It is with great pleasure that the
Bedford County Fair Board of Directors dedicate the
2024 Bedford County Fair Premium Guide
to the late
Fred Hoover (1923-1982)
The world is made up of people with a variety of backgrounds, interests, and priorities. Many times, our family life, and the people within that circle, shape or influence our future. In the summer of 1941, Warden Hoover instructed his two sons to pick up a stick of dynamite from the fairground’s explosives shed. So, Fred Hoover, and his brother Warden Jr., decided to surprise their dad by blowing the ground hole open for a new light pole. Their dad was surprised when he returned, the boys had forgotten to pack the dynamite with clay before lighting the fuse. The hole was a crater and debris were thrown everywhere, but no one was hurt. It was a hard lesson for the boys, but Warden continued to have faith in his sons and entrusted them with responsibility. We should all be so fortunate to live with people that believe in our ability to overcome life’s challenges.
This year’s Premium Guide is dedicated to Fred Hoover, the man with the matches that lit the fuse. He continued to light fuses all his life, mostly by inspiring people to believe in themselves while influencing God fearing men with his character. It’s not that he needed to be anything other than himself, his demeanor rarely changed. His love for the Bedford Fair was a lifetime commitment, that too, came naturally. Fred inherited his father’s position as grounds keeper shortly after his dad passed away in the spring of 1952. When Richard Eichelberger assumed the position as the Fair’s President, he and Fred worked together for the next 14 years to produce some of Bedford’s finest Fairs.
In 1969, Fred became the Fair’s Manager, and during the next 14-year period Fred handled all aspects of the fair and fairgrounds. His good-natured wit, marinated with a heavy dose of common sense, diffused many of the typical disagreements that arise during the fair. After all, his time as a Marine during WWII in the Pacific theater had exposed him to the worst of mankind and prepared him for the highs and lows of dealing with chaotic situations. So, getting an earful from an irate vendor when the power went out, or confronting a drunken spectator at a rock concert, or worse yet, resolving sewer line issues at the height of traffic, he handled it all with a clear head and an air of confidence while wearing his trademark cowboy hat. His contribution and impact to the fair, including the people he worked with, was immense.
Despite the fact that Fred passed away 42 years ago, in February of 1982, his memory is still very much a significant part of the fair for the ones whose hearts and minds he touched. His calm demeanor during the peak of a storm, whatever turmoil that may have been, was a quality many respected but only a few achieve. He loved life, and he loved the Bedford County Fair.
“In memory of a life that touched so many.”