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Century Farms
October 2020O
Schwichtenbergs recall fond memories on century-old farm By MISTY SCHWAB misty.schwab@apgsomn.com MORRISTOWN — A slab of wood inside Robert “Bob” Schwichtenberg’s tractor shed is evidence of the owners who came before him on his century-old farm in Morristown. The first to carve his name was James, though his last name is illegible. The next is Wensel Dusbabek, then Albert Schwichtenberg, and finally Bob’s own name. He and his wife, Tammy, are the ones to own the farm 100 years after it became a part of the Schwichtenberg family. Bob’s grandparents, Albert and Emma Schwichtenberg, bought the family farm in March 1919 from Wensel Dusbabek. He estimates his own dad, Ewald, and uncle Herbert bought the farm from Albert in the 1940s, before Albert died in 1953. Apart from two years in the service, Bob has spent his whole life on the Morristown farm. He remembers his family owning horses, hogs, chickens, ducks, pigs and milk cows. Ewald and Herbert grew hay for the cows and oats, corn and soybeans. In 1967, Bob, who has two siblings, purchased the farm from his dad. Since then, he said the farm “has really changed” from the two-row equipment and pull-type combine. Now, he said, “everything is big.” Keeping it in the family Unlike his father, Bob didn’t raise pigs, chickens or ducks. But he did maintain the tradition of raising dairy cows until it made more sense to switch to beef cattle. The creamery had quit taking canned milk, and Bob started working construction, both which warranted the transition. For Bob’s wife, Tammy, life on the Schwichtenberg farm began in 1968. She grew up in Morristown and re-
FARM RELICS Tammy and Bob Schwichtenberg mentioned two main relics they have on their farm. One is a dinner bell they hang on their front porch, which they’ve owned for many decades, and another collectible item is an Allis-Chalmer D15, which Bob had refurbished. Tammy said the tractor looks so nice she won’t allow Bob to use it for plowing or pushing snow. They keep it in their tractor shed and take it out for show. calls seeing farms across the street. Her family didn’t farm, but they owned pigs and ducks in town, a common practice at the time.
Bob and Tammy raised two girls and a boy. The oldest, Paula, lives in Waterville, and the youngest, Jodi, lives in Oak Creek, a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Their only son, Robert “Rob” Schwichtenberg lives right across the road from his parents. Rob was in the last Morristown graduating class before it merged with Waterville-Elysian, and Jodi graduated with the first class of combined students. This refurbished Allis-Chalmers D15 tractor is a prized possession for the Schwichtenberg family. Pictured from left: Tammy and Robert Sr. (Bob) with their son, Robert Jr. (Rob) on the century-old farm. (Misty Schwab/southernminn.com) Paula Meskan, Tammy and Bob’s was great. I did worry at times when eldest, remembers playing outside neighbors relied on them. they were smaller and I couldn’t see with the neighbors up the road and Paula has enjoyed taking her own them, I thought they would get lost learning to drive on the farm as a in the corn field, but that never hapchildren to their grandpa and grandchild. She and her siblings helped ma’s farm, where they hunt in the pened.” feed the calves when her dad raised woods and celebrate holidays. milk cows. If there was ever a time her children “I liked the country, ” Rob said. “I might not have enjoyed the farm, “I remember harvest time, Dad being Tammy said it was during haying liked the farm; it’s peaceful. I helped out in the field running the picker for season because they all dealt with milk cows, carried milk pails, baled whatever he was picking, and when allergies when it came time to bale. hay, worked the fields, mowed the we were little especially, Mom would Baling hay was the main responsibillawn, put up fence and chased the run the wagon back and forth to the ity for the Schwichtenberg children, cows. ” granary or the corn crib,” Paula said. and they all drove tractors. The fam“It’s not a one-person job.” Rob recalls whenever he or one of his ily used a small, rectangle baler to Robert and Tammy Schwichtenberg, pictured, like the location of their Morristown farm, one reason being the woods in their backyard. Their A big life lesson Paula learned from sisters were called to the office over pick up and toss the hay, but Bob said children and grandchildren learned to hunt, and continue to hunt, in they converted to round bales at the the intercom at school, they knew the her farm-based upbringing was that these woods. (Misty Schwab/southernminn.com) end of their farming years. cows had gotten out and they needed farm work doesn’t have a 9 to 5 timeline but rather “you work until the to go home and round them up. ticipating in sports and other school All three children helped with chores, work is done.” For that reason, her activities for the sake of the farm. C family relied on neighbors to help if When it came to raising children on but Bob and Tammy didn’t want to W they ever took a vacation, and their the farm, Tammy said, “I thought it hold back their children from par- “They really didn’t have responsibili- Continued on page 21
Schwichtenberg
