2018 October Issue PASO Magazine

Queen from page 24
Jo Ann’s father Guy joined forces
with a few neighbors to bring
electricity to Pozo in 1947. Jo
Ann’s uncle Claude Arnold
served as a San Luis
Obispo County Supervisor
from 1932
through 1940. Today,
Jo Ann’s niece Debbie
Arnold serves as
Fifth District County
Supervisor.
She has participated
in every Mid-State Fair
since 1946. She showed
her champion lamb at
the first Mid-State Fair
in 1946. In the early days, she was
active in the Pozo 4-H Club and
earned the title of County All Star.
She continued to show lambs and
steers, still holding the record for
having six 4-H champion steers;
the most champion steers anyone
has ever shown. She also earned
many ribbons for her sewing and
canning entries.
Alex Madonna was a long-time
family friend. When he decided
to pursue the registered Hereford
cattle business, he called Jo Ann to
coordinate the paperwork and operation.
It was an amazing experience
and education. Alex and Jo Ann
traveled the Western United States
and Canada to buy cattle. They met
amazing people along the way.
For the past 14 years, Jo Ann
has served as the Livestock Superintendent
at the Mid-State Fair in
addition to serving as a member
of the board of directors
for eight years, from
1986 to 1994; being
the major
force in starting
Cattlemen’s &
Farmers Day in
1987. Jo Ann is
active in county,
state and national
Cattlemen’s
Associations, serving
on many committees
at all three
levels. She’s been
the Secretary/Treasurer of the San
Luis Obispo County Cattleman’s
Association for 33 years. She was
the first woman to serve on the
San Luis Obispo County Cattlemen’s
Board of Directors as well as
the first woman to be honored as
Cattleman of the Year.
Jo Ann has played a major role
in the Cattlemen’s Western Art
Show with her friend and dedicated
co-worker Dee Pellandini.
“Jo Ann works tirelessly to see that
the behind the scenes workings of
the show come off as seamlessly
as possible,” Dee said. “Jo Ann is
there to make sure everyone has
what they need to do their job.
Having Jo Ann in my life makes
putting on the show much easier.
Jo Ann is a great
supporter of Cal Poly.
Jo Ann is a dear friend and I treasure
that she’s part of my life!”
Other distinguished roles include
being a founding member
of the Cal Poly Rodeo Boosters
Organization and the San Luis
Obispo High School FFA Aggies
Backers; serving on the Cal Poly
Animal Science Advisory Council
for the school of agriculture; being
honored in 1998 by the induction
to the Cal Poly Animal Science
Department Hall of Fame and the
California State Fair Rodeo Hall
of Fame; and receiving the Western
Fair Association Blue Ribbon
Award.
She was one of 17 women chosen
by the USDA to travel to South
America on a fact-finding mission.
She is a member of the California
Mid-State Fair Hall of Fame,
has been involved at Templeton
Livestock Market for more than
30 years; and was instrumental in
starting the Tri-County Bull Sale
held in Templeton for more than
25 years.
The roots of the Pioneer Day
tradition run deep with the Arnold
and Switzer family.
Honoring the Pioneer Day tradition
since 1950, Jo Ann served
as an attendant to Bell Patricia
Cooper Twisselman in 1950.
Daughter-in-law Cindy Twisselman
was Belle as was her mother
Nola Cooper Twisselman. Jo Ann’s
Above, Jo Ann’s grand parents,
Thomas and Josephine Arnold,
and below, her parents Grace
and Guy Arnold.
Aunt Hazel Kuhnle Arnold was a
Belle as were her twin daughters,
Jo Ann’s cousins, Kathy Arnold
Loftus and Claudia Arnold Russell.
Granddaughter Hailey Rose
Switzer served as an attendant to
the Belle in 2010. This Pioneer Day,
Jo Ann’s attendants Cindy Switzer,
Terri Switzer and Kim Brown will
accompany her in the beautiful
Queen’s carriage.
The 88th Pioneer Day will soon
be part of their family history.
Congratulations Jo Ann. Well
deserved!
MARSHAL from page 24
ing-assistant) while chasing his
MS degree in Surface Properties
of soils and non human-made
things. The work paid the bills and
in 1970, he received that degree.
“Hey, let’s keep going,” they concluded
so they stayed at Purdue
while Bob pursued his PhD. In
1972, he was awarded his doctorate
in Soil Chemistry just as third
daughter, Terri was born.
Life was busy and more moves
Bob Sr., Dorothy, Bob, Karen,
and Margaret
were about to happen.
Bob was offered a Post
Doctorate position in
Riverside as a researcher
in soils. That worked
for a while and then
Purdue called him back
for a full-time teaching
position. Somehow that
didn’t work but a new
position in Oregon
as a teacher did pan
out. Cal Poly Pomona
needed a soils teacher
and again the family moved. After
three years, Bob became the
department chair. He realized
students really didn’t know how
to properly write scientific results
so he taught a writing class geared
toward report writing in their
academic area.
With all the moves and the
varied, yet similar positions, Bob
was becoming well known. His
Bob and Janet’s
wedding in1962
very likeable personality
opened even
more doors. The
USAID was funding
a horticultural
project via a consortium
of universities.
The catch? It was to
be in the country of
Yemen! This time,
they didn’t pack the
Chevy but half-way
around the world they
went for three years.
It was a tremendous opportunity
for the daughters to learn a
180-degree different lifestyle and
all that came with it. When the
funding ceased, so did Bob’s commitment.
Back to California. For
the next ten years, Bob taught at
Cal Poly Pomona.
Generations earlier, Janet’s family
had homesteaded in Paso. As
Bob decided to wind down the 9
to 5 life, they gravitated to Paso to
a much smaller parcel of the original
land. Bob became a commuter
to Pomona for five years. In 2002,
he formally retired and dove deeply
into the other chapters of his life
... giving back ... and old vehicles.
We know that the Paso area history
is just phenomenal. It’s hard
not to get caught up in participating.
Mr. Tullock had volunteered
here and there since the mid 90s
but he also worked full-time. One
day, Bob walked into Pioneer Museum
and asked then board president,
Bob Bryant, “What can I do
to help?” The Museum owned a
1913 Maxwell that was originally
sold in Paso. The time was close
to Pioneer Day. Men were trying
to start it but to no avail. Bob
suggested they step outside for a
moment to cool off and then try
again. By the time they came back,
Please see MARSHAL page 29
28 | pasomagazine.com PASO Magazine, October 2018