Homer Vos

HOMER MITCHELL VOS was the oldest of five children born to Michael and Anna (Aardema) Vos on June 26, 1929 on the family farm near Matlock, Iowa in Sioux County. When Homer was eleven years old his parents bought a farm on the eastern edge of Hardwick, Minnesota and moved their family there. Homer attended school in Hardwick through the 8th grade then went on to Luverne High School, in Luverne, Minnesota and graduated in 1947. Homer was drafted into the US Army during the Korean War and reported to Fort Sheridan, Illinois in September of 1951. He was stationed at the field hospital in Salzburg, Austria until August of 1953 when he was honorably discharged and returned to Hardwick to continue his career in agriculture. Just shy of his 30th birthday, on April 24, 1959, Homer was united in marriage to Frances Berghorst at the First Reformed Church in Edgerton, Minnesota. To this union a son and daughter were born. Homer operated a dairy farm until 1978 when he began crop farming. In 1996 Homer retired from farming. He and Frances continued to live on the acreage. In 2008, Homer was diagnosed with lymphoma. In May of 2011 he became a resident at the Mary Jane Brown Nursing Home in Luverne. In August of 2011 he became a resident at the Minnesota Veterans Home where on Saturday, May 26, 2012 he died at the age of 82 years and 11 months.

Homer was a member of the First Reformed Church in Edgerton. He took great pride in his agriculture and contour farming work and fondly referred to his career as “ministering to the land”. He loved his animals on the farm, especially his cats. He was a member of the Farm Bureau for over fifty years and enjoyed every activity that was Ag related. He loved attending farm sales, vintage tractor and machinery shows, the fair, and hardly missed a Tuesday at the Pipestone sale barn. Homer was an avid reader especially of history. He also belonged to the Arthur Moeller American Legion Club for over fifty years. Homer and Fran were accomplished square dancers for over thirty years and enjoyed traveling. Their trips to Alaska and the Netherlands were amongst his favorite. He also loved spending time with his family.

Homer will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 53 years, Frances; son, David (Elizabeth) Vos of Brookings, South Dakota; daughter, Anna (Dan) Schuler of Wishek, North Dakota; four grandchildren, Daniel and Michael Vos, and Benjamin and Grace Schuler; brothers, Kenneth (Francie) Vos of Sheffield, Vermont, and Glen Vos of Montevideo, Minnesota; sister, Linda Vos of Loveland, Colorado; and sister-in-law, Betty Vos of Hardwick. He was preceded in death by his parents, Michael and Anna; brother, Nelson Vos; daughter-in-law, Stacey Vos; and other family and friends.