• A visit to Union 2013. If you grew up in Union, West Virginia and you have not been able to return to Monroe County recently, chances are you will enjoy a little tour of Union and the area.

    View a Picture Tour of Union & Monroe County.



Memories

The Hills Reign as 2019 Farmers Day King and Queen

David and Martha Hill

 

David and Martha Hill of Sinks Grove was crowned this year as King and Queen of Union’s annual Farmers Day celebration that was held the week-end of June 7-9.  The Hills truly enjoy farming, and have run a beef cow-calf operation on their “Hillhome Farm” for the past 20 years.  Like so many Monroe County farm families, they have always operated with the goal of making the farm to pay for itself and have instilled that work ethic in their children.

Martha and David share a deep love of agriculture and farm life.  David grew up on a dairy farm near Gates, while Martha was raised on the Knobs, and both graduated from Union High School.  David credits these early years on the farm for his lifelong passion for farming.  Despite having no agricultural background when she met David, Martha notes that “I married David and started milking cows!”  David was running his own dairy when they married in 1981.  The Hills have four sons; Aaron, Shawn, Adam and Shannon.  They all have beef cow-calf operations, along with full-time jobs.  The Hills also have three granddaughters and a grandson, with another grandchild coming in September 2019.

David is the son of the late Jim and Fern Hill and the second-youngest of seven kids.  His father died when he was 12, and he, along with his mother and sisters were still at home and continued to run the family’s beef cattle operation for several years.  His parents were both from Raleigh County and they bought a farm and moved to Monroe County shortly after his father returned from World War II.

Martha is one of four children of Monroe County natives; Bill and Nellie Kountz.  She had most of the responsibility for the family’s sheep for many years, as well as doing all the bookkeeping.

David says that a farm is the best place in the world to raise kids and Martha adds that on a farm children see life, they see death, they learn that caring for the animals come first and they learn how to work.  David and Martha are proud that all four of their sons have grown up to become farmers, and all have wives or girlfriends who are interested in agriculture.  They express high hopes that their grandchildren will become farmers too.

 

Excerpts submitted from:

The Monroe Watchman, Union WV