03-04-2025
Rollin Webb, retired Monroe County drain commissioner and fair board member, dies at 90
NEWPORT — Retired Monroe County Drain Commission commissioner, long-time Monroe County Fair Board member and lifelong area farmer Rollin Webb, 90, of Newport, died March 31.
Funeral services are planned for Saturday.
Webb was elected Monroe County drain commissioner for three consecutive terms, serving a total of 12 years before retiring in 2006.
"He was a great man. I considered him to be a very good friend," said David Thompson, current Monroe County drain commissioner. "He hired me. He was a great guy to work for; very fair and very honest. I will miss him."
In 1959, at age 25, Webb joined the Monroe County Fair Board. He served for 57 years, until 2016. He held several offices and is the longest-serving member of the board. Webb received the fair's Meritorious Service Award, according to his obituary.
"It was a long ride and I've seen a lot of changes,' Webb told The Monroe News when he retired from the board. 'The Monroe County Fair came from nowhere to being Michigan's finest. When we started going to conventions, people didn't know where Monroe was. Now they do.'
"I was grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Rollin during the beginning of my career here at the Monroe County Fair,' said Darryl Diamond, fair manager. 'Rollin was a dedicated and knowledgeable board member for many decades. We were all blessed to know him. We have lost a true friend of the Monroe County Fair."
Previous Coverage: Webb to retire from Monroe County fair board
A 1952 graduate of Monroe High School, Webb earned a degree in agriculture, specializing in poultry, from Michigan State University.
A lifelong Newport farmer, he raised cash crops and livestock, according to his obituary. He was a member of the Monroe County Farm Bureau, Blissfield Growers and Michigan Soybean Associations. Webb also volunteered as a 4-H leader and Cubmaster of Troop 97. He was a member of Grace Lutheran Church, where he served as an elder and usher.
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Webb is survived by his wife of almost 70 years, Mary, four sons, five grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Friends may call from 2-8 p.m. April 4 at Bacarella Funeral Home in Monroe. He will lie in state at noon April 5 at Grace Lutheran Church in Monroe, with the funeral beginning at 1 p.m.
Online condolences and memories may be shared at
— Contact reporter Suzanne Nolan Wisler at swisler@
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: The late Rollin Webb was a drain commissioner, fair board member
