GREENVILLE – The Darke County Fair designated Monday, August 24, 2026, as Senior Citizens Day at the fair. Senior citizens, age 60 years and older, were admitted free at the gate, and a free meal was available at the gazebo.
In addition to welcoming senior citizens to the fair, there was also a recognition for the oldest fairgoer. Senior citizens gathered at the Park National Bank Rest Tent at 11 a.m. to find out who would receive the honor of being recognized as the oldest among them.
Gregory and Glenna Peck from Peck Sound determined the winner of the honor by asking attendees to raise their hand if they were over 90 years old. Several hands were raised. Peck asked for those 95 and older to raise their hands, and a couple of hands lowered, leaving four individuals in the running. As the age went up, fewer and fewer hands remained raised until only two remained.
Peck asked for those over 100 to raise their hands, and Ivan Patterson, age 99, lowered his hand, leaving one remaining hand belonging to Betty J. Murphy, who claimed the coveted title of oldest fairgoer for 2026. Betty J. Murphy was born in Verona, Ohio on October 8, 1925, making her just shy of 101 years old.
Betty is currently a resident of Arcanum and has been attending the Darke County Fair since childhood. Betty explained that her parents were farmers, and while she remembers money being tight, the fair always made her feel like they were rich. Betty’s father, Arley Gray, had racehorses, and the family would spend most days at the fair and hold their family reunions at the fair.
She also recalled when our country went to war, saying, “The war stopped a lot of things. It’s important to remember those times.” She went on to explain that the fair offered a bit of relief from the stress of those times.
When asked her secret to being 100 and still being able to get out and about, Betty credited walking. She explained, “People need to get out and walk as much as they can. I can’t walk as much as I used to, but I still try to walk when I can.” Betty was accompanied to the fair by her niece, Becky Swank, and expressed how thankful she was to have someone to bring her to the fair. When asked if she planned to return, Betty replied, “If God blesses it, I’ll be here next year.”
