The Craig and Twyla Schilling family of Ellsworth was recognized as a Century Farm Family at the Rock County Fair on July 28.
In 1916 John and Grace Bergman, Twyla Schilling’s great-grandparents, purchased 160 acres in the northeast quarter of Section 23 in Kanaranzi Township of Rock County.
For 100 years the farm has been owned and operated by the Bergman-Wessels-Schilling family.
The Bergmans owned the farm until 1953 when their oldest son, Joseph, purchased the land.
Joseph Bergman, a bachelor, operated the farm until 1969, when he sold it to his nephew Stan Wessels and his wife, Gert.
Stan and Gert raised their four adopted children, including Twyla, on the family farm.
“I’ve lived on this farm all but about six years of my life,” Twyla Schilling said.
“I was about three when we moved here and lived off of the farm for about three years after we were married,” she added.
Twyla married Craig Schilling, who grew up on a farm a couple of miles away, in 1989.
A few years later, Craig and Twyla purchased the farm from her parents.
The Schillings, along with their three daughters Dani, McKayla and Karli, are the fourth generation to farm the family land in Kanaranzi Township.
“It’s kind of neat that I got to come back to my dad’s farm,” Twyla said. “I have great memories of being out here helping him as I was growing up.”
Stan Wessels passed away on June 11 of this year. Twyla’s mother, Gert, was able to join the family at the recognition at the county fair.