By Jill Fennema/Vonnie Walhof – 

The farm currently owned by Karen and Hiene Walhof celebrated a major milestone 2 years ago. This year, the family has applied for century farm status, and at 102 years old, it is definitely a farm that has deep roots.

Harm John De Groot was born in 1888 in The Netherlands. When he was 4-1/2 years old his parents immigrated to the U.S. After a long voyage by boat and train they arrived at their destination in Sioux County, Iowa.

The family had 10 children, 6 of whom were boys. The next move was to to the Leota, Minnesota, area. The boys, except Harm John, would all farm in the Leota area. Harm John ventured further north to Pipestone County.

Section 31 of Burke Township in Pipestone County was a land grant from the State of Minnesota to the railroad in 1881. Several transactions later, in 1909, the southeast quarter of Section 31 was sold to Wm. Westera. He paid $6,500 for the 160 acres.

Mr. Westera built a house, barn, and several outbuildings. The house and barn are still in use today. The Westeras and two sons farmed the land through 1917. They sold it to Harm John De Groot.

H.J. and his wife Alice moved to the farm in 1918 with their two small children – Hemet, 3, and Grace, 2. In the next 18 years, six more children were born – Bertus, Alice, Nellie, Frank, Mayme, and Lavonne.

Horses were used for planting and harvesting the crops. Wheat and corn (picked by hand) and lots of hay was stacked or placed in the barn’s big loft. Later, oats was raised. The oat shocks were threshed by a large neighborhood threshing ring crew.

Cows were milked twice a day (by hand) and the cream sold. The milk went to the pigs. Through all the 100 years on this farm, pigs were its cash crop. A flock of chickens provided food and grocery money. There was always a large garden to tend and lots of potatoes were planted.

The seven oldest children had all, or part of, their education in a country school, District 43 located 1-3/4 miles away. They walked or were taken to school by bobsled, or cart and pony. When the boys were old enough to drive themselves to school, a cart and horse were bought from a former mail carrier. There was only one problem – the horse stopped at every mailbox on the way to school!

By hard work and living frugally, the De Groots struggled through tough economic times, blizzards, drought, and dust storms.

In 1928, HJ needed to make the final payment for the farm, but it had been a difficult year. On his way to town to tell the banker he could not make the payment, he stopped at a neighbor, telling the neighbor his misfortune. The neighbor said he would lend HJ the money, which he did.

HJ made the payment, and did well enough in the next few years to purchase 160 acres to the east of his farm.

Good years followed the Dirty 30’s and Depression Era. A tractor was purchased, relieving the horses of some of their workload!

Alan and Vonnie Walhof with their children when they were living and working on the farm. Pictured are (back) Hiene and Alan. Front: Diane, Alyce, Wendy, Vonnie, Susan, and Nancy.

Hiene and Karen Walhof with their family: (l to r) Jessica, Daniel, Hiene, Karen, Megan and Chad Kischer. In front are the family pets: Hector the yellow lab and Scout, Megan and Chad’s dog.