34 - SIMPLE BEGINNINGS

SIMPLE BEGINNINGS

14 x 21 ⅜ inches

(Dietrich Weitzenkamp’s homestead cabin, Cass County, Nebraska)

The crude hand-hewn wooden boards of Great-Grandfather Weitzenkamp’s first homestead cabin in Cass County are deteriorating from years of exposure to harsh weather. This simple shelter gave him minimal protection from the blistering cold Nebraska winters. Despite many hardships, he held tight to his dream of building a good life in America; he used his well-honed German knowledge of wheat farming to multiply his holdings.

Together, he and his bride grew their large family while settling many other areas in Nebraska. The Weitzenkamps’ steady work ethic and successful crops became legendary throughout the rural area.