The Minnaert farm

Linda’s parents grew up on farms in Montrose and Madison, in eastern South Dakota.  Neither Greta nor I had ever been there before, so we decided to drop in to track down some Minnaert connections.  The Zimmer farm in Montrose doesn’t seem to be intact, but we visited the center of town where Greta’s grandfather grew up.

Driving up Valley Road to Madison, we went by the farm where Greta’s great-grandmother lived before moving to the current Minnaert farm in Madison in 1949.

In Madison we found Greta’s great-uncle Joe, who then took us over to the Minnaert family farm, where Greta’s grandmother and her 12 siblings were raised.  It is now farmed by Joe’s son Chris, who came in from the fields to meet us.  It was really fun meeting them both.

Greta has spent her whole life in the forests and hills of the northwest, and it was amazing to see where her family had come from, how different the environment and their lives are from ours.  She was also pleased to find out that she is related to people who have lots of cattle and pigs.

Downtown Montrose, the town where Greta’s grandfather grew up

The pub in Montrose, into which Linda and her sisters were sometimes dragged by their Uncle Harold

Valley Road, near where Greta’s great-grandmother came from

Greta with her great-uncle Joe

The farmhouse where Greta’s grandmother and great-grandmother lived, now unoccupied.

Linda’s cousin Chris, who farms the two quarter-sections with his sons

Greta meets her bovine relations