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Ak-sar-ben Pioneer Farm Family
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Carl and Berthan Brudigam, parents of Arnold, Les, Lloyd, Raymond and Mary Lou purchased 200 acres of farm land, South of Wakefield, in Wayne County on March 7, 1911 from Herman Wollmer. Carl farmed and raised livestock until his retirement in 1951 when he bought a house in town.
Ed and Mary Lou Krusemark then moved on the home place. To their family came three sons, Ron, Merele and Gary and two daughters, Marcia (Nixon) and Brenda (Stuart). They continued farming, raising cattle, hog, children and milked cows. In 1973 Ed and Mary Lou bought 160 acres. Ed and Mary Lou bought a lot in Wakefield and began the process of building a new home and transitioning to retirement. On February 1976 Ron and Corliss Monnich bought 80 acres, including the home place, buildings, pasture and some farm ground. Ed continued with the livestock and farming operation and have made improvements to the4 land, including a new home in 1984. Ron and Corliss' children are all married-Shelley to Jerry Groene, living on an acreage near Laurel; Valorie married Steve Slizoski, farming near Newman Grove and Matthew and Traci (Denker) married and enjoying life in the country near Wayne.
Families continue to be involved in farm life after being raised on th4e original homestead of their ancestors, Carl and Bertha Brudigam. Great-neices and nephews stop out at hte farm to take in the pride of generations that have worked the land and provided many comforts of food grown by others and of course highlight of big tractor rides! |
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Ak-sar-ben Pioneer Farm Family
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Name of Present Owner of Farm: Patrick Finn Trust Fine Finn Farm James Finn purchased the 320 acres farm in 1906. His son, John, inherited 80 acres in 1939. Also that year, he purchased 80 acres from his sister, Marie Thun, and another 80 acres from brother Leo. In 1969, Joh's son, Patrick, and his family purchased 240 acres. In 1980, the family purchased the remaining 80 acres. Patrick and his wife, Marilyn, raised their eight children on the farm located 6.5 miles northeast of Carroll. The couple still reside on the farm and rent out the cropland. Matt insisted on $40 an acres for his 80 acres. John resisted; maybe he could not handle the debt. Matt and his sons came from 10 miles away with horses to farm it. They mowed the roadsides on their farm with a cast iron horse mower, and used corn knives for the taller weeds in the ditches with the horses feasting on the weeds, too. they picked corn by hand with high-wheeled wagons. They would leave their t4eams of horses in the barn through Sunday. Patrick cared for his horwse for 20 cents for the weekend. John said that was unnecessary. then in 1960, Matt sold the 80 acres to Paul Erickson, a one-time Finn hired man for $9,900. Paul really liked the Finns. Paul said the first days after his arrival from Sweden were the worst of his life. Matt used John's team of horses and his two-row cultivator to cultivate a few acres. Patrick Finn |
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