Jose Perez
ELWOOD — At the Gosper County Fair Saturday, the Aksarben Pioneer Farm Award and the Aksarben 150 Nebraska Heritage Farm Award were presented, honoring the Dickmeyer and Robb families for their longstanding contributions to agriculture and community in the region.
The award ceremony began with the presentation of the Aksarben Pioneer Farm Award to the Dickmeyer family. Gary Dickmeyer accepted the award and shared the rich history of his ancestors.
Gary and his wife, Claire, are the owners of the Dickmeyer homeplace in southern Gosper County. “We are extremely honored to receive this prestigious award on behalf of the entire Dickmeyer family,” he said.
The Dickmeyer family’s roots trace back to German immigrants. Gary’s great-grandfathers, Wilhelm Niemann and C.F. Wendland, homesteaded land in Gosper County. Gary detailed the family’s history, highlighting the journey of his grandfather, Henry Dickmeyer, who emigrated from Holze, Germany, in 1910. Henry initially settled in Fort Wayne, Indiana, before moving to Nebraska, where he worked as a carpenter and eventually established the family farm.
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Henry and his wife, Rose Niemann, purchased the original Dickmeyer homeplace in 1924. Over the years, they expanded the farm, acquiring additional land in Gosper and Furnas counties. The family raised four children and maintained a close-knit, self-sufficient lifestyle. Gary reminisced about the diverse crops and livestock they raised and the many fond memories created on the family farm.
Gary’s father, Richard, and his wife, Helene Wendland, continued the family legacy, purchasing the homeplace in 1971 and raising their children on the farm. Gary proudly mentioned that all eight of Richard and Helene’s grandchildren were present at the award ceremony.
“The Dickmeyer family is a close-knit farm family that was founded on a strong faith in God,” Gary said. He emphasized their resilience through good and tough times and their commitment to farming and community involvement. Gary also highlighted the family’s patriotic spirit, noting the military service of several family members, including his own. He is a retired U.S. Army officer.
All three of Henry and Rose Dickmeyer’s sons served in the U.S. military. Dickmeyer’s father, Richard, served in the Navy in the Pacific during World War II, Leon served in the Army in Korea, and J.D. served in the Air Force.
Dickmeyer’s brother Kim Dickmeyer served in the Navy during the Vietnam War. Dickmeyer’s nephew Scott Dickmeyer and his wife, Rianna, served multiple tours with the Nebraska National Guard in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
“All three of my children were born in Berlin, Germany. During my military career, we witnessed the historic fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and I supported various U.S. and NATO operations, including Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Allied Force in the Balkans, and the Global War on Terrorism,” Dickmeyer said.
Dickmeyer introduced several family members who were able to attend the event:
- His wife, Claire Bodenhamer Dickmeyer, who grew up on a family farm northwest of Hershey.
- Their three children: Angelie from Omaha, Nebraska; Katie from Berlin; and Michael, who lives on the Dickmeyer homeplace in southern Gosper County.
- Their two granddaughters, Makaylee and Brooke Anson, and Angie’s friend, Zach Chetland, from Omaha.
- His brother, Dave Dickmeyer, from Arapahoe. His niece, Kelly Dickmeyer Erickson, and her husband, Jeff Erickson, from Hays Center, Nebraska. His nephew, John Dickmeyer, and his son, Blayne, from St. Joseph, Missouri. His niece, Gwendolyn Dickmeyer Gundell, and her husband, Jamie Gundell, from Gothenburg.
- His nephew, Scott Dickmeyer, his wife Rianna, and their three children: David, Pada, and Tilmann Dickmeyer, from Rockville..
- His niece, Alyssa Dickmeyer Schwenke, her husband, David Schwenke, and sons Bentley and Eli Schwenke from Logan, Utah.
Dickmeyer ended by saying: “On behalf of the entire Dickmeyer family, my wife, Claire, and I would like to thank you very much for presenting our family with the 2024 Aksarben Pioneer Farm Family Award. We are very honored and appreciate it from the bottom of our hearts.”
Aksarben 150 Nebraska Heritage Farm Award: The Robb FamilyThe Aksarben 150 Nebraska Heritage Farm Award was presented to the Robb family. The Robb Ranch, established in February 1874 by William Kyle Robb in Gosper County, has been a cornerstone of the community for six generations: Robb’s grandfather Robert, his father James, his daughter Jenny, his grandson Norman, great-grandson, Joe, great-great granddaughter Amy and great-great-great-grandson Garrett
William Robb initially purchased land near Sutherland before relocating to Plum Creek and eventually settling in Gosper County. The Robb Ranch grew to encompass 6,000 acres, supporting cattle, hogs, horses, mules and various crops, including grass, corn and alfalfa.
The Robb family’s legacy continued through William’s descendants, each generation contributing to the ranch’s operations. Today, Joe and Dianne Jeffrey, along with their daughter Amy, her husband, Scott, and their son Garrett live and work on the remaining portion of the original ranch.
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Jose Perez
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