Nine-year-old Cadence Graver was a little nervous leading her 287-pound, sometimes rambunctious pig named Wilbur around the show ring during the 4-H livestock auction at the Carbon County Fair on Saturday. Her father, though, was as proud as could be.

Graver is a fifth-generation 4-H member. The fourth-grader’s pig was the grand champion swine during the fair’s judging this year. Cadence also raised the reserve champion swine, which she named Pempleton, as well as the grand champion lambs.

“Pap, I’m sure, is proud,” said Cadence’s father Luke Graver, referring to his grandfather, the late Robert “Bob” Miller.

It was Miller’s father who formed the first 4-H livestock club in Carbon County in 1949. Miller showed steers at the Carbon Fair in 1949 and several years after that, before becoming a 4-H leader. His children followed in 4-H as did his grandchildren.

Cadence’s parents, Luke and Sarah Graver, are both 4-H volunteers, with Luke now heading the Livestock Club.

Their story is one of many at the fair of young 4-H members continuing family traditions that began generations ahead of them.

Another was Morgan Myers, 16, who had the grand champion steer and grand champion dairy cow. Myers, daughter of Dan and Carissa Myers of East Penn Township, has been participating in the livestock auction for eight years. Her older sisters, Chelsea and Alyssa, both had been 4-H Livestock Club members.

Her great-grandfather was the late Carl Troxell, one of the most well-known farmers in the Mahoning Valley. Her great-great-grandmother, the late Beulah Fritzinger, was a produce and dairy farmer and for many years had a local farm stand that locals patronized for fresh goods.

Myers’ grand champion steer was a 1,368-pound, shiny, black behemoth that took commands from her like a behaved child. She said the animal wasn’t always so well-behaved. When she bought him, the steer’s name was Dennis. She kept the name because, she said, he was as mischievous “as Dennis the Menace, the TV character.”

She had two dairy cows, one a grand champion, which she named Harry and Lloyd from the movie “Dumb and Dumber.”

The Lehighton Area High School junior, who was the fair’s Junior Miss in 2023, couldn’t hold back tears when Dennis was sold because of the attachment she had formed, but said she realizes this is the evolvement of 4-H livestock projects.

“You get attached to the animals,” she said. “It’s hard tomorrow (Sunday) because that’s when they’ll be put on a trailer and leave. But I’ll get new ones next year. That’s life.”

She said she enjoys the 4-H program. “It’s always giving me new experiences and new challenges to figure how to overcome,” she said. “It introduces me to many new people.”

Her father said, “When she was grand champion, I said ‘your Pap would be proud if he were here to see you.”

Dan recalls that Morgan’s first grand champion was a duck when she was just 8 years old.

Other grand champions were Toby Tyson, with a goat; Amanda Gowin, pen of three meat rabbits, and Lea Yemm, poultry basket.

Other reserve champions were Kaylee Shoenberger, who had a steer; Olivia Stewart, dairy beef; Jocelyn Motola, goat; Daphne Gowin, pen of meat rabbits, and Jonathan Pearson, poultry basket.

A year ago, Stewart, in her first year in 4-H, had the grand champion and reserve champion swine.

This year Stewart opted to show dairy cows and lambs, instead. One of her dairy cows netted reserve champion status.

Even the auctioneer is continuing what was begun by prior genealogy.

Nathan Houser of Houser Auctioneers is a third-generation hawker, and like his predecessors he volunteered his services.

His father, Tim Houser, and Tim’s brother Doug Houser sat in the audience and even participated in some of the bidding.

Nathan’s grandfather, the late Curtis Houser, was involved with the 4-H auctions for decades before them.

A moment of silence was held for three individuals who had been involved in Carbon County 4-H for many years and passed away since last year’s event. They are Charles C. “Chester” Snyder, Deanna L Cunfer and Herman Snyder.

Alyssa Myers was the recipient of the fifth annual Floyd and Lane Smith Memorial Scholarship.

Benjamin Pearson, a first-year livestock club member, was awarded the Bob Dunn Excellence Award. Dunn, who died in 2018, was the owner of the Hometown Farmers Market. The award was presented by members of the Dunn Family.

This year’s Fair Queen, Jocelyn Motola, showed the reserve champion goat while the fair’s Junior Miss of 2024, Daphne Gowin, had the reserve champion pen of three meat rabbits.

There was one noticeable negative aspect to this year’s auction. Most of the grand champions and reserve champions received lower prices than the winners from a year ago.

Last year’s grand champion steer weighed 1,211 pounds and was sold for $5,200 with a market value of $1,816. Morgan’s steer, weighing 1,368 pounds, was sold for $4,100, $1,100 less even though it weighed 600 pounds more.

The grand champion swine a year ago weighed 273 pounds and was bought for $1,500. Graver’s champion pig this year weighed 287 pounds and fetched $1,250.