Catherine Myrene Tugend, 81 of rural Jeromesville

died Thursday February 28, 2013 at Brethren Care

Village in Ashland.  She was born February 21, 1932

in Lodi the daughter of Carl A. and Hazel Shank Sprinkle

of Sullivan.  She was raised on the farm purchased by

her mother's parents, David E. and Ruth Breyley Shank.

The farm in now part of the Ashland Co. Park District,

known as Sprinkle's Serenity.  She was a 1949 graduate

of Sullivan High School.

Myrene was a trailblazer for women in Agriculture, taking

vocational agriculture and being a member of the FFA

when it was a "boys only" organization.  She encouraged

all youth to expand their horizons and to shoot for the stars.

She nurtured life in all things – plants, animals and people.

Myrene was the 1950 Holstein Queen and Ohio Guernsey

Queen.  She was a member of the Wellington Chapter of the

Rainbow Girls.  Before her marriage to Richard Lee Tugend on

January 27, 1952, she was employed by Ashland Production

Credit Association.

She and Richard were advisors to the Sullivan Boys & Girls

4-H Clubs and later she advised all all-dairy 4-H Club,

The Leadstrap Pack.  She served on the Ashland Co.

Extension Advisory Committee and was a member of the

Hillsdale Board of Education from 1982 to 1985.

Myrene was a farmer and a farm wife.  She could tend calves,

milk cows, do farm work- driving tractor doing a variety of field

work and then be found in the kitchen or at the sewing

machine – canning, cooking, baking, making draperies for the

windows and mending.

Her memberships included Farm Bureau, Ohio and National

Holstein Association.    Myrene was Ohio Holstein Woman of

the year in 2001 and has received her Honorary American

Farmer Degree. She served in many capacities at the

Hayesville Methodist Church and helped develop its library in

the 70's and she enjoyed providing altar arrangements and Holy

Communion home-made bread at her present church, Jeromesville

United Methodist Church.

The Tugend family hosted several exchange students through IFYE (4-H)

and WEA (FFA).  It was Myrene's desire to teach others about U.S.

agriculture and dairying; and to cultivate the sharing of experiences

between countries.  For the many young people who worked on the

farm, Myrene was a teacher as well as an expectant employee, for a

job well done!

Myrene was a supporter of the National Wildlife Federation,

Bible-a-Month, HEIFER Project and Cal Farley's Boys Ranch.  She

was a regular blood donor for the Red Cross until she was

diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, which she courageously fought

for 12 years.

Surviving are a son, Jim Tugend of Hayesville and a daughter Jeanie

Britton of Jeromesville.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard Tugend on

July 4, 2012, infant sons, Karl Ralph Tugend and James Richard

Tugend, and a son-in-law, David Britton.

Services will be 11:00 Wednesday March 6, 2013 at Jeromesville

United Methodist Church with Rev. Debra Speer officiating.  Burial

will follow in Southview Cemetery at Sullivan.  The family invites friends

to join them for fellowship and food at the Sullivan Congregational Church

after the burial.

Friends may call Tuesday March 5, 2013 from 6-9 pm at Fickes Funeral

Home in Jeromesville.

In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to Jeromesville United

Methodist Chruch for church outreach, P.O. Box 116 Jeromesville, OH

44840 or to friends of the Ashland Co. Park District c/o Tim Leslie 1737

State Route 60 Ashland, OH 44805.

Online condolences may be made at www.fickesfuneralhome.com.