Donbrocks rural leadership an asset in Branch County

You can’t talk about rural Branch County without the name of Merle Donbrock being mentioned. For the better part of seven decades, the Ovid Township resident has been involved in helping shape and lead in many arenas of rural life the rest of us may take for granted.

Sitting in the kitchen of the farmhouse where he’s lived for 73 year since his family moved there when he was 10, Donbrock, a man of community action, took a rare time out to reflect upon his years of service to better the Branch County he’s always loved.

At a young age, Donbrock started helping his parents, Marlin and Erdine Donbrock, with farming – tending crops and a dairy herd. But in 1953, the year before Donbrock was to graduate from Coldwater High School, his father suffered a heart attack, leaving the bulk of the farm work up to teenaged Merle.

“After his heart attack, Dad could only drive the tractor,” Donbrock recalled. “My last year in high school I really had to hustle to do the chores before I could get ready for school and catch the bus.” Nevertheless, Donbrock remained active in FFA and 4-H, where he was involved in crop, dairy and wood handicraft projects.

Jim Crosby was Donbrock’s agriculture teacher at Coldwater High School. Through hard work and Crosby’s tutelage, Donbrock became president of the Coldwater FFA Chapter and earned both his State Farmer and American Farmer degrees.

“I later got $100 in expenses paid to travel to the National FFA Convention in Kansas City, MO, which was a huge deal,” he said, adding that while there, President Harry Truman spoke at a special breakfast for all of the candidates, but stopped shaking hands just short of reaching him.

“I think Truman could tell I was a Republican,” Donbrock quipped.

“That trip was our honeymoon,” added Donbrock’s wife, Liz, the former Elizabeth Bidwell from East Gilead he had met through mutual friends and married just before the 1957 Kansas City event. Liz has remained her husband’s most ardent supporter. And he’s been grateful to have a spouse who understands farming, its demanding timetables and the many reasons why he might be late for a meal.

Into his married years, Donbrock continued his involvement with Branch County 4-H. He became an assistant club leader and eventually superintendent of the dairy division, followed by 30 years on the Branch County Fair Board. Following retirement from those responsibilities, he served as superintendent of woodworking, welding and small engine.

“I was told I couldn’t retire from that until I found a replacement,” Donbrock laughed, saying he recently enlisted the talents of Dalton Hard, whom he described as a really nice young man who always brought great projects to the Fair.

“I see the Fair as a learning experience like no other for the kids,” Donbrock said. “It’s a place to exhibit projects they work hard at completing and a way to increase their knowledge.” He appreciates project judges who use their role and interaction with the kids as a teaching opportunity.

When Donbrock was in 4-H, he was on a dairy judging team and showed dairy animals at the State Show in East Lansing. Over the years, he continued to run into many people from other areas he had met through his involvement in 4-H. He said he enjoys the Branch County Fair for those same kind of socialization opportunities.

“There’s people I don’t see except for at the Fair every summer,” Donbrock said. “The Fair brings the community together like no other area event.” His son, Chris, has also been involved in 4-H, as have his grandchildren.

Whether in an official or unofficial capacity, Donbrock remains a fixture at the Branch County Fair. He knows its layout and infrastructure like the back of his hand, having been a part of it for so long. During his tenure, he’s helped see the organization through multiple changes and expansions, including increased acreage, perimeter fencing, building construction and amphitheater construction.

“Janice (Murphy), who’s in charge of the Fair, sometimes calls Merle with questions, as he’s one of the few guys left who knows where things are and how they were handled historically,” said Liz.

In addition to his involvement in FFA, 4-H and all things Branch County Fair, Donbrock also served as Ovid Township Supervisor for 10 years. He recalls that in order to become certified as property assessors, he and many of the other township supervisors from Branch County had to travel to Glen Oaks Community College for two winters to undergo the required training.

“You do what you need to do to meet the requirements,” he said.

Donbrock has also served on the Ovid Township Planning and Zoning Board, which he said required interpreting rules and mediating conflict. He managed that by keeping a level head and mentally putting himself in other people’s situations to try to better understand where they were coming from. He used the Golden Rule to inform his approach.

In another extended period of rural service, Donbrock spent 18 years on the Branch County Road Commission. In that capacity, as with the other leadership positions he has held, Donbrock said he tried his best to stay informed and to use the resources that were available to help with decision-making.

“When you are a part of any kind of county or township leadership, your neighbors are your constituents,” he said. “You need to decide if you want people to shake your hand or to be an enemy. And you have to think long-term for the greater good of the community. I’ve always tried to be reasonable.”

Donbrock regards serving in local leadership roles as an investment in community and hopes more people will get involved. While he acknowledges multiple challenges exist in today’s increasingly complicated world, he’s quick to add, “If you’re interested in doing public service, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you’re bettering your community. That’s a good feeling.”