D.F. Don Cooper - Dairy Farming: A Way of Life

D AIRY F ARMING

D AIRY F ARMING

A Way Of Life

D. F. Don Cooper

2018 D. F. Don Cooper

Dairy Farming

A Way Of Life

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Scripture quotations marked NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Library of Congress Contl Number: 2018949814

ISBN 978-1-595558206 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-595558169 (eBook)

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MY PRAYER

Heavenly Father, You great and awesome God,

I sincerely thank you for all the blessings

You have continued to shower upon me.

Thank you for my salvation;

For allowing me to know and love

Your Son Jesus, for as long as I can remember.

Thank you for Your true, Holy Word, the Bible.

Thank you for my Grandmother, Sunday School teachers,

Pastors and friends, who instilled its knowledge in my mind;

I asked You for a wife of Your choice;

How can I thank you enough for your perfect choice?

Father, I asked You to allow me to be a farmer,

You provided a farm, family and herd beyond my wildest expectations.

I asked You for children;

You gave us six wonderful individuals.

I prayed for grandchildren and great-grandchildren

to bless our children;

Please send Your Holy Spirit to guide them through life.

I look forward to many more great-grandchildren, if it is Your wish.

What more can I ask for, than to be what You will for me

To be for the rest of my days.

Help me be a witness to the name and love of Jesus

Wherever You send me.

Thank you for a wonderful life,

I look forward to eternity with You in Heaven. Amen

A bove all, I want to acknowledge the most important guide and compass throughout my life. The Lord has been my guide to see me through the challenges which could have been disaster if not for His watchful presence in every occurrence in my life. I believe that He allows the tough situations to test and teach us and enable us to handle all of lifes tribulations.

My Grandma Jonas, for the spiritual guidance I needed as a growing child.

The Bible has been my handbook, helping me understand His will. He speaks to us as we read and meditate on its content.

My loving wife, Ruth, for her important contribution to our spiritual life from the time we met and her patience and resolve throughout our marriage, and for tolerating my many hours on the computer and critiquing my efforts as I pursue my new life as a writer.

Our six children, Laurie, Daniel, Cindy, Jennifer, Amy and Christopher, who so much more than pulled their weight over all these years.

My daughter Cindy Midtbo, who proofread and formatted this book and helped me get through computer software problems. Her husband Todd, who helps me with my lack of technology when Im frustrated by the things my computer does. Todd has the patience and computer savvy that I will probably never master.

My grandson, Andrew Evraets, who keeps my computers running when I cant.

The members of my writers club and all the other folks who encouraged me.

The folks who provided the content of the stories in this book.

Last but not least, Armand Wimpy Mertz for preparing me for my life as a dairy farmer.

D on was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1935. His maternal ancestors were farmers who emigrated from Germany. His grandmothers homestead is in the Town of Wayne, Washington County, Wisconsin, out home to him. He visited her homestead and the Armand Mertz farm frequently in his youth. He made many Greyhound trips from Milwaukee to visit there every chance he had and developed his love for farming on that farm.

Don met Ruth in 1956 and they were married in June 1957. They tested milk for several years, then purchased a small herd of purebred Holstein cows and rented their first farm in Waukesha County. The first three years as share croppers were so difficult they wondered if they would be able to continue. Don prayed earnestly for Gods guidance to be able to continue farming. His prayers were answered in 1963 when he was told of a good farm for rent just one mile away. Then in1968 they purchased a farm in Sheboygan County that they named Cooperhaven Farm. They developed a fine herd of registered purebred Holstein cattle and raised their six children on that farm. Thirty years later, in 1998, they sold their herd and retired from dairy farming but continued crop farming. Don worked as a farm real estate broker and auctioneer to supplement their farm income and keep up with mortgage payments. They sold parcels of the farm to eliminate the debt and built a new home on the remainder of the farm. Their son Dan, and grandsons, Jordan and Justin, continue to grow corn, soybeans, and wheat on their remaining 120 acres of tillable land.

Writing Christian music, prose and poetry, and his Christian Music Ministry for the elderly and disabled have become Dons passion as age causes difficulty performing heavy farm tasks.

Dedicated to glory of Jesus Christ and Gods True Word, the Holy Bible is Dons mission statement, and throughout all of his writing he tells how the Lord has been at his side throughout his whole life. Without His presence Don could have never done the seemingly impossible things hes done.

T his book is dedicated to Armand Wimpy Mertz, who molded me and prepared me for a lifetime of pursuing and following my dream of becoming a successful dairy farmer. He was my mothers cousin, but to me he was my hero and mentor, more of a favorite uncle than whatever his official relationship actually was.

You will read in Part 1 of this book how he actually affected my life and still does today. I believe that he is enjoying eternity in Heaven with those who were waiting for him, and he is waiting to greet those of us who will be with him in the future.