Five Dedicated Leaders Receive Farm Bureau’s Distinguished Service Award

Published: Dec. 17, 2021

During the 100th annual meeting of the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation, five dedicated leaders were recognized for going above and beyond in their volunteer spirit to the Tennessee Farm Bureau with the organization’s Distinguished Service Award.

“Our organization wouldn’t be a century-old without the leadership, guidance and countless hours of dedication that came from these volunteer leaders,” said Tennessee Farm Bureau President Jeff Aiken. “We need to recognize individuals who devote so much to ensure our organization succeeds and these leaders are certainly deserving of this honor.”

DISTRICT I:

For Mr. Billy Donnell, farming and Farm Bureau has always been a part of his life. He grew up as the only child on his family’s farm where his father raised cotton, corn and commercial cattle, and both of his parents served as directors on the Madison County Board of Directors. He always knew what he wanted to do, and started helping on the farm at a young age. That love of farming helped guide him in his academic career, as he became involved in 4-H and FFA. Mr. Donnell graduated from Northside High School in 1965 and began his college career at the University of Tennessee at Martin before transferring to UT Knoxville to pursue a major in animal science.

It was in the latter part of his college days that Donnell tied the knot with the love of his life, the former Rose Ann McCallum, who he had been friends with since childhood. Growing up, the two would meet up while their parents attended local Farm Bureau meetings and church youth groups. The newly married couple finished their college career together in 1970 and returned home to fulfill the dream Mr. Donnell had since he was a child – to farm the land his father had. He took over the operation and the Donnells started their own family with two sons and enjoy their five grandchildren today. Through the years, the farming operation has changed and Mr. Donnell doesn’t grow cotton anymore, but instead has an impressive agritourism operation with a pumpkin patch, corn maze and country store.

The two followed in their parent’s footsteps becoming active in Farm Bureau, first with the Young Farmers and Homemakers program where Mr. Donnell was named the state’s young farmer of the year in 1973, and then locally with the Madison County Farm Bureau board of directors.

Because of his years of dedication to Farm Bureau and the agriculture industry, Mr. Donnell received the organization’s highest honor, the distinguished service award.

DISTRICT II:

Farming has always been a part of Dickson County native Jimmy Duke’s life. His earliest memories are growing up on his family’s farm with his father, William Thomas Duke, farming and his mother, Emma Marie, taking care of things around their home. Mr. Duke’s father also operated a sawmill on their farm, and along with his older brother, he developed a love for farm life that’s still guiding him today. Mr. Duke attended elementary school at White Oak and then went on to Charlotte for middle and high school where he graduated in 1958. He attended two years of college at Austin Peay, but returned to the farm and the sawmill. Shortly after, Mr. Duke met the love of his life, the former Bonnie Batey. The Dukes married on June 11, 1965 and had one son, and today enjoy their two grandchildren.

Mr. Duke has always worked to serve others. He joined the Tennessee Air National Guard and he’s been a part of the local volunteer fire department for more than 30 years. He’s also served on the Co-op board, soil conservation, the county’s planning and zoning committee, and for the past 35 years, Farm Bureau has been at the center of his service to the agriculture community. Mr. Duke has served on the Dickson County Board of Directors for 30 years, 23 of those as president. Moreover, as long as he can remember, attending and being active at the Greenwood United Methodist Church has always been a part of his life.

Mr. Duke continues to be a strong leader in his church, his family, his community and Farm Bureau, and because of his lifelong commitment and dedication to improving rural life in Tennessee, he received the organization’s highest honor, the distinguished service award.

DISTRICT III:

Mr. Moore’s farming roots run deep as his family’s farm dates back to 1850 and has been marked as a historical sight. His father, James, and mother, Pauline, milked cows when he was growing up, and both Mr. Moore and his younger brother quickly became acclimated to farm work too. Unfortunately, tragedy struck the family when Mr. Moore was only 15 years old – his father and brother were killed in a car accident while the family was on vacation in Missouri. He and his mother returned home to face a new reality, but the two continued milking cows and were able to keep the farm going. Mr. Moore attended elementary school at Charleston and in high school, he was active in FFA. He graduated in 1960 and went to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville for a year, but decided to return home and farm full time.

