California kid is ready to work in SW MN

Pictured:  Coleton Hilarides in his shop near Trosky. He operates a mobile welding unit in the area. He is married to Jennifer (Schmidt) and they live near Chandler.

Story by Jill Fennema –

Coleton Hilarides may know more about almond harvesting than corn harvesting, but his welding know-how and experience will make him a sought-after repairman in the area. 

Coleton moved here from Modesto, California, with his wife Jennifer (Schmidt) last March. Coleton’s mom, Julie (Talsma), grew up in the Edgerton area, and his grandpa, John Talsma, still has a farm north of Edgerton.  

Julie met Randy Hilarides at church when she went out to California to visit her aunt, Marge Prins. Randy has been a welder all his life and Coleton grew up handing his dad tools in the welding shop. As soon as he was old enough, he learned to weld himself.

When Coleton was 16 years old, he started working at a welding shop called Cunningham Manufacturing. In 2008, when the recession hit, Randy had to find full time, regular work. So he took a position at another welding shop and Coleton took care of his dad’s customers. 

During his high school years, Coleton did a lot of welding and fabricating. He attended Ripon Christian High School and they had a good shop program. 

Modesto is a large agricultural center because the city is surrounded by fertile ground. Fruit, nuts, and garden produce are the major crops in that area.

While working for Cunningham Manufacturing, Coleton helped build custom trailers, sprayers, and other ag equipment. They did a lot of maintenance work for dairy farmers out there, too, including watering troughs, fencing, and gating. 

In April 2017, when he was 20 years old, Coleton came to Southwest MN to help his Grandpa Talsma farm. It was a late spring that year, so he was able to help with the planting. He and John also repaired and replaced fence during the six weeks Coleton was here.

For the complete article, please see the November 25th edition of the Edgerton Enterprise. If you do not currently receive the Enterprise, CLICK HERE for information on how to subscribe!