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The 2007 WC Fair Dedication
Waller County Fair dedicated
to Mike Eden
Mike Eden’s love for county fairs began when he was a young 4-H’er in Nueces Co. in South Texas. He progressed to FFA at Robstown High School where he participated in showing swine projects and entering in rodeo events.
When Mr. Eden moved to Waller Co. in 1970, it didn’t take him long to become involved in the Waller Co. Fair. He and his wife became 4-H leaders and he assisted Mr. Frank Machac with the Lamb division. He put in many hours welding and building a larger show arena with bleacher’s, where the parents could get a better view of their child exhibiting their project. He and his wife were 4-H leaders for 12 years.
He was always working on ways to improve the fair facilities. A job was never too dirty for him to tackle. Mr. Eden’s philosophy was, the dirtier you were, the more you had gotten accomplished. He built pens, designed buildings, planted the grass and oak trees that now surround the grounds and also served as chairman of several committees’.
There were many 4-H’ers who benefited from his generosity. If they couldn’t afford a project, he quietly gave them one. He never expected anything in return, except for them to do all they could to feed, exercise and give it their best shot. His greatest joy has been to see so many former exhibitors come back as buyers, volunteers, leaders and committeemen to serve the fair that had supported them for so many years.
Mr. Eden served 18 years as a director of the Waller Co. Fair Association. He served two years as Vice President and two years as President. During his time as President, he felt he had the greatest team of Directors who had ever served in Waller Co. He promoted family involvement among his director’s and committeemen. He saw the fair struggle financially in those years. Most fairs are funded completely by the county itself. Not the Waller Co. Fair. It was up to the Fair Officers and Directors to come up with ideas to draw the money in, to financially support it.
Many times, as he traveled hauling livestock across Texas, his mind was continually working to come up with successful money making projects. His most successful fund raiser was the Men’s Dress Review. He convinced 30 prominent area businessmen, school administrators, county agents, law enforcement, fair directors and even the mayor of Hempstead to dress up in different women’s attire. It proved to be the most successful Style Show to ever be held in Waller Co. Old-timers still talk and laugh about it. He has been very impressed with what the Fair Directors have done over the last few years, to make the Fair a successful event.
His greatest achievement was to form the first Livestock Judging Contest on the county level in Texas. For years the youth practiced judging, by looking at photographs and the only place to judge livestock was at Texas A& M, College Station. Mr. Eden came up with the concept to host a judging event that 4-H’ers & FFA students could come to one central location to practice judging. He used livestock from his own farm and recruited other rancher’s to donate their livestock to the event. It proved to be very successful financially, as well as in attendance with over 400 youth attending. It wasn’t long until other county fairs were hosting judging events. The rest is history.
There have been three generations of the Eden family involved with the Waller County Fair over a 35 year period. His wife Sylvia, daughters and son-in laws: Ann & Joel Bolin, Karen and Scooter Derrick, grandchildren: Cody and Austin Avery, Kayla Bolin, Myles & Averi Derrick. The fourth generation, great-granddaughter, Emma Kaye Avery, is waiting in the wings to take her turn at being an exhibitor in the Waller Co. Fair.
Mr. Eden was quoted as saying, “I honestly believe that 4-H and FFA are the greatest organizations your child can be involved in. The discipline, responsibility, sportsmanship and dedication they teach the youth is invaluable. If you look around the communities in Waller Co., some of our most successful business people and citizens have this background.”
Mr. Eden is still working with youth. Since 2001, he has been traveling to Kenya, Africa building orphanages for the children of AIDS victims. He has been sidelined for a year and a half, after being diagnosed with a non-malignant brain tumor in November, ’05. This summer he will finally get to return to Kenya, with a missionary team from Waller Co, to finish the orphanage that he had begun before he became ill. This unfinished project is what encouraged him to overcome his illness. Nothing could be more rewarding than to see the smiles on the childrens faces when they move into their new home.