The journey -- the North Dakota years

By Dale Zillmer of Henning

After our marriage in January of 1960, we lived a life of newlywed love that can only be described as “awesome.” We experienced many of the Los Angeles and southern California events and places. Then we became expectant parents and our goals and expectations changed. Instead of entertainment and attractions, we tried to save money and started to buy nursery and baby stuff. In July, we drove to North Dakota to attend my wife Mary’s aunt’s funeral (who had pretty much raised Mary). 

On Dec. 4 Mary finished her work week, expecting to go back to work on Monday, but on Saturday night she went into labor. At 5 o’clock the next morning, baby girl Michelle was born - three weeks early. The first time I held her my world turned upside down. Where before we thought of ourselves, now it was centered on this little bundle of human flesh. We felt a sense of responsibility and love that’s indescribable unless you’ve experienced it yourself. We suddenly saw the danger and crime of the big city around us and decided this was no place to raise our family.

We thought of moving back to North Dakota but the jobs were scarce back there. We spent much time in prayer asking for the Lord’s guidance. About then we received a letter from my mom — “Your dad needs help on the farm. Would you consider coming back to North Dakota and farm with us?” It was overwhelming how God answered our prayer just when we were ready and when we wanted it. We quickly answered “yes” and tried to save money and plan for the move back.

In March in 1961, we set off for North Dakota. What a welcome we received as we crossed the Montana line — it started to snow, big wet flakes. It came down so heavy you could hardly see. For the next 250 miles it snowed like that. By the time we reached my folks farm we had received 12 inches of thick, heavy snow.

We bought 15 calves with money we had saved and with a small share of our farm income we began our North Dakota years. That fall dad and mom rented the place to us with the 15 milk cows we purchased from them. We were on our own! Wee bought machinery equipment at farm auctions to operate that winter and put a crop in next year. We obtained a FHA operating loan to get started, but the day-to-day living expenses we got from selling cream from separating the milk from our 15 milk cows. I say milk cows because there was only one Holstein dairy cow. The rest were mostly just beef cows with maybe a little dairy cross in them.

We now had two children with Theresa born on Oct. 9, six weeks premature, only five pounds and after a rush trip to the hospital 30 miles away. I had gone home to finish chores a few hours later and I got a call to come back to the hospital because her lungs had collapsed and she might not make it. She went down to four pounds but survived. Although the doctor said she’d always be weak and probably be small for her age, she has proved them wrong in every way.

That year was a good year for crops. We had bought a drill with a fertilizer attachment. It was the first time fertilizer had been used on our farm. The results were so good, dad asked if they could use it the following year. Dad had moved to another farm that was vacant from older brothers’ try at farming before he moved to  California.

One of the bad things that could have changed everything — after the birth of Theresa, Mary got really sick with a ruptured appendix, almost lost her with bad infection. She was in the hospital for a month but finally, thank God, she made it.

After a couple of years of ups and downs, we got a FHA farm ownership loan and bought the farm from dad. We borrowed enough money to build a barn with a grade A pipeline milking parlor. We borrowed more operating loans and bought 50-60 of the best dairy cows we could find. We rented more land — the part of our farm came out of soil bank, bought bigger newer machinery, all the time borrowing more money.

Over the years we had four more children-- Francine in ‘63, Jon in ‘65, David in’68, and Joe in ‘70 — that makes six children. Providing for a wife and six kids took some resources and plans as well. By 1969 we were farming almost a section and a half of land. I’d like to say all was roses, but there were bumps and holes along the way.

In the fall of 1968 while combining, stressed out and over worked, I got sick with double pneumonia. I thought I was going to die. One night in the hospital very, very sick, I heard a soft voice (so real I can still hear it) say, “What if you die tonight, who will take care of Mary and your family — more important who will teach them about salvation?” I promised the Lord right then if I made it through this illness I would re-prioritize my life.

I got better after three weeks in the hospital. I was very weak and could not be out in the dust of farming. Mary’s dad and brothers and my dad and brothers finished my combining and fall work. Mary and the older kids took care of operating the dairy. Trying to fulfill my promise to the Lord, Mary and I did some very serious thinking. We could see the direction we were going — seven days a week work, sometimes very late at night, the financial stress of our $100,000 in debt, which doesn’t sound like so much today, but back then to us it was tremendous. We decided that if the Lord would help us get out of debt and help us to relocate, we would give it three years as sort of “fleece.”

The first year 1968 we hailed out almost completely and 1969 hailed out though not quite as bad. You could see our “fleece” was not going so good, but we kept on praying and studying the Bible searching and seeking God’s will. In 1970, everything just seemed to work out right. We had record crop yields — wheat and durum yields 90-100 bushels per acre, barley 100-120 bushels per acre, oats 140-150 bushels per acre. We said, “Thank you, Lord. Let’s go all the way.”

We had a farm auction and everything went very good. Our dairy cows averaged over $500 each where the going rate was $300-350. When the banker and FHA were settled, we had enough to pay off our loans, but also enough for a start someplace else — Thank you, Lord!

We sold our farm to my brother who had gotten out of the Army. At first we wanted to move to Montana, but the Lord closed the doors there. So we looked east and found just what we needed — a small farm in the nice area of Henning, Minn. where we would spend the next 50+ years, two more children and growing old together. They truly were golden years. All along the way we have grown in grace and knowledge. We have found a way of life that has deepened our love for our Savior Jesus, but has also shown us a more restful way of life (not that there haven’t been bumps along the way). Following Jesus has led us to a church where people follow the Doctrines of the Bible, keeping the Commandments of God and faith of Jesus.

When Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my Commandments,” we say, “Yes, we love You and we’ll try to follow where You lead us because, as we look back over the ‘journey,’ it’s been quite a ‘gift.’”