History

The Homestead~

I took this photo flying over in a Helicopter,  October fifth - 1991.  The pilot/helicopter owner participated at the Granite Falls Railroad Days Celebration - by offering short charter flights.  I managed to convince him to take me a little off his usual flight pattern around town & extend it to the west a few miles.

The Homestead became our home St. Patrick's Day weekend of 1990.  After many years of managing residential income properties, we sold our rental house in Marysville & moved to the country!  A fixer-upper - we spent almost 27-years building, planting & loving our home here. 
October, 2016 update - please visit us at the Hoge Home Place~

Artist rendering of the Smaaladen Farm, ND

We are both country people at heart, coming from several generations of farming families.  Butch's family, after immigrating from Norway, began farming in North Dakota.  The above artist rendering is of that 1905 farm owned by Seven & Christina Smaaladen - Butch's maternal Great-grandparents.

Fleming Farm - mid-60's

My maternal Grandparents, John & Carrie Fleming owned & operated this farm, where I happily spent my summer vacations.  I learned to move cattle for Grandpa & loved riding my mare - Topsy, over the rolling hills of the SW Iowa countryside.

It wasn't until the early 90's when my Grandfather passed, that the farm went to his brother & my Grandmother moved to town.   Listed on the Iowa historic registry - now over 100-years old.