The Washington Parish Free Fair is pleased to announce that the Fair Honoree for 2023 is Mercer Riche Brumfield.
Mercer, the daughter of "Bud" and Ada Riche, was born in Baton Rouge. She graduated from Baker High School and then from LSU with a B.S. in Medical Technology. She met and married her husband, Ron Brumfield, while working at Charity Hospital in New Orleans. They have one daughter and her husband, Amy and Clyde Oyler, one son and his wife, Neale and Lynette Brumfield, and three grandchildren, Michaela and Gavin Brumfield and Ella Kathryn Oyler.
Mercer's first visit to the Fair was in October 1972 while they were planning their move to Franklinton. What an awesome sight! After they moved here, they were asked to help with the signs for the parade for the Fair of 1973. Bill Durden, Pete Stafford, and lots of other folks gathered at Mercer and Ron's home and made posters for the cars and trucks. It can be truly said that there was lots of laughter and fellowship during the creation of those signs!! And that was the beginning of Mercer's love for the Fair. She recalls how Ron and the kids would be ready to head home each evening, and she would beg to stay a little longer!
She joined the stage committee in 1991 because of her love for music and entertainment. She says it has been such an honor to work with so many very dedicated volunteers through the years.
"It is a lot of work,” she said, “but we work as a family and have fun while doing it. We even learned how to laugh on the count of 1, 2, 3!!"
She served as Co-Chairman with Kaye Ladner, Wayne Rogers, and Dianne Applewhite and as Chairman in 2001. For the other years on the committee, she describes herself as "just a worker bee."
Her fellow committee members would say her favorite entertainer we've had was Marty Stuart (who she lobbied for about 10 years), but she would have to say that seeing the young people from all the schools, dance schools, etc. are the ones who truly make our fair special. And we must always remember that these young people are the future of our Fair!
The whole family participated in some way each year, whether with school or 4-H exhibits, jelly and cookies in the Homemaker's division, art and photography, dancing on stage, and Ron playing banjo and singing at Mile Branch.
Their daughter Amy was the 1st Runner Up in the 1989 Fair Queen Pageant. Their son Neale loved the sassafras tea so much that the folks in the cabin gave him a big cup every time he visited. Now their grandchildren are following in those footsteps! Granddaughter Michaela's favorite place was in a cabin at the Mile Branch Settlement. Grandson Gavin played in the FHS Band and Jazz Band onstage. Granddaughter Ella Kathryn has had entries in school exhibits and has danced onstage with "Miss" Donna and with each of the Bowling Green Dance Teams.
Mercer inherited the job of getting stage sponsors when Robert Sprehe retired. With the help of the committee, sponsors have greatly increased. Last year, Mercer was asked to be on a Corporate Sponsor Committee to get some larger companies involved. She agreed to be chairman "in name"-that meant it was just a title, and everyone had to work!
Mercer takes great pride in telling people about the Washington Parish Free Fair --- how it is done by volunteers with lots of love for our Parish. And, of course, she adds that it takes place in "God's Country!" She feels so very blessed to be a part of the largest Free Fair in the World. Like what folks from the North say about the South, Mercer says, "I didn't grow up with the Fair, but I got here as fast as I could." And she says, "Thank you" to all who make the Fair happen.
Mercer Brumfield was celebrated at the annual Fair Honoree Banquet last Monday at the Coke Plant in Bogalusa. She and husband Ron will also be special guests in the fair parade on Wednesday.
