Women - Hunterdon County, New Jersey

ELIZABETH ORBEN PERRY
Mrs. Elizabeth Perry represented the finest of volunteer
characteristics in all she did with her life. Her selfless dedication --
to improvement in livestock agriculture, to founding and leading
the first, most active and largest, 4-H sheep club in New Jersey,
and to people in general -- earned her the undying devotion of
countless hundreds of young and old alike.
Over her long and productive life she instilled moral and
ethical values in everyone whose life she touched. As a
recognized breeder of premier Dorset sheep, she maintained a
standard of accountability second to none.
Because of her many contributions in the field of agriculture,
she was the recipient of the prestigious Block and Bridle Award
from Rutgers University for service to New Jersey agriculture.
Mrs. Perry was the first woman elected to the Readington
Township Board of Education, where she served for nine years.
Those were the days of the one-room schoolhouse and many were the times when she
had to haul coal to the Pleasant Run School because the coal pile was depleted and the
stove was burning low.
Being a dedicated educator and possessed of a keen intellect and curiosity, in 1938
she was founder and first chairman of the Hunterdon Adult Education School, which
was held in Stanton School. Each attendee contributed five cents per meeting to defray
the cost of materials for courses in conversational French, civics, geology and local
history.
By 1948, perceiving a need in this rural county for children to learn how to improve
and care for livestock, she founded the Hunterdon County 4-H Sheep Club, and served
as its leader until 1988.
The 4-H movement was conceived to assist the farm child to improve the skills
needed to become a successful agriculturalist. The fact that this country literally feeds
the world gives credence to the 4-H programs. Beth Perry made every monthly
4-H meeting a learning experience for her club members.
When Beth retired in 1988, the children and grandchildren of the original members
were raising and showing sheep and becoming members of the club.
Perry, whose reputation as a 4-H leader was legendary, also served on the State 4-
H Advisory Council.
Readington Township used her talents on its Planning Board Advisory Council, as
did The League of Women Voters, who chose her to serve on its first Board of Directors.
As one of the founders of the N. J. Dorset Club, and proprietress of the New Jersey
Sheep Breeder’s store, Mrs. Perry continued her busy life and was elected to the Board
of Directors of the National Continental Dorset Club. Life became even more busy!
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