County Fair's No. 1 fan Longtime supporter Duane McIntosh will be missed
Duane McIntosh
By Lissa Greiner
It was a bittersweet Winneshiek County Fair this year for members of the Duane McIntosh family.
McIntosh, of Decorah, was a member of the Fair Board and Auxiliary for 10 years. He passed away last December, following a battle with cancer.
"It's been a difficult week for us, but he'd want us to be here," said his son Rick, of Alvarado, Texas.
Helping the fair
Duane's wife, Judy, and sons Rick, Russell and Randy (both of Decorah), recently donated two benches, seven drape flags and a lighted showcase to the fair in Duane's memory.
"It was important to him that the fair keep going, but the most important things were the friends he made here," said Rick.
"He made a lot of lifetime connections here - there were a lot of fair friends at his funeral," said Judy.
Never complained
McIntosh's Fair Board colleagues respected him for his strong work ethic, despite years of hip problems.
"He never complained and always threw himself into his work," said longtime Board Member Duane Bergan.
Cindy Darling, who McIntosh encouraged to join the Board, said, "You just couldn't meet a better person who was willing to work any harder. After being on the Board, you sure learn to appreciate the work of those who came before you."
Board Member Rich Hammel added, "He was always my favorite Board member. I figure I kind of took his position on the Board because I like to do the physical tasks Duane used to. He was such a dedicated, hard-working guy. He was a great contributor, and I really appreciate all Judy and her family have done for the fair in his memory."
"He was just one of those guys," said Board Member Denise Krauskopf, who said she and Duane developed a close relationship while she was on the Board. "He had bad hips, but you never heard him complain."
Work into fun
McIntosh's sons reminisced about their father's ability to turn work into fun -- both at home and at the fair.
"The fair was always kind of our summer vacation. We'd hurry up baling hay or work twice as hard to do whatever we had to do at home to get to the fair," said Rick.
"He rarely thought of his fair duties as work. He really enjoyed it. But he was that way with farming too," added Russell.
"He wanted it done right, but he wanted people to have fun doing it," added Judy.
"After I moved to Texas, I'd come home and have to come down to the fair to see him. That was always fine with me," said Rick.
A longtime supporter of youth events at the fair, McIntosh could often be seen in the barns talking to the kids.
"He really encouraged them," said Judy.
McIntosh's granddaughters said when it came to the midway, their Grandpa Duane was just a big kid himself.
"He always took us grandkids to the fair. He'd giggle the whole time. I remember we'd ride the Kamikaze (which rotates upside down) and all the change would fall out of his pockets," said granddaughter Breanna McIntosh.
"He'd scream 'Woo hoo.' I don't remember him ever turning us down when we asked to go on rides. In fact, he'd come find us," added Amanda (McIntosh) Schwartzhoff.
"Probably because he wanted to go on them," said Russell.
A couple years ago, Duane's troublesome hips caused him to step down from the Board.
"He finally had to give it up. If he couldn't pull his weight, he didn't want to do it," said Judy, adding even after he went off the Board, he still helped out whenever possible.
Known as a positive person who never looked for trouble, Duane was rarely seen without a smile on his face at the fair.
"He's missed a lot," said Amanda.
"He was just one of those people who makes you a better person by knowing him," said Krauskopf.
"He was our hero. If we could just be half of what he was ..." concluded Rick.
