Meet the 2019 fair honorees: Gary and Patti Casteel

The Hardin County Agricultural Society would like to honor Gary & Patti Casteel for their many years of service to the Hardin County Fair. In the early 1970’s Gary worked after hours from his day time job at United Rural Electric with setting poles and re-wiring jobs at the Fairgrounds. Gary started helping out with electrical work in May of 2007. Some of the major projects he assisted with were changing all of the outdoor lighting over to LED lighting and upgrading all of the electrical wiring in the merchant’s building. Patti has been mowing the fairgrounds and helping take care of the flowers on the grounds for many years.

Gary was a member of the Dunkirk Fire Department for 40 years and was their fire chief for 15 of those years. He worked for United Rural Electric (now Mid-Ohio Energy) for 34 years. Patti worked at Hardin Memorial Hospital as a surgery technician for 15 years and also drove a van for the Senior Citizen’s Center. In November of 2003 Gary and Patti sold their home in Dunkirk and in May of 2004 they started traveling full time in their R.V. They have visited every state in the United States, except Hawaii over the years. They say they have the best of both worlds by spending summers at the fairgrounds and winters in Apache Junction Arizona.

Gary and Patti have 5 children, 8 grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren.