GREENVILLE — For Dr. Michael Fourman and his wife, Linda, the Great Darke County Fair is more than a nine-day event. It is a tradition built through decades of family involvement, volunteer service and friendships that continue to bring them back to Darke County each August.
Although the Fourmans now live outside Toledo, they return to Greenville each year, park their camper at the fairgrounds, and spend about two weeks helping to prepare for and working during the fair.
Michael is a Darke County native and 1967 graduate of Greenville Senior High School. After completing his education, he returned to the community and established a career in dentistry.
“I had 35 years in private practice, and then 13 years at Family Health,” Michael said.
Linda, originally from South Bend, Indiana, also developed deep ties to the Darke County community and its fair after the couple made their home here and raised their family.
Their three sons — Matthew, David and Aaron — all participated in the fair, showing steers as members of the Darke County Beef Club.
Today, Matthew, the oldest, is a surgeon in the Toledo area. David is a pastor in Tipp City, and Aaron is a pastor in Columbus.
The Fourmans eventually moved to the Toledo area, where Matthew lives, and are close to their three granddaughters. Moving away, however, didn’t end their involvement with the Great Darke County Fair.
They continue returning year after year to volunteer.
“It’s in your blood,” Linda said of the fair.
The couple normally arrives about a week before opening day and remains through fair week. This year, heavy rains complicated their arrival and the placement of their camper, but they managed to get settled.
“We’re in mud that deep,” Michael said, describing the conditions around their campsite.
Despite the soggy start, the Fourmans are hopeful improving weather will allow the grounds to dry as the 2026 fair approaches.
Once they are settled in, there is plenty of work to keep both busy.
Linda assists Vicky Wilcox with livestock sales and other duties as needed. She said her role has changed over the years as more of the livestock sale process has moved online.
“I’m not as involved as I used to be because of all of the changes over to mostly online,” Linda said. “But I just help with livestock sales and whatever they need, whatever Vicky needs.”
Michael continues working throughout the junior fair livestock departments.
“I help in all of the junior fair departments with the animals, whatever they need,” he said.
Among his responsibilities is serving as weighmaster for the hog and beef departments as animals are weighed and prepared for competition.
The work keeps him busy, but Michael said he continues doing it because he enjoys being part of the fair.
“Oh yeah, I wouldn’t be here,” he said when asked if he still enjoys volunteering.
Their willingness to return year after year also gives the Fourmans a close look at the amount of work required behind the scenes to put on the Great Darke County Fair.
This year’s heavy rainfall provided an especially visible example.
With portions of the fairgrounds saturated, volunteers and fair board members have had to adjust plans, take on unfamiliar jobs and work together to keep preparations moving forward.
“You realize the teamwork that’s involved when, like, the situation with the rain,” Michael said. “Everybody came together and are doing jobs they didn’t ever do before, but they’re just doing it because they need to be.”
Michael said that spirit of cooperation is something fairgoers may not always see or fully appreciate.
“The fair board guys and gals really work hard, and they’re very cooperative with us too, with just people that are helping,” he said.
For Michael and Linda, helping is simply part of returning home each summer.
Their own sons have long since finished showing steers, and the Fourmans no longer live in Darke County, but the fair remains an important connection to the community where they raised their family and spent much of their lives.
From livestock sales and weigh-ins to whatever other jobs need to be done, they continue to lend a hand.
After decades of involvement, the Great Darke County Fair remains in their blood — and each August, it brings them back to Greenville.
