There was a lot of hard work and many long hours and prices paid for farm commodities were not very good until the 1970’s. In July 1962 Zeno and Gladys were completely hailed out. They also had some hail the next year. They were one of few families who had hail insurance. The others said “It never hails here.”

In 1964 Elizabeth Bakke died and Zeno and Gladys bought the farm from the estate. Five of their 7 children were born on this farm. Zeno continued to work the farm and help his brothers on the home place and they in turn helped him until 1981. He and Gladys then moved to a house they bought near Luther College in Decorah.

Zeno and Gladys were the parents of 7 children: Marie Josephine graduated from DeSales High School in 1968 and Iowa State University in 1971. On 27 Nov 1970 she married Greg Grant. They live in St. Louis, MO where Greg is a professor of Biochemistry at Washington University. Philip Alexander (b. 2 Nov 1952) graduated from Thomas Roberts High School in 1970. (DeSales High School had closed the year before because of lack of funding.) He then graduated from Dunwoody Institute in Minneapolis, MN in April 1972. On 5 Jun 1972 he married Doris Berka of Cresco. Philip owned and operated the West Side Skelly service station and garage plus a used car business in Cresco before he died tragically in a car accident 5 Oct 1976. He and Doris had one son, Andrew Joseph. Peter Quintin graduated from Thomas Roberts High School in 1973, from Iowa State University in 1977 and from the University of Iowa Medical School in 1983. His 3 year residency was spent at Broadlawns Hospital in Des Moines. From there he joined the McFarland Clinic in Ames, IA where he is a Family Practice Physician in the Acute Care Unit. Paul Russell graduated from Thomas Roberts High School in 1974. He graduated from Northern Iowa Area Community College in Mason City, attended Iowa State University and graduated from the University of Tempe, Tempe, AZ in 1984. He is an engineer for a television crew at Arena West in Phoenix, AZ. Paul was married to Pamela Jackson on 3 Jun 1982. Pam is an industrial engineer with Intel Company in Phoenix. They have 2 sons, Jeremiah Zeno and Zachariah Joseph. Mark Donald graduated from Thomas Roberts High School in 1977. He married Mari Nesteby on 12 Aug 1977. Mark remained on the family farm to help his father. When Zeno died in 1982 he took over the operation of the farm. He still lives on the farm which he rents from his mother. Mark also works full time for CamCar Textron in Decorah. He and Mari have 4 children: Sarah May, Susan Lorraine, Cathy Ann and Joseph Allen. Marcia Ann graduated from Thomas Roberts High School in 1981. She attended the University of Northern Iowa for one semester and then married Jan Madrigal on 16 Oct 1982. They both are managers at the Happy Joe's Restaurant in Decorah. Marcia also is a real estate broker. They have 3 daughters: Elizabeth Mary, Rachel Marie and Anna Mae. Melissa Marie graduated from Thomas Roberts High School in 1989 and from Luther College in 1993. She presently is in graduate school at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.

Zeno only lived a year after retiring and moving to Decorah in 1981. He died 17 Jun 1982 of colon cancer after a lifetime dedicated to work and the love of his paternal family, country and his wife and children.

Wolfgram, Howard and Dorothy (Cronrath)

(Howard and Dorothy Wolfgram)

Howard William Wolfgram was born near Maynard, IA in Fayette Co. to William A. and Emma M. (Reinhardt) Wolfgram. His grandparents were German immigrants. Howard received his education in the rural school near his home. He graduated from the Maynard High School and attended Wartburg College for 3 1/2 years. He joined the U.S. Navy and was in the service from 1950 to 1954. After being discharged from the military he enrolled at Wartburg College where he graduated in 1955. After graduation Howard entered the Capital Evangelical Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, OH. He was ordained as a minister at Zion Lutheran Church, Oelwein, IA in 1959.

Howard and Dorothy Cronrath were married 25 Dec 1960. Dorothy was born near Oshkosh, WI to Herman and Hilda (Leschensky) Cronrath. Herman was a Lutheran minister so Dorothy lived in several different places as she was growing up. After graduation from Colfax, Washington High School, she attended Wartburg College, Waverly, IA where she graduated with the class of 1953. Dorothy worked as an accountant in Lewiston, ID for a few years. Then she worked for the Board of American Missions, Columbus, OH until her marriage. The first parish for Pastor Howard Wolfgram was the Lamont/ Dundee, IA parish where he worked for 3 1/2 years. Then he entered Wartburg Seminary, Dubuque, IA where he received a Master of Sacred Theology degree in 1965. These studies included a 3 month period of clinical training at Emmanuel Lutheran Hospital, Portland, OR and an additional year of Clinical training at the State Hospital #1, Fulton, MO. In 1965 Pastor Wolfgram and Dorothy moved to Polk, PA where he served as Chaplain for the Polk State School and Hospital, a facility for the mentally handicapped persons. They lived in Polk for 8 1/2 years. The family moved to Lemont, PA in 1974 when Pastor Wolfgram was transferred to serve as a chaplain at the Rockview Correctional Institution near Belefont, PA. In 1976 the family moved from PA when he became pastor of Bethlehem Lutheran Church (Jacksonville) near Harlan, IA. They were a family of 4. In 1980 Pastor Wolfgram was called to be the minister at Zion Lutheran Church in Castalia, IA.

Dorothy’s story “The Big Move"

Finally the big day came. Sadness mixed with growing excitement were mingled as we made the last minute preparations for our move from Harlan, IA to Castalia, IA. The children’s noses and eyes were fixed to the window facing the street hoping to be the first to see the Mayflower van approach our front door. The weather was beautiful, sunny and warm, for the day after Thanksgiving 1980. Squeals from the children announced the sighting of the large van. Soon the familiar items so carefully