ARCOLA — Willie and Darlene Freitag have been married for 62 years, and they were the third generation to be on their farm.
Darlene’s maternal grandfather Arthur Angus bought the farm in 1916 that is located south of Arcola near Willmar. Angus moved from Nova Scotia and first settled in the district of Corning and later moved to the farm.
When Angus retired from the farm, Darlene’s father Watt Edmunds took over the farm, being the second generation.
Darlene was born in Willmar and Willie was born in Alameda; he had 11 siblings. Willie’s father immigrated from Slobodka, Ukraine, in June 1927 and eventually settled in Alameda on a farm.
Willie and Darlene met and married, moving to Estevan where Willie worked at Dominion Oilfield Supply. After a year and a half in Estevan, Edmunds wanted to retire, and Darlene, being the youngest of four girls, was asked if they wanted to take on the farm. Her sisters were settled in their careers at this time.
They packed their bags in November 1964 and moved to the farm with their nine-month-old daughter Lisa and began farming. They have three children; their daughter Lisa Bryce lives in Red Deer, their second daughter Marla Schlenker lives in Arcola and Kevin, their youngest son, is the fourth generation on the farm. Willie and Darlene have seven grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
The farm consisted of grain crops with a small herd of Hereford cattle from where they raised and sold calves when weaned.
Darlene not only worked on the farm, but she was also employed at the Arcola Hospital for 20 years as one of the cooks.
They always knew their son Kevin was going to take over the farm, because as a child he had many toy tractors and equipment displayed under a tree. Willie even built him a small machine shed for his toys.
After Kevin graduated from Grade 12, he attended Olds College in Alberta to get a degree in agriculture mechanics. This was a two-year program.
In 1998, Willie and Darlene built a home in Arcola but continued to be involved with the farm. This was the year that Kevin took over the operation.
The farm has changed over the years. More grain bins have been added, along with an implement shed and a seed-cleaning operation. Thousands of bushels go through this plant.
Kevin and his brother-in-law Kevin Schlenker became partners in the seed-cleaning business until 2024 when Schlenker retired from it, as he also has his own farm. The seed cleaning is done from November until April just before the seeding begins for most farmers.
Two original buildings. One is a garage and the other holds Willie’s John Deere tractors.
The first tractor that Willie bought was a John Deere H. It was a smaller tractor and can be seen in the photo above on the left. The tractor was not in great condition and needed to have the motor overhauled and fresh paint applied.
The John Deere D was driven by Willie when he was a teenager, and it brings back many memories for him.
Another tractor joined the team, a John Deere A. It has its wheels further apart than the other two in the photo and can be found in the middle of the pack.
These three tractors are often seen in the Arcola parade and driven by the three generations from the farm.
Kevin Freitag’s son Brandt is also on the farm, and he did all the seeding this year. During the winter, he enjoys travelling the world, making sure to return for seeding.
Willie still goes out to the farm to help out, but his son makes sure he does not work long hours in the combine.
The equipment today is quite different from when Willie started the farm. He finds it amazing how his grandson Brandt knows all the components of the computers in the equipment.
The farmers will continue to enjoy the land and keep the farm in the family for the sixth generation.
