to farm.” Mary does their books and “there’s never a penny missing,” he said. Mary said, “I learned that from my mom. She used to reconcile the bank statements and she kept on until it was to the penny.” HOGS HELPED OUT There’s always been cattle on the farm, but an old fashioned farrow-to-finish swine operation helped get the ball rolling. “When I started farming I had hogs, that was my source of steady income,” Bill said. Mary added: “When we got low on money, he’d say ‘Well, I think I’ve got some butchers out there I could sell.’” For the hogs, they used existing buildings except for one farrowing house built in 1977. The old big barn was used for sheep before the pigs moved in. In recent years, they removed the hayloft and remodeled it into a heated shop for Robert.
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Bill feeds the Schoenfish cattle.
About the time Bill’s dad passed away in 1995, hog prices tumbled. “It was a good time to get out,” he said. 44 YEARS ON THE COURT In addition to a 40-year marriage and 44-year farming career, Bill has also been a high school basketball referee for 44 years. “I played ball in high school and being a ref was just a way to stay with the game. If I quit, I don’t know if Mary and I will make it because I’ll be home too often and it will be too much time together,” he joked. Mary said, “I wish he’d kept track of how many games he’s officiated and how many miles he’s driven.” Bill said, “Who knew I’d still be reffing when I was 62?” About 75 percent of the games he officiates today are done in tandem with their oldest daughter, Kari. “She’s been doing it for about 10 years. She does more games than I do now.” Kari works as a rehab specialist for a chiropractor in Yankton. The further away from Sioux Falls, the harder it is to find officials, Bill said. So the father-daughter duo along with another referee will travel as far as Kimball, Burke, Bonesteel, Armour, Lake Andes and Dakota Christian. He’s not uptight about the heat directed towards officials. “Truth be known, when the game’s over, you really don’t have any enemies. That’s just the spirit of the game and home town rivalries.” March 2022 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine
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