Hunterdon County officials honor late farmer Irvin Hockenbury at 4-H and Agricultural Fair
EAST AMWELL TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Hunterdon County) — Hunterdon County officials and U.S. Rep. Tom Kean Jr. honored the life and legacy of the late Irvin E. Hockenbury during the opening ceremonies of the county’s 4-H and Agricultural Fair.
Hockenbury, a lifelong Ringoes resident who died April 15 at age 91, devoted more than 70 years to farming and agricultural advocacy. He was remembered as a mentor to generations of local farmers and a leader in preserving the county’s agricultural heritage.
At the ceremony, Commissioner Director John E. Lanza presented a proclamation from the Hunterdon County Board of Commissioners to Hockenbury’s family. Kean presented a congressional resolution and an American flag flown over the U.S. Capitol.
“Mr. Hockenbury was the embodiment of what it means to serve your community with humility and purpose,” Lanza said. “His legacy is not only in the fields he worked in or the organizations he led, but in the values he instilled in those around him.”
The proclamation highlighted Hockenbury’s leadership in the Mt. Airy 4-H Dairy Club, the New Jersey Farm Bureau, the Holcombe Jimison Farmstead Museum, the Hunterdon County Board of Agriculture and the United Milk Producers.
His civic contributions included early service with the Civil Air Patrol during World War II and long-standing membership at the Reaville Church.
Members of the Hockenbury family accepted the honors on his behalf, joined by friends and community members at the fair.