Mr. Moore spent most of his time milking cows and growing the family’s operation, but his life changed for the better in 1971 when he went on a date with the local 4-H agent, Maxine Bylery. The Moores married on March 29, 1972 and the couple had two sons and a daughter. Today there are eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Raising his family in the church was always the goal for Mr. Moore and his faith continues today at Candies Creek Baptist Church. Just like their church, serving in and being active with Farm Bureau has been a priority of the Moores for more than 50 years. It started with the Young Farmers program and continues today as Mr. Moore has served on the Bradley County Farm Bureau Board of Directors for 19 years. The two served on numerous other committees to promote agriculture, including the Dairy Alliance, Co-op board, more than 50 years with the Soil Conservation district, the Bradley County and state livestock associations, and the Resource Conservation and Development Council. Sadly, Mrs. Moore passed away in 2016, but not before receiving this award, the Distinguished Service Award, herself in 2013.

As a result of his devotion to agriculture and rural life, Mr. Moore joins his late wife as a recipient of the organization’s highest honor, the distinguished service award.

DISTRICT IV:

Mr. Henry was the only child born to Herman and Lizzie Mae Henry in Smith County. The family had a dairy, tobacco and row crops. He attended Cocks Davis Elementary School from first through eighth grade, and then went on to Carthage High School where his love or farming and agriculture grew immensely as he was involved in 4-H and FFA. Mr. Henry graduated high school in 1965 and within a year started farming on his own continuing in his father’s footsteps. Today, he doesn’t grow tobacco, but still has corn, soybeans, wheat and beef cattle.

In his younger days, Mr. Henry became involved with Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Homemakers program where he was active at the county, district and state levels, and would eventually serve as the YF&H state committee president in 1975. From there, his Farm Bureau involvement would grow even more. He served on the Smith County Farm Bureau Board of Directors for nearly 40 years, 13 as president. His involvement with Farm Bureau led to him serving on his local county Co-op board, the soil conservation district and livestock association boards. He’s also served as a volunteer firefighter for 15 years, and his faith has always guided him serving the Chapel Hill Methodist Church near the farm for sixty years and serving the Carthage United Methodist Church today. Mr. Henry is married to Betty Laine Adair, and the two have seven children, 15 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Mr. Henry has continued to help improve the lives of many through his service to his family, church and Farm Bureau, and his leadership is acknowledged by receiving the organization’s highest honor, the distinguished service award.

DISTRICT V:

Mrs. Ottinger has certainly made an impact in Tennessee agriculture, but her story doesn’t begin on the farm. Her mother, Cindi Moore, raised her as a single mom while running a restaurant near Newport. She attended elementary school in Bybee and then went on to Parottsville High School where she participated in 4-H and was on the school annual staff. She graduated in 1958 and briefly attended college at East Tennessee State University. She returned home and married the love of her life, Burl Ottinger, whom she had known since she was a child. Mr. Ottinger was a dairy farmer and Edna quickly had to learn how to be a farmer too. She grew to love her life on the farm where the Ottingers raised their two children. Today, there are five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Mrs. Ottinger has always been active in the community, serving on the Parrotsville Health Clinic board, the home demonstration club and volunteering as a tutor in the adult literacy program. Her faith and church have remained at the center of her life as she is a member of St. James Lutheran Church where she faithfully served on committees and taught Sunday School for more than 40 years. Besides her dedication to her church, her service to Farm Bureau has been a constant. Her first encounter began when they purchased insurance, but from there, involvement with the organization only grew as she became active at all levels. She was the first woman president to serve the Cocke County Board of Directors and served in that position for 18 years.

Sadly, Mr. Ottinger passed away in 2019, but the farm legacy lives on, and because of her many years of service and dedication to advancing farm and rural life, Mrs. Ottinger was recognized with the organization’s highest honor, the distinguished service award.