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FAMILY FARM HISTORY

The farm property was purchased by Harold Bannister in 1912. He and his wife built the original farm house in 1913. The Bannisters sold the “Oakland Farm” in 1921.  (At this point, the chain of title is unknown for many years.)

 

 

 

1st Generation:

Emil Reinhold Hammerstrom,  Kay's grandfather, came over to

the U.S. from Sweden in 1888, at the age of 18.  He touched

down in Chicago briefly, then followed the railroad up to the

Genoa City, Wisconsin area.  Here is where he started farming.

Emil built his first farm house down County Road B, from (now)

Poltermann Farm.  Kay's Aunt Cora, Emil's daughter-in-law,

still lives on this farm today.

2nd Generation:

Emil and Ruth Hammerstrom, Kay's father and mother, bought their first farm house, across and down County Road B from his father, in 1946.  Today, Kay's brother, Bill Hammerstrom, owns and runs this farm.

 

In 1956, Emil and Ruth bought what is now known as Poltermann Farm.

3rd Generation:

Bruce and Kay Poltermann moved onto (now) Poltermann Farm in 1962, then

officially bought the farm in 1986.  Here they raised three children.  In the late

1980's, they built another house off of the farm and moved there.  It is a stone's

throw away from the original homestead.  This made the farmhouse available for

Brad to move back into, making the day to day operations on the farm easily

accessible for him.

 

 

4th Generation:

Brad Poltermann lives on the original homestead with his wife and three children.  Brad farms every day with his father, Bruce.  Today, the farm consists of approximately 3,000 acres of corn and soybeans, including a large hog operation.

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