Deines Family Celebrates Farm Centennial

Merlin & Barbara Deines family (Pictured L to R: Merlin, Barbara, Tricia (Deines) Petz, Brad Deines, Christa (Deines) Swartz, Dusty Deines)

This past Memorial Day, May 30, between 125 and 150 people gathered at the Deines Farmstead one mile north and a mile and a quarter west of the Zion Lutheran Church and Trego Center in Trego County.  The gathering was in celebration of the centennial anniversary of the farm.  Friends and family came from as far away as Pennsylvania and as close as WaKeeney and Trego Center.  Those in attendance enjoyed a pot luck meal.  Many great memories were made and other memories were relived from the times on the farm.

The farm came into the current Deines family on July 29, 1916 when David Deines, Jr. purchased the land from John and Elizabeth Deines of Colorado.  David and his wife Elisabeth owned the farm until December 10, 1948.  At that point, their son Herbert Deines purchased the farm with his wife Elma.  Herbert and Elma’s six children were all raised on the farmstead.

 

Living children of Herbert & Elma Deines (Pictured L to R: Merlin Deines, Lanetta (Deines) Kellogg, Jim Deines)

After Herbert passed away in 1984, his son Merlin and wife Barbara took over the everyday operation of the farm officially on June 13, 1986.  They raised their four children on the farm as well.  Merlin and Barbara took full ownership of the farm in 2006, also on June 13th.  They still currently live on the farm and are handling all of the operations to this day.