the younger Wille took his position.

"It was like 61 years that Dale and his dad taught Ag in the area," Ann said. "It really is an interesting statistic if you think about it."

The Willes' are very positive about Carbon County in general.

"Carbon County is such a neat place," Dale said. "It is a place wonderful place to grow up and live and raise children. Our three kids went through all the fair stuff while growing up."

The couple met when Ann came to LSRV. She is originally from Buffalo.

"I came here to teach and I worked one year with his dad," Ann said. "Then his dad retired, we met and the rest is history."

"She was desperate," Dale joked.

The couple has been married 33 year and children Jason, Kristen and Daniel came along soon after.

The couple were honored and humbled to be chosen for this year's Grand Marshals.

"I think we were chosen because we have been working with the fair since the early 1970s," Ann said. "Dale was very involved in the fair and volunteered a lot."

"Ann helped with sales, line up and took care of a lot of things over the years," Dale said.

They also helped the kids at the fair.

"It was part of my job," Dale said depreciatingly.

"You went beyond your job," Ann said. "You really helped a lot of kids."

Both agree the Ag community is a tight knit group.

"The Ag community is special and all neighbors treat each other well which is important to small town that has a fair amount of family ranches," Dale said. "The oil jobs help our community too because it helps ranchers have possible jobs in that industry in addition to the work to keep a family ranch viable. To try and start a ranch in todays world is really difficult unless you have money."

Dale's favorite part about teaching AgVo over the years was interacting with the kids.

"Working with them, you will find your batteries recharged," Dale said. "I would teach kids of kids and would get a kick out of telling them that you are like your parent. It was a good fun and something I enjoyed."

Ann has even taught a three generations.

Dale said he retired before that could happen.

"I teach grades 6 through 12 and have taught elementary in the past," Ann said. "I do want to say, Dale had one of the biggest AgVo shops in the state. They filled the fair with all the projects they would bring from this shop."

"Well there is a tradition of all the families to be involved in projects for the fair," Dale said. "A lot of our kids learned things that would help them later in life."

Dale said he was surprised that they were picked to be Grand Marshals.

"I feel there are a lot of people that could have been chosen," Dale said. "Really it was humbling to be selected."

"I know we did a lot of volunteer work with the kids, but we never did it thinking there would be a type of recognition," Ann said. "We did the work because it was fun to see all the hard work put in by these kids during the year have a positive moment at the fair. It has always been that if we could be that little part that helped them get there, it was well worth it."

There was one time Ann remembers as her scariest experience at the fair. The couple said it was many years ago.

"I remember walking up to the fairgrounds and I heard over the loud speaker 'We need an ambulance'. A steer got loose and Dale grabbed it, got flipped and he ended up shattering his scapula (should blade) and collar bone," Anne said. "He missed three days in the hospital and missed the end of the Carbon County Fair and the entire State Fair."

"Best fair I have ever had," Dale laughed.

Ann and Dale said they have too many good memories over the years working with the kids, to select just one or two was impossible.

"To be chosen is sort of a thank you for what you have done for the kids over the years at the fair," Ann said. "That is the honor about being picked."