Nominees for Hampshire area Earl C. Engel Award
Submitted by Bonnie Engel
There is a call for nominations for the Earl C. Engel Award of Excellence award. The deadline for nominations are July 10.
The Earl C. Engel Award of Excellence was developed to encourage and recognize the outstanding contributions rendered by a community volunteer or employee on behalf of the township of Hampshire.
Earl Engel and his wife, Hazel (Andersen) Engel both grew up on farms in the Hampshire-Burlington area. They were citizens and local business owners in the Hampshire community from 1957-75. During most of this time, Earl owned Engel Ford Sales on State Street. He had developed the farm acreage which became Panama Avenue during the late 1940s and early 1950s as he and Hazel had worked in the Panama Canal Zone in prior years, including part of World War II.
On returning home to the Hampshire-Burlington area, Earl encouraged the creation of the Burlington Lions Club and became the charter president in 1960. Earl subsequently assisted in developing the Hampshire Chamber of Commerce and became its charter president. He later served on the village board and initiated the Hampshire Police Department. With other local businessmen, Hampshire’s ”Old Fashioned Days” was started in the 1960s, and this annual event later became Coon Creek Country Days.
Earl’s wife, Hazel, owned and operated the Mid-Town Beauty Shop and she frequently volunteered in church and other community projects.
After her father’s death in 1998, Bonnie Engel wanted to provide a tribute to her dad’s memory though this annual presentation.
An eligible nominee demonstrates the following qualities: exemplary performance in meeting the roles and responsibility of the position; demonstration of an outstanding commitment to the general welfare of the people of Hampshire in actions and kind understanding; and creative leadership or commitment to effectively solve unique challenges.
Send nominations to bonnieengel@ymail.com, or mail nominations to: Bonnie Engel, P.O. Box 740779, Orange City, Fla. 32774.
The prior recipients are: William and Dorothy Schmidt in 2000; Wendy Harries in 2001; Bob Wilcox in 2002; Darwin Conro in 2003; Mike and Rose Bihun in 2004; Pearl Herrmann in 2005; Genevieve and Maynard Petersen in 2006; Jeanne Holzkamp in 2007; Judy Luecht in 2008; Richard Stading in 2009; Roger and Dorothy Paddock in 2010; and Bill Conro in 2011.