Anton Brakken

Chapters

• Gilbert Brakken 1865-1902
• Gurine Brakken 1902-1928
• Anton Brakken 1899-1950
• Norm Brakken 1922-2015

Sam Gets the Farm

With the death of Gurine, the sons arrive at a price and Sam buys out the brothers.

Anton holds on to 500 feet of lake shore just to the east of the sand point.

The Drussel Farm

Striking out on his own, Anton and is family rent the Drussel Farm on the west side of Lake Ida. His first oat crop is a big success and his reputation starts to build.

Using his knowledge of animal husbandry he begins to build his dairy herd.

Queenie

Horses were the power that ran pre-WWII farms. They plowed the fields, moved whatever needed to be moved and provided transportation.

Horses, like people, have their own personality; some more than others. When Anton bought Queenie he maybe got more than he bargained for.

The 1930's Depression

Farmers faced more than just an economic crisis; They had to deal with lack of rain and crop failure

Norm describes the times and how the family survived.

The Move to Carlos

Anton and his family move to a farm near Carlos. This is the area where his wife grew up.

Norm describes the difficulty in making such a move and a lot of hard work to get the land ready for the spring crop.

The Push to Mechanize Farming

With the advent of internal combustion tractors the world of farming was changing radically. Horse powered farming limited the practical size of a farm to about 160 acres. Now larger and larger farms were practical and the small family farms began to disappear.

Norm describes the Brakken’s move to mechanized farming.

Anton is Elected to the Coop Board

Anton’s skill in animal husbandry along with the implementation of modern methods for feeding and evaluating production made the Brakken farm one of the most productive farms in the area.

When the COOP treasurer died, the COOP members elected Anton to this important position.

A Last Visit to the Origional Homestead

When the original homestead was sold, Norm and his father Anton arranged to visit the origional homestead one last time.

A Fish Out of Water

Anton was offered a good price for his farm. Suffering from arthritis, he decided it was maybe time to sell the farm.

The transition to being a retired farmer was difficult.