The Nebraska Pioneer Farm Award is presented to farm families who have had continuous family ownership of a parcel of land for 100 years. This award is sponsored by the Ak-Sar-Ben Foundation, Nebraska Farm Bureau and the Nebraska Association of Fair Managers.
This year Pierce County is pleased to have three families to be honored with this award.
The Shermer Family Farm of 160 acres was established in 1923 by George Shermer.
It was acquired by James and Diann Goetz (granddaughter of George Shermer) in 1980. Corn and soybeans are currently raised on the farm.
Hans J. and Helena Petersen and their 11 children immigrated from Germany.
Peter E. Petersen was born September 19, 1867 in Davenport, Iowa. He attended school in Iowa and Pierce County. In 1881, the family moved by rail car to the Osmond area. Hans purchased 160 acres of prairie land for $9 per acre. In 1895 he erected a set of buildings. Peter married Anna C. Goetsch on January 26, 1896. They lived on the Southwest quarter of section 23-28-3 which was owned by his father. In the spring of 1923 Peter and Anna purchased a farm west of Osmond. They had five children: Selma (Mrs. Leo Folkers), Hans J., Ella (Mrs. Joe Theisen), Henry, who died at age 16, and Elmer. Peter and Anna lived on that farm until they moved into Osmond in 1949.
Elmer Petersen and his wife Helen lived with Peter and Anna. Elmer and Helen had two children -Robert J. and Ruth. Elmer passed away in 1956 when Robert was 14. With the help of his maternal grandfather, Robert farmed and took care of his mother and sister. In 1959 an irrigation well was dug on the property, using tow lines until 1973 when a pivot system was installed.
Robert raised cattle, hogs and chickens. He was a seed dealer. He married Barbara Kumm in 1968. They have five children: Nila (Mike Wanke), Gary, Judy deKoning, Ivan (Karen), and Ross (Nora) and 13 grandchildren. Barbara operated a florist and ceramic shop out of their home from 1970 until 1990 when they built a grocery store and florist shop in Osmond. They also did custom catering.
Their grandson, Marshall, son of Ivan and Karen, lives in the house and is in his third year of farming and raising sheep.
Charles Hoffmann was six years old when he immigrated to America from Austria with his parents, Casper and Johanna Hoffmann and his two brothers and sister. The family homesteaded southeast of Pierce in 1871.
On October 8, 1909 Charles Hoffmann acquired 160 acres of land southwest of Pierce. This was the beginning of the Hoffmann Family Farm.
On April 16, 1936, Charles and his wife Frances Hoffmann sold the land to their son, Andrew and Joan Hoffmann. Andrew and Joan along with their children Donald, Kathleen and Marianne made this their home.
On April 19, 1969 Andrew and Joan sold the land to their son, Donald and his wife Louise. This became the home of Donald, Louise and their children Nancy, Joanne, David, MaryBeth and Marilyn.
On March 30, 2007 Don and Louise sold the land to their son David and his wife Donna. That makes David, the great-grandson of Charles and Frances Hoffmann, to be the fourth generation of Hoffmann’s to own the land.
The Hoffmann Family Farm is currently owned by David and Donna and their sons. Today the farm produces corn, soybeans, alfalfa and prairie hay and includes a cow-calf operation.
We would like to think that now, 114 years later, Charles Hoffmann would be very proud of the legacy he left behind.