The Kerns Family Scholarship Fund was created by Mary Margaret Kerns Meek in 2005, and was the 100th fund of the Washington County Community Foundation. It provides scholarships to graduating seniors of McGuffey High School who are members of the Future Farmers of America and who intend to pursue post‐secondary education in the field of agriculture.
Mary and her brother, Bob Kerns, grew up on a farm located on McGuffey Road in West Alexander, PA. The farm has been owned by their family since the early 1800ʹs. After graduating from high school, both siblings decided to pursue careers in agriculture.
Mary graduated from West Liberty State College with a Bachelors of Science in Home Economics and Speech Communication. She then became a County Extension Agent for West Virginia University, where she obtained her Master of Science in Family Resource Management. Mary spent her career serving Ohio, Tucker, Hampshire, and Hancock Counties, concentrating in the areas of home economy, flood relief, 4-H, and agriculture.
Mary also enjoyed showing dairy animals with her two nephews, and traveling to different shows to educate people about operating a dairy farm. At these shows, children learned where milk comes from, while adults learned about the economics of running a farm and the cost of shipping a Grade A product.
When Mary retired, she enjoyed serving on the session of the West Alexander Presbyterian Church and singing in their choir. She gave inspirational and informative speeches to local community groups, and traveled extensively abroad.
On April 19, 2007, Mary passed away at Allegheny General Hospital following a brief illness.
Bob Kerns continues to operate the farm with his wife and children. He recently converted the farm from a full time dairy operation to a beef and crop farm.