Left to right: Richard Starkebaum, Wendell Starkebaum and Raymond Starkebaum.
On a cold December night in 2015, the phone rang at the home of Wendell Starkebaum in Higginsville, Mo. On the other end was an unfamiliar voice asking if this was Wendell Starkebaum. With a little hesitation, the answer was “yes.” The caller was Raymond Starkebaum, Choctaw, Oklahoma. He had seen Wendell’s name in Farm Collector magazine’s “What Is It” section several times, and he was just wondering who this Wendell Starkebaum was. They had a very lengthy, informative conversation and discovered that they shared a relative who came from Germany in 1830. A phone friendship developed from this conversation, and on Oct. 4, 2016, the two met face to face. Raymond, who is 90, made the long trip from Oklahoma with the help of his son, Richard, to visit Wendell’s farm in Higginsville.
In this age of technology, many family members are brought together to rekindle acquaintances. But sometimes that happens by unconventional means. Thanks, Farm Collector!
Wendell Starkebaum, Higginsville, Missouri
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