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In 1918, Auguste and Bertha Myers Habig purchased 40 acres of this farm. There were no buildings, and they needed a house, so they purchased a small, 2-story house from the owner of Ina Store. Using logs, wagons, and horses, they moved the house 2 miles to the farm. Almost 10 years later, after having expanded their farm to almost 150 acres, they added a single-story addition containing a kitchen, a dining room, an enclosed back porch, and a broad, welcoming front porch to the original structure. Gust and his brother-in-law, Oliver Depew, built the barn you see here on the left and the equipment building/granary on the right. At one time there were other buildings: a wellhouse, a milkhouse, a chicken coop, and a hog house. Late in World War II, Gust realized he was very ill. Calvin Depew, Oliver's son, asked if he could buy the farm so that he could have a dairy farm there. The sale was soon accomplished, and Calvin brought his wife, Wilma, and their small son Richard home to the farm in 1946. Bertha had bought a house in a nearby town, where she lived after Gust's death until she remarried several years later. Calvin and Wilma purchased more land from his father and brother, and the farm now encompassed almost 250 acres. Another son joined the family in 1947, the same year in which Calvin bought a tractor and sold his horses.

In 1959, disaster struck. A cow from a neighboring farm harbored Bang's Disease, and one of Calvin's cows caught the disease. The State of Michigan destroyed his herd, disinfected the barn and pasture, and quarantined the farm for a number of years. Calvin went to barber school in Detroit. In 1965, he, Wilma, and their youngest son moved to a lakeside cottage near Cadillac, Michigan. Calvin retired in 1977 and began spending his days on his farm. The fields were rented to another dairy farmer--the same family has rented them since 1959--but he could walk his woods, chop wood to heat his house, hunt, and enjoy his land. After Wilma's death in 1989, he decided to move back to the farm. He built a new house near a wooded area of the farm and near the spot where he had been born. He is now 91 years old (in 2011), and he plans to die near the same spot where he was born.

I'm not sure the year my parents, LaVerne and Helen Stoltz, bought this farm, but I was born in June 1958, (the 4th of 4 children), and they had lived here a few years already. I remember sitting on a homemade grader (for weight) when the long driveway was muddy and my dad had to even out the gravel. My dad was diagnosed with cancer in November 1968 and we sold the farm in March of 1969 to Chuck Webster of Madison. As of May 2011 the only thing left standing, that I could see, was the silo, and trees had grown up on both sides of the long driveway. How things change over the years!

This farm was purchased in 1958 by Glenn and Marjorie (Thomas) Eier. Previous owners were named Butler and Higgins. Glenn and Marjorie resided here until 2007. Marjorie passed away in 2005. Glenn now resides in a nursing home. The farm is administered by their children Ruth EIer Crates and Ron Eier.

After all the kids were married, the majority of the buildings were torn down. Sundays were spent with all the grandkids on the farm. The kids were instructed to stay out of the barn, don't go in the ditches, and stay away from the swamp. Maybe us kids ruined it for our kids.

The farm where my parents lived from 1951-1991. Five children were raised here and what great hiding places in all the buildings. My sisters and I would walk the "country mile" because everything was totally safe. We'd pack a picnic lunch and be gone for hours. Life was so simple then.

Wm. Miller residence from about 1918 to 1982. Farm was purchased by his son Willis in 1985. Building site was purchased bt Willis' son Richard in 1992 for the purpose of building a new home.

This is my home farm. My Great Grandfather started it in 1888. The barn was the second largest in the county when it was built. It measures about 115 feet long, 60 feet wide and 60 feet tall.

This is my Great Aunt and Uncles house in the late 1970s. This photo was taken when they were doing some work on the house. The big car in the driveway is my Grandfathers 1976 Thunderbird, I believe my Grandfather is standing by the car.

This is a picture of our home which was taken in 1970, the year we were married.
It is nice to be able to show our family how the farmsite looked before all the changes that have been made during the 41 years we have been living there.
Thank you, Gary Brinkmeier, for finding it for us!

This is a 1966 photo of my home farm in Vermilion County Illinois. My great grandfather bought the farm in 1909. My two daughters are the fifth generation in my family to be part of this farm. My great grandparents came from Ostfriesland Germany in the 1860s.