Norm Brakken

Chapters

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

From the Bottom to the Top of the Class

When Norm first stated school he was near the bottom of the class. His grandmother, Gurine said, "There is something not right with that boy. Better get him checked out."

Norm went to the doctor and had to have his tonsils removed. The nurse made a bargain with him before surgery for a quarter. Norm tells how she never paid up.

After recovering over the summer Norm went back to school and by the end of the eight grade was at the top of his class.

Losing the Herd

While at the Drussel farm Anton had built up a good herd of dairy cattle. With the move to Carlos, the family be able to take advantage of the better barn to improve the herd.

Unfortunately a neighbor who Norm describes as a “Cow Jockey” introduced Brucellosis to the herd.

This disease causes the cows to have an abortion and the herd was lost.

Feeding Dairy Cattle 218

Norm got involved in 4H and the U of M extension service. Through this connection he found bulletin 218 Feeding Dairy Cattle.

He convinced his father to implement the recommendations to increase dairy production. As a result, the Brakken farm was one of the most productive farms in the Alexandria area.

This started Norm down the path to his future career of teaching AG studies to all ages of farmers.

Anton Brakken Get Sick

Anton Brakken falls ill and he never fully recovers.

Norm talks about how the illness sapped his father’s strength.

Reflecting back on this period of his life, Norm believes that his father contracted Undulant fever from the cows infected by Brucellosis.

High School and College

Other kids his age never attended or dropped out of High School. It was different at the Brakken household where Norm was expected to attend school.

Norm talks about the difference between German and Norwegian attitudes toward school.

Because the Brakken farm was highly productive Norm was deferred from the draft several times to keep him on the farm. A severe knee injury prevented him from enlisting during his first year at college.

Norm's First Teaching Job

Norm is a few credits short of completing his degree and an AG professor calls Norm into his office. He has a fellow from Harmony, MN that needs a high school AG teacher and he wants Norm to take the job.

Despite being a few credits short of his degree arrangements are made to get Norm his teaching certificate and he starts his first teaching job.

His first year teaching was challenging because his students all had older siblings that knew all the tricks and being a new teacher he didn’t know any of them.

Meeting Edith

Norm meet his wife Edith in college. One time he offered to take her to the train station. He got lost and by the time they found the station the train was gone. He ended up driving her all the way from St. Paul to Kenyan. Edith always maintained it was a “put up “ job that he got lost. Norm claims no he really got lost and it wasn’t a “put op” job; well at least that part wasn’t anyway.

Teaching at Appleton

The rolling hills of the Harmony area were really picturesque but Norm want to move back to the lakes area to be closer to his folks.

Teaching jobs were scarce at the time but Appleton needed someone to reorganize and restructure the AG program.

Norm "Teaching was my Life"

The AG teacher was expected to promote the school and the community in addition to teaching. Norm was very active in promoting and directing the Future Farmer of America (FFA) program.

Norm was approached by Montevideo to create an Environmental Agriculture program. He involved other teachers and set up an outdoor classroom along the Minnesota River.