Brian’s father gave each of the brothers a quarter section of land.  Brian received “the home quarter”: South East Quarter of Section 18, Township 18, Range 16, West of the 2nd Meridian.  This is where his grandparents homesteaded and his father was born.  That farm, and the family’s connection to farming, meant so much to Brian.  So much, in fact, that despite his severe allergies to grain dust and poplar sap, Brian would don a Tyvex asbestos removal suit and respirator so that he could help his brothers with the farming or cut some firewood.

The farm was truly Brian’s happy place.  He kept the trees on the land when many farms nearby removed trees and bush to have more acreage.  He spent countless weekends tending a garden, having wiener roasts, or inspecting the land.  When beavers moved in and began clearcutting, war was declared.  While the beavers destroyed hundreds of trees, Brian removed many of them from the land by various means.  The battle raged for decades and we’re still not sure if either side won.

When Grayden would come to visit, a day at the farm was a key element of the trip.  Sausages for grilling, a chainsaw, some matches, and possibly a gun or two would keep everyone happy and busy for the day.  When Laurence first came to visit the family in the spring of 2018, she took over chainsaw duties with gusto, helped build a bonfire so hot she got a sunburn, and had a look of glee shooting the shotgun.  Surreptitiously, near the end of the day, Brian came over to his son to let him know he had found a keeper.   Laurence had shown she could appreciate the farm – and won Brian’s complete approval.