Amos Funk
Encyclopedia
Amos H. Funk was an American
farmer
and farm
preservationist
. He served on several national, state and local advisory committees designed to preserve farmland in Pennsylvania
and the United States
.
, to parents, A. Herr and Nellie Eshleman Funk. He majored in economics
at Pennsylvania State University
. Funk married his wife, Esta E. (née
Myer) Funk on September 22, 1936. The couple had six children - three daughters and three sons - during their 73 year marriage.
, Raymond P. Shafer
, Richard Thornburgh and Robert Casey
. Former Pennsylvania Governor William Scranton also appointed Funk to the state's Committee on Agriculture, while former Governor Raymond Shafer placed him onto the Committee on the Preservation of Agricultural Land.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz
appointed Funk to the eighteen-member National Advisory Committee to the U.S. Soil Conservation Service in 1974.
Funk is credited with the creation of the Lancaster Farmland Trust, which he co-founded with three other individuals in 1975, and served as a trustee for twelve years.
Funk was a recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, including the Teddy Roosevelt Conservation Award from U.S. President George H.W. Bush in 1990.
Funk also served as the president of the Conestoga Valley Watershed Conservation District for seventeen years, president of the Pennsylvania Soil and Water Conservation District Directors, Inc., and president of the Pennsylvania Vegetable Growers Association.
, at the age of 98. He was a resident of Lancaster at the time of his death. He was survived by his wife, Esta E. (Myer) Funk; threeb daughters, Grace, Anna Mae and June; three sons - Amos H. Jr., Andrew and Frederick; eleven grandchildren; twelve great-grandchildren; and a great-great-grandson.
Ed Thompson, a senior associate and California
director of American Farmland Trust
called Funk the "heart and soul of farmland preservation in Lancaster County and inspired not only the community but the whole country to embrace it." Karen Martynick, executive director
of Lancaster Farmland Trust, noted that without Funk there might not be the 86000 acres (348 km²) of preserved farmland in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
, as of 2010.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
and farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
preservationist
Preservationist
Preservationist is generally understood to mean historic preservationist: one who advocates to preserve architecturally or historically significant buildings, structures, objects or sites from demolition or degradation...
. He served on several national, state and local advisory committees designed to preserve farmland in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Early life
Amos Funk was born on his family's farm in Millersville, PennsylvaniaMillersville, Pennsylvania
Millersville is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 7,774.-Geography:Millersville is located at ....
, to parents, A. Herr and Nellie Eshleman Funk. He majored in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
at Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
. Funk married his wife, Esta E. (née
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Myer) Funk on September 22, 1936. The couple had six children - three daughters and three sons - during their 73 year marriage.
Farm preservation and conservation
He was appointed to the Pennsylvania Soil and Water Conservation Commission by former Pennsylvania Governors William ScrantonWilliam Scranton
William Warren Scranton is a former U.S. Republican Party politician. Scranton served as the 38th Governor of Pennsylvania from 1963 to 1967. From 1976 to 1977, he served as United States Ambassador to the United Nations.-Early life:...
, Raymond P. Shafer
Raymond P. Shafer
Raymond Philip Shafer served as the 39th Governor of Pennsylvania from 1967 to 1971. He had previously served as Lieutenant Governor from 1963 to 1967...
, Richard Thornburgh and Robert Casey
Robert P. Casey
Robert Patrick "Bob" Casey, Sr. was an American politician from Pennsylvania. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 42nd Governor of Pennsylvania from 1987 to 1995...
. Former Pennsylvania Governor William Scranton also appointed Funk to the state's Committee on Agriculture, while former Governor Raymond Shafer placed him onto the Committee on the Preservation of Agricultural Land.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz
Earl Butz
Earl Lauer "Rusty" Butz was a United States government official who served as Secretary of Agriculture under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.- Background :...
appointed Funk to the eighteen-member National Advisory Committee to the U.S. Soil Conservation Service in 1974.
Funk is credited with the creation of the Lancaster Farmland Trust, which he co-founded with three other individuals in 1975, and served as a trustee for twelve years.
Funk was a recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, including the Teddy Roosevelt Conservation Award from U.S. President George H.W. Bush in 1990.
Funk also served as the president of the Conestoga Valley Watershed Conservation District for seventeen years, president of the Pennsylvania Soil and Water Conservation District Directors, Inc., and president of the Pennsylvania Vegetable Growers Association.
Death
Amos Funk died on February 14, 2010, at Lancaster Regional Medical Center in Lancaster, PennsylvaniaLancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
, at the age of 98. He was a resident of Lancaster at the time of his death. He was survived by his wife, Esta E. (Myer) Funk; threeb daughters, Grace, Anna Mae and June; three sons - Amos H. Jr., Andrew and Frederick; eleven grandchildren; twelve great-grandchildren; and a great-great-grandson.
Ed Thompson, a senior associate and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
director of American Farmland Trust
American Farmland Trust
The American Farmland Trust is an organization founded to preserve farmland and ranchland in the United States and to promote sustainable agricultural practices....
called Funk the "heart and soul of farmland preservation in Lancaster County and inspired not only the community but the whole country to embrace it." Karen Martynick, executive director
Executive director
Executive director is a term sometimes applied to the chief executive officer or managing director of an organization, company, or corporation. It is widely used in North American non-profit organizations, though in recent decades many U.S. nonprofits have adopted the title "President/CEO"...
of Lancaster Farmland Trust, noted that without Funk there might not be the 86000 acres (348 km²) of preserved farmland in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the...
, as of 2010.