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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E488]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
REMEMBERING THE LIFE OF FRED STARRH, SR.
______
HON. KEVIN McCARTHY
of california
in the house of representatives
Thursday, April 25, 2019
Mr. McCARTHY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Fred
Starrh, Sr., who passed away on April 16, 2019 at the age of 89. Fred
was a renowned farmer in California's Central Valley whose career
spanned nearly seventy years. He was also a devoted family man,
philanthropist, follower of Jesus Christ, and my dear friend.
Born to a family of cotton farmers at the onset of the Great
Depression and having come of age during the Second World War, the
value of hard work and the importance of serving one's country were
instilled in Fred at a young age. In fact, Fred answered the call to
serve when his draft number was selected during the Korean War.
Stationed in Fort Lewis in Washington State, it was there he met his
first loving wife of 54 years, Nancy Johnson, who passed away in 2009.
Fred then fell in love with and married Linda.
Fred returned to his roots after the war, managing the 35-acre family
cotton farm in Shafter, California, that his father founded in 1935.
The operation quickly expanded and diversified under Fred's guidance,
with an additional location in Buttonwillow, California, and the
production of specialty crops, including pistachios and almonds. Today,
the Starrh Family Farms operation spans over 9,000 acres.
Fred was also a staunch advocate for Kern County and Central Valley
farmers and the farming industry generally. For instance, when the U.S.
Department of Agriculture closed a research facility in Shafter,
California, that was doing critical research on a cotton disease, Fred,
through the San Joaquin Valley Quality Cotton Growers Association,
stepped up to the plate and led the charge to keep the facility open
and in operation by partnering with Kern County and the local community
college.
Throughout his 68-year career, Fred also advanced agricultural
interests by serving on countless boards and councils, and joining
numerous associations. Among these, Fred was particularly proud to sit
on the Kern County Water Agency Board of Directors. In this capacity,
Fred played a critical role and was a key decision-maker advancing
commonsense water policies in Kern County and California. For those of
you who know California water politics, things can get heated quickly,
but Fred, the consummate gentleman, could draw on his vast experience
and detailed knowledge to find common ground to bring people back to
the table to get solutions--all without raising his voice.
Fred also served on the Kern County Farm Bureau's Board of Directors,
was a Director for the California Farm Bureau Federation, and was
appointed to serve on the Cotton Agricultural Trade Advisory Committee
and the Cotton Marketing Committee by then-Secretary of Agriculture Ed
Madigan, where he advised the Secretary and other officials at the U.S.
Department of Agriculture on the landmark 1990 Farm Bill. Fred further
served his beloved Central Valley community on the board of the Kern
High School District for 17 years, and was a founding member of the
Shafter Recreation District, where he both supported and participated
in local music and arts programs.
Fred held unwavering faith in the goodness of God. As a member of the
Shafter Congregational Church, Fred could always be found singing in
the choir with his family and friends.
Fred is survived by his wife, Linda, his four children, Fred Jr. and
his wife Cris, Larry and his wife Shana, Carol and her husband Jay, and
Anne and her husband Dale, his seven grandchildren, two great-
grandchildren, and an entire family that loved him deeply. Fred Starrh
was truly a larger-than-life personality, and when I would seek his
counsel on any issue big or small, he always had sage advice. I am
honored to have been able to call Fred one of my close friends.
On behalf of Kern County and our friends and neighbors throughout the
23rd Congressional District of California, Judy and I extend our
deepest condolences to the Starrh family as we remember and honor the
life of Fred Starrh, Sr.
____________________