In order for you to get the full understanding of this column, you need some history prior to the smelly event!
Mary Beth is the only child of Mervin and Leona Zippel. Her parents own two sections of land with one border being the shore of Lake of the Woods. The shore is named Zippel Bay after her ancestors.
Kenneth (Ken or Kenny) is the only child of Walter and Violet Hanson. His parents own two sections of land bordering the Zippel farm and Lake of the Woods on Zippel Bay.
Ken and Mary Beth knew each other as children, going to the same church, riding the school bus to the same school, and graduating the same year from Baudette High School. They went on to college, Ken getting a degree in farm management and Mary Beth a degree in public school management.
They invited each other to their college graduation celebration held at the parents’ farm. At the celebration, each one realized the other one was a soul mate. They became married and are the proud parents of two identical twin sons, Bill and Bob.
Fast forward to 2021: the sons, Bill and Bob, are now 13 years old, tall for their age, each having their own protective farm dog. They have been hinting that an ice castle fish house would be an ideal confirmation present. They would be proud to share it with Mom and Dad this fall (2021).
Mary Beth just found out she will be the superintendent of schools at Lake of the Woods school by Baudette as of June 1 due to the current superintendent retiring early due to health. She has been hinting the last few years that the current, old farmhouse where they live just doesn’t cut it. (They are purchasing two sections of land with an old house and other buildings and have built a huge machine shed to house all the John Deere farm equipment. In the machine shed is an area with a stove, refrigerator, TV, two La-Z-Boys, blankets, desk, and a shower.)
The land they are buying is next to the land her parents and his parents own. They farm the three farms, with cash crop from all three farms totaling about 3,750 acres to plant and harvest yearly.
His dad and her dad are tractor jockeys from planting through harvesting when they and their wives go back to separate winter homes in Florida. The parents receive a percentage of the sold crop for rent of the land plus being tractor jockeys.
Mary Beth has plans for “her” new house drawn up by a local, well-known contractor, including a well and septic system. The 2019 plan includes a price increase every year after 2019. Farm crop prices weren’t predicted to be very good in 2019 and then the virus put all home building plans for 2020-21 on hold. Mary Beth hasn’t given up hope for “her” new house, and she is determined to live in “her” new house.
Ken and Mary Beth are in their mid-30s with their parents in their late 50s. All of them believe in buying locally. Thus, their insurance, attorney, income tax, plus other agents are all locals for all three families.
Ken and Mary Beth carry all peril insurance with a $50,000 deductible (besides crop, auto and health insurance). This means they absorb the first $50,000 of any honored claim. If this happens, the premium is waived during the claim for the peril.
This column will resume next week regarding the smelly event!
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Bob is a retired AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) agent, currently working on his master’s degree in Volunteering. His wife, Genie, is a retired RN, currently working on her doctor’s degree in Volunteering. They have two children, Deb in North Carolina, and Dan in New York. Bob says if you enjoy his column, let him know. If you don’t enjoy it, keep on reading, it can get worse. Words of wisdom: There is always room for God.