Amos Funk
- February 14, 2010
- 98 years
About Amos Funk
Amos Funk, 98, American farm preservationist.
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Full Biography
|Amos H. Funk (October 18, 1911 – February 14, 2010) 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.
Early life
Amos Funk was born on his family's farm in Millersville, Pennsylvania, 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.
Farm preservation and conservation
Amos began soil & land conservation in the 1930s on his own land after learning methods to prevent erosion.
He was appointed to the Pennsylvania Soil and Water Conservation Commission by former Pennsylvania Governors William Scranton, 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 1985, 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, Pennsylvania, 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; three 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 86,000 acres (348 km2) of preserved farmland in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, as of 2010.
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amos_Funk
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 14 questions
Questions drawn from Amos Funk's archived record and the sources above.
1.What subject did Amos Funk study at Pennsylvania State University?
- A.History
- B.Political Science
- C.Agriculture
- D.Economicscorrect
Amos Funk majored in economics at Pennsylvania State University.
Source: Early life
2.When did Amos Funk marry Esta E. Myer?
- A.October 18, 1936
- B.February 14, 1939
- C.August 15, 1930
- D.September 22, 1936correct
Amos Funk married his wife, Esta E. Myer, on September 22, 1936.
Source: Early life
3.How many children did Amos Funk and Esta E. Funk have during their marriage?
- A.Four
- B.Seven
- C.Five
- D.Sixcorrect
The couple had six children—three daughters and three sons—during their 73-year marriage.
Source: Early life
4.During which decade did Amos Funk begin practicing soil and land conservation?
- A.1920s
- B.1940s
- C.1930scorrect
- D.1950s
Amos Funk began soil and land conservation in the 1930s on his own land.
Source: Farm preservation and conservation
5.Which U.S. Secretary of Agriculture appointed Amos Funk to the National Advisory Committee in 1974?
- A.Bob Bergland
- B.Orville Freeman
- C.John Block
- D.Earl Butzcorrect
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz appointed Amos Funk to the national committee in 1974.
Source: Farm preservation and conservation
6.Amos Funk co-founded the Lancaster Farmland Trust in which year?
- A.1974
- B.1990
- C.1980
- D.1985correct
Amos Funk is credited with the creation of the Lancaster Farmland Trust, which he co-founded in 1985.
Source: Farm preservation and conservation
7.How long did Amos Funk serve as a trustee for the Lancaster Farmland Trust?
- A.Fifteen years
- B.Seventeen years
- C.Ten years
- D.Twelve yearscorrect
Amos Funk served as a trustee for the Lancaster Farmland Trust for twelve years.
Source: Farm preservation and conservation
8.Which award did Amos Funk receive from U.S. President George H. W. Bush in 1990?
- A.The Presidential Farm Preservation Honor
- B.The Teddy Roosevelt Conservation Awardcorrect
- C.The National Conservation Medal
- D.The Agricultural Leadership Award
Amos Funk was a recipient of the Teddy Roosevelt Conservation Award from U.S. President George H. W. Bush in 1990.
Source: Farm preservation and conservation
9.For how many years did Amos Funk serve as president of the Conestoga Valley Watershed Conservation District?
- A.Seventeen yearscorrect
- B.Twenty years
- C.Twelve years
- D.Fifteen years
Amos Funk served as the president of the Conestoga Valley Watershed Conservation District for seventeen years.
Source: Farm preservation and conservation
10.In what year was Amos Funk born?
- A.1911correct
- B.1908
- C.1914
- D.1905
Amos H. Funk was born on October 18, 1911.
Source: Introduction
11.Where did Amos Funk die on February 14, 2010?
- A.Pennsylvania State University Hospital
- B.At his home in Millersville
- C.The Lancaster Farmland Trust office
- D.Lancaster Regional Medical Centercorrect
Amos Funk died at Lancaster Regional Medical Center in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Source: Death
12.What was the total number of acres of preserved farmland in Lancaster County noted by Karen Martynick as of 2010?
- A.86,000 acrescorrect
- B.92,000 acres
- C.70,000 acres
- D.100,000 acres
Karen Martynick noted there were 86,000 acres of preserved farmland in Lancaster County as of 2010.
Source: Death
13.How old was Amos Funk when he passed away?
- A.97
- B.98correct
- C.95
- D.96
Amos Funk died at the age of 98.
Source: Introduction
14.Where was Amos Funk born?
- A.Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
- B.Lancaster, Pennsylvania
- C.Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- D.Millersville, Pennsylvaniacorrect
Amos Funk was born on his family's farm in Millersville, Pennsylvania.
Source: Early life
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