The Lead.
George and Janis Collet of Kirby, Ohio, knew the value of hard work. While the farmers didn’t have a lot of material wealth, they gave their time generously to their community. They volunteered regularly at 4-H groups, local schools, nonprofits and their church. The couple also had a plan for their two children’s futures after they graduated from Riverdale High School.
“They told us both that we were going to college,” said Dr. Amy Adams, their daughter. “Our parents were very supportive of education. Dad never had the chance to go.”
In memory of this salt-of-the-earth couple, their adult children created a new scholarship fund at Marion Technical College in their honor.
“They definitely had a strong vision for us to go to college. We want this fund to help other students from Wyandot County continue their education,” said John Collet, their son.
The new George and Janis Collet Scholarship Fund is focused on second-year college students from Wyandot County.
“They’ve already proven themselves,” Amy said. “This will help them get to graduation.”
“Mom and Dad knew the value of education. Marion Tech offers a quality, affordable, personal education that leads to good-paying jobs and opportunities,” John said. “They take care of working parents and first-gen college students. We want to help other Wyandot County residents earn their diplomas.”
The first scholarship will be awarded for fall 2024. A scholarship can often be the small boost to help a student stay on track. As first-generation college students, both John and Amy needed scholarships to afford to attend college.
“We grew up poor, but we never went hungry. We raised our own food,” Dr. Adams said.
George and Janis Collet lived on the family farm and shared what they had generously. They took in a number of foster children, exchange students and a student teacher. They took care of relatives when they were ill and needed help.
“I think that says a lot about your parents,” said Mike Stuckey, director of the Marion Technical College Foundation. “Not a lot of people would do that. They were really welcoming.”
“The Collets invested in young people and the community. This is another way to extend that welcome and generosity,” said Tami Galloway, a member of the Marion Tech Foundation board of directors.
“They were good people,” Amy recalls.
In addition to farming, George Collet, a U.S. Army veteran, worked at Whirlpool for 35 years.
“Dad would carpool with other local workers. One time in a terrible snowstorm in the ‘70s, Dad and another worker took a snowmobile from Kirby to the Whirlpool factory in Marion. They arrived – only to find out it was closed,” Amy remembers.
From the farm to 4-H advising to the Wyandot County Fair to the Farm Bureau, George and Janis Collet invested their time in their community.
“The only thing they didn’t do was sit down!” Amy said. “Both John’s and my work ethics are directly related to our parents. Something always needed to be done! Mom could have been an Army general. She ran a tight ship.”
George Collet eventually retired from Whirlpool, but he didn’t stop farming until he had a fall that slowed him down.
Janis died after a 17-year battle with cancer on Nov. 14, 2014. George died Nov. 2, 2023.
“These funds will touch and inspire a lot of people,” Stuckey said.
To make a donation, go to the giving page and designate the Collet Scholarship Fund.
