Making Connections

By Oscar H. Will Iii
Published on January 1, 2005
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Left: Mert Toelle drives the corn-picking wagon with the help of Mick and Mike, his team of Belgian geldings.
Left: Mert Toelle drives the corn-picking wagon with the help of Mick and Mike, his team of Belgian geldings.
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Left: Under the experienced eye of Keith Huwaldt (right), Gaylen Bierschenk (left) and Ed Huwaldt pitch bundles of oats into Pierce Historical Society’s 28-inch McCormick-Deering threshing machine.
Left: Under the experienced eye of Keith Huwaldt (right), Gaylen Bierschenk (left) and Ed Huwaldt pitch bundles of oats into Pierce Historical Society’s 28-inch McCormick-Deering threshing machine.
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Right: Bernard Voborny is just about to take a slice off this ash log with his 100-plus year old sawmill.
Right: Bernard Voborny is just about to take a slice off this ash log with his 100-plus year old sawmill.
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Below: This fine collection of horse-drawn vehicles belongs to Mert Toelle of Pierce, Neb.
Below: This fine collection of horse-drawn vehicles belongs to Mert Toelle of Pierce, Neb.
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Above: Dale Duncan coaxes Bob, a Haflinger gelding, around the sweep gristmill in a grinding demonstration.
Above: Dale Duncan coaxes Bob, a Haflinger gelding, around the sweep gristmill in a grinding demonstration.
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Right: Dan and Linda Hamling have found a way to combine interests. Dan enjoys showing the couple’s beautifully restored International Harvester I-4, while Linda enjoys machine quilting. The tractor powers the sewing machine through a generator running off the belt pulley (see article at right).
Right: Dan and Linda Hamling have found a way to combine interests. Dan enjoys showing the couple’s beautifully restored International Harvester I-4, while Linda enjoys machine quilting. The tractor powers the sewing machine through a generator running off the belt pulley (see article at right).
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Below: Pioneer women used wagon wheels as rug-making looms. Wanetta Walker keeps that tradition alive with brilliant designs such as this.
Below: Pioneer women used wagon wheels as rug-making looms. Wanetta Walker keeps that tradition alive with brilliant designs such as this.
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Right: Rigs such as this 1939 Ford truck-mounted Minneapolis-Moline Model E thresher were commonplace in this country’s corn belt before the advent of the combine. This complete outfit is owned and operated by Lyndon Bierman.
Right: Rigs such as this 1939 Ford truck-mounted Minneapolis-Moline Model E thresher were commonplace in this country’s corn belt before the advent of the combine. This complete outfit is owned and operated by Lyndon Bierman.

“It takes teamwork,” Ron Lange says with a wink
as he hitches Kate and Susan, a couple of Belgian horses, to a
vintage McCormick-Deering ground-driven corn binder. Within
minutes, the trio has cut and tied a row of corn stalks and dropped
them in the field, ready for shocking. This Hoskins, Neb., man has
farmed with horse power for more than 65 years, and enjoys

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