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M Bar Farms in Hitchcock County received Nebraska Pioneer Farm Family Award
CULBERTSON, Nebraska -- M Bar Farms, a Hitchcock County family farm, has been awarded a 2013 Nebraska Pioneer Farm Family Award from the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben Foundation and the Nebraska Fair Managers Association.
The two organizations honored 112 farms in 56 counties for the 2013 award that recognizes a farm owned consecutively by the members of the same family for at least 100 years.
The Miller farms history began in 1892 when David Miller and his wife, Catherine, left Russia and came to America, to Culbertson. David worked first as a section hand for the Burlington railroad and opened a shoe store and shoe and harness repair shop in Culbertson several years later.
In 1912, David Miller acquired 80 acres north of Culbertson, (including land that today is occupied by apartments and the Collicott residence) that he and his family farmed. When the highway was moved from Wyoming Street to north of Culbertson, the plot of land that is now Collicotts' was sold. Later, a tract along the new highway was sold to Ervin Coyle to build the Silver Leaf Motel, which is now apartments.
At David's death in 1943, the farm was purchased by his son, John W. Miller, who owned and farmed it until his death in 1953. The farm passed to his widow, Martha Miller, who, along with her five children -- Donald L., Joan, Lois, Eileen and Roland -- operated the farm until Don began farming it in 1957.
After Martha's death in 1973, Don and his wife, Gwen, purchased the farm and lived there, and operate the land until the present day. Don was born in the house on the farm, and passed away in the same house in 2012, without ever having moved from there. His wife, Gwen, continues to live on the farm.