The 2016 Rice County Outstanding Senior Citizen could be the poster child for time management.

Carmen Tripp told those gathered in the Straight River Room on the Rice County Fairgrounds she was surprised to receive the award.

Before retiring from teaching full-time, she was active with 4-H as a Rice County Fair judge and state fair volunteer. Tripp volunteered for the YMCA, the Faribault Chamber Agricultural Committee, American Dairy Association and numerous parent classroom and field trip activities.

Tripp received awards as an Outstanding Youth Leader and Outstanding Adult Leader.

Tripp was born and raised on a farm in Rice County and has been a Rice County Fair open class coordinator and judge since 2009.

She's a regular volunteer at Fashions on Central for the Faribault Senior Center and also volunteers at the Paradise Center for the Arts.

Tripp is a member of the Faribault Teacher Retirement Committee and her nomination said, "while spending her winters in Texas serves food at luncheons and builds community there." She was also described as, "generous, compassionate, kind to others and always finds time for family, work and community."

Tripp and her husband, Willard, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary next month.

Carmen and Willard Tripp
Gordy Kosfeld / Townsquare Media
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Fair Board Vice President Kathy Cap read the essay judged best of seniors writing about their grammar school days. It was written by 90-year-old Rosie Mariska of Faribault.

Mariska went to school in a one-room schoolhouse in Le Sueur County and told me after the program she works out at a gym in Morristown regularly.

Second place went to 88-year-old Delna Spitzack of Faribault, who went to District 89 school.

Spitzack told us during the live broadcast on KDHL the word bully was never used in those days. In fact, she told the story of a time when she was a first-grader and kids were playing a game of hit and run where they hit a ball and run to a base. One of the older boys picked her up and carried her to a base. Some of the kids asked why he did that and the response was the games rules didn't specify how the person gets to the base.

There was a tie for third place between Carol and Harold Harper of Faribault.

Carol went to school in Scott County and Harold to a school in New Market Township.

Rosie Mariska of Faribault. Senior Essay Winner.
Gordy Kosfeld / Townsquare Media
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