Nov 21, 2022

Goodfellow make donation to Kansas International 4-H Youth Exchange

Posted Nov 21, 2022 5:00 PM
Don and the late Eula Mae Goodfellow, generous donors to the Kansas IFYE (International 4-H Youth Exchange) Association
Don and the late Eula Mae Goodfellow, generous donors to the Kansas IFYE (International 4-H Youth Exchange) Association

The Kansas International 4-H Youth Exchange (IFYE) Association is honored by a generous contribution from the Don Goodfellow family of Lyons in honor of Eula Mae Goodfellow that showcases their continued commitment to helping youth explore and learn about the world around them. Eula Mae was a beloved member of the IFYE family and a shining example of how international travel can be life changing. The Goodfellow family gift was the catalyst for the Kansas IFYE Association to partner with the Kansas 4-H Foundation to create a $25,000 endowed scholarship to support Kansas youth interested in international travel through 4-H programs for many years to come.

It was 1955 - Eula Mae Murrey’s junior year at McPherson College when she made plans to be a part of the Kansas IFYE (formerly known as International Farm Youth Exchange) program to Belgium. Two weeks before she left her McPherson County home to go on this trip, Don Goodfellow proposed marriage to her - as he was also leaving for one year with the International Voluntary Service (IVS) program in Iraq. Eula Mae and Don said a hard goodbye at the train station in Salina when he left for orientation in Washington, DC. Then a few days later, Eula Mae left for her IFYE experience. You can imagine her surprise when Don met her at the Washington, D.C. train station as she was arriving there for her orientation, and found out that his departure to Iraq had been delayed. These moments set into motion a lifelong commitment to each other AND travel; two things that they both thoroughly enjoyed.

As an IFYE, Eula Mae stayed with four different farm families while in Belgium. Two families spoke French, and two spoke Flemish. Since she took French in college, she was able to communicate well, and thankfully she was a fast learner, as she picked up enough Flemish language to manage.

One of her host families had milk cows, so she enjoyed bottle feeding the calves and helping the host mother make butter and cheese. According to the letters she sent to Don in Iraq, she never complained about her harsh living conditions, and always had something positive to say.

Eula Mae returned to Kansas in late 1955 and finished her senior year in one semester at McPherson College prior to Don returning home. They were married May 17, 1956, and spent one year in Ohio where Don was the farm manager for Heifer International, Inc. The opportunity arose that they could ride a freightliner boat as a seagoing cowboy traveling to Germany with the heifers to be distributed for the Heifer Project. They purchased a Volkswagen car in the USA, but picked it up from the factory in Germany, and put 8,000 miles on it as they toured all over Europe and visited all of Eula Mae’s host

families in Belgium. After their trip, they loaded the car on the freightliner and shipped it to the states for their return to Kansas, where they drove it until their family grew out of it.

Eula Mae and Don through the years stayed in contact with someone from each of her host families, since her memorable and life changing IFYE experience in 1955. In fact, four of the grandchildren from her host families have visited them in Kansas.

All of her life, Eula Mae was a travel enthusiast - planning many family vacations. Don and Eula Mae attended many national and international IFYE conferences. They also participated in mission trips, disaster relief cleanups, group tour vacations around the world and numerous motorcycle excursions. Eula Mae was an abundance of energy, never met a stranger, loved to travel, and generously practiced hospitality.

Eula Mae passed away on February 10, 2022. Survivors include her husband, Don, of Lyons, KS; Daughters Kristen Higgens of Beatrice, NE; and Teresa (Joel) Miller of St. John, KS, as well as 8 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.

If you, or someone you know, has experienced the amazing benefits and rewards of international travel and would like to help future 4-H travelers (ages 12-25-years-old) for generations to come, this endowed fund has been set up to receive additional contributions through the Kansas 4-H Foundation, 1680 Charles Place, Manhattan, KS 66502; 785-775-0123. Visit: https://www.kansas4hfoundation.org/give/. Please reference the “Kansas IFYE Association Endowment Fund, #06-4925” in the Designation Section in the “Please add any additional information about your gift” box. This will ensure your tax-deductible gift goes to this new fund.

Kansas IFYE Association Background
The IFYE Exchange Program was founded after World War II as young Americans perceived the need for greater international understanding and cooperation. United States participants live and work with host families in another country, while youth from abroad live with host families in the United States for an equal amount of time. The IFYE and the host family learn about each other’s culture by participating in the host family’s daily life, promoting “Peace Through Understanding”. Exchanges have continued for nearly 75 years (in 2023), and more than 4,000 Americans have lived in 116 countries while a similar number of young people from those nations have come to the United States. Upon returning home, IFYE participants share their once-in-a-lifetime experiences with thousands of people in their communities, state, and nation. To learn more about the Kansas IFYE Program and current programs available to 4-H youth ages 12-25, please visit: https://www.kansas4-h.org/events-activities/global-citizenship/.