I am so excited about this project I can hardly stand it! I have to admit - I have an infatuation with old farms. I adore large historic barns with all their character. I've always been drawn to the countryside landscape. As I drive past farmlands with barns and silos...it’s just picturesque to me. I snap the photo in my head and promise someday to use an actual camera to capture the view.
I have no idea why I have a such a fondness for old farms. I always have. I remember being 10 years old begging my parents to move us out to the country so we could live on a farm and have horses! Sadly, that never happened.
Now that I live in Woodbury.....a town that was once farmland... I am amazed how many gorgeous old barns are still standing. Of course, I notice and admire them all. They are each so unique and hold their own story from the past.
You can imagine my excitement when I found myself listening to Inez Oehlke (91 years young) speak of growing up in Woodbury and raising her family on the farm that sits at Co. Rd. 19 and Bailey Road! Mrs. Oehlke resided in the darling white farmhouse for over 70 years! It had belonged to her husband's parents before that. She and her husband raised two children on their dairy farm as well as had a pasture full of Tennessee Walker horses. Now, why couldn’t they have been my parents so I could have fulfilled my dream of living on a farm with horses? lol.
I grew up knowing my own grandparents were raised on farms in the early 1900's and maybe my love of old farms is a way to bring me closer to that time in history and imagine what it was like for them. There is a photograph or two of both of my grandparents when they were young living in the country. Sadly, I haven't found one of the farm itself. That is one thing I wish I had more of - photographs of the farms that belonged to my great-grandparents. I would treasure photographs like that.
Now that the Oehlke's farmhouse and land belong to a neighboring church, I couldn't help but feel Mrs. Oehlke should have photographs that could be passed down to her family some day. Images of the white farmhouse, barns and stables can be treasured by future generations . I offered to capture some unique photos like the ones I wish I had from my own grandparents' farms. This week I felt like a kid in a candy store walking around the farm capturing the gorgeous country views and a little piece of the Oehlke family's history. I’m excited to share a few of my favorites:
Meet sweet Mrs. Oehlke who showed me around the farm this week.
Mrs. Oehlke and her grandson, who also lived in the home and shared tons of memories with me. The whole experience was so cool!
