Elmer Wesley De Kam was born on May 9, 1939 to John Peter and Margaret (nee Schelhaas). Elmer was number six of seven children and raised on the family farm north of Edgerton. He attended Edgerton Christian Elementary School thru the eighth grade and then helped his parents on the family farm. He joined the National Guard which he served for 6 years and it was at this time he met his sweetheart, Hennie Bouw. On March 10, 1961 they were united in marriage in Leota, MN and lived on...

Annabelle Gertrude Schelhaas was born on June 27, 1929, to Frank and Gertrude (Beernink) Beckering. Annabelle’s mother passed away when she was two years of age. She then went to live with her aunt and uncle, Dora and John Menning, who raised her into adulthood. She was a 1947 graduate of Edgerton Public High School. Annabelle met Vernon Schelhaas and they got married June 27, 1950, at Runals Memorial Hall, Edgerton. The marriage was blessed with two children, Trudy and Ken....

Minnie Gale Achterhoff was born to John and Lydia (Vos) Schuld on a farm near Edgerton, Minnesota in February of 1935.  She attended country school and then Edgerton Public High School.  After her graduation in 1953, she worked at the Edgerton Swimming Pool and Jolink Drug Store in Edgerton.  On June 28, 1955, she was united in marriage to James Achterhoff at First Reformed Church in Edgerton.  While raising her family, she operated a daycare in her home.  When...

Franklin Gene Jouwstra was born January 6, 1938, on the family farm near Rock Valley, Iowa, to Shirk and Lena (Stegenga) Jouwstra. He attended country school there until 1947 when the family moved to a farm near Tyler, Minn. Frank went to public school in Tyler and graduated from high school in 1956. He was proud to be in FFA. Frank accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior in his youth.  Frank was united in marriage to Shirley Van Steenwyk at the First Reformed Church in Edgerton on...

Leon Clare Hanenburg was born on June 29, 1941, to Charles and Caroline (Roskamp) in Pipestone, MN. He grew up on the family farm near Edgerton, MN and attended Edgerton Christian schools. He attended Dordt college for one year. He also worked at M&H and Brink Implement. Lee met Joyce Seerveld when she moved to Edgerton to teach. They were married on June 15th, 1964, and were blessed with three boys; Greg in 1965, Troy in 1967, and Travis in 1972. The family made many trips to Long...

Douglas Ronald Griffin, the eldest child of Ronald and Charlotte Griffin was born on June 14th 1953 in Murray County, Minnesota . He grew up on the family farm and graduated from Edgerton Public School in 1971. Following graduation, he completed the carpentry program at MN West Community and Technical College and joined the Army National Guard. He had a couple of training sessions over seas traveling to Germany and England. He met and married Leatha Ten Cate in 1978. Together they had 3...

Opal Maurine Swenson was born on February 26, 1931, in Benton Township, Minnehaha County, South Dakota to Otto and Marie (Holmberg) Swenson.  Opal was the oldest of five children, after two sets of twins joined their family in the next 2 years and 5 months.  She was baptized on June 21, 1931, at Benton Lutheran Church, Crooks, SD.  Some of her fondest childhood memories were swimming and fishing in the Big Sioux River and how good it felt walking barefoot and feeling the mud...

Harold Leroy De Kam was born on May 18, 1934, to John P. and Margaret (Schelhaas) De Kam in Osborne Township – Edgerton, MN.  He grew up with his family in his birth home and then eventually on the family farm south of Woodstock. Harold attended Edgerton Christian Elementary School through the eighth grade. Harold was a lifetime member of First Christian Reformed Church, Edgerton, where he was baptized, confirmed, and served as a deacon. Harold was a farmer, loving father and...

Jerry Keith Langstraat was born on August 26, 1955, to Howard and Joy (Bomgaars) Langstraat. He was raised in Sibley, Iowa where he attended school and graduated high school in 1973. He was a member of the First Reformed Church. From an early age, Jerry enjoyed auctioneering, farming, driving truck, and spending time working in his dad’s sale barn, Northside Sales. When the 80’s farm crisis hit, he moved to Alaska and spent a year in the Delta Junction/Fairbanks area where he...

Helen Faye Sluis was born on a farm about 4 miles west of Orange City, Iowa on April 20, 1948 to Harold and Eunice (Muilenburg) Oolman. Helen was born the middle child. Her older sister, Marla and younger brother, Harlan, always accused her of suffering from “middle child syndrome”. She often teased them about this title, and it brought many smiles and laughs. As a young girl, Helen discovered she really loved living in the country. Her family worked hard on the farm, and she...