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A view from above of the Kelly farmstead in days gone by and today. Gary and Mary’s daughter, Kärin Renner, worked side-by-side with her father doing much of the down-and-dirty work of the barn's restoration.

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territorial assembly and then was elected to the first South Dakota Legislature, where he served 2 terms. While in the legislature, he introduced a bill to confer to women the right to vote in town and city elections. It lost by 2 votes.

A HARD LIFE, BUT HE DIED WITH HIS BOOTS ON

Mary’s grandfather, Willard Francis Kelly, homesteaded and had a sheep herd at Vivian, South Dakota, when he was a young man. But when his father retired, he called Willard home to the family farm. Mary said her grandfather had a hard life. His wife died young, leaving him with two children. His most vivid memories were of the Children’s Blizzard of 1888 and the Black Blizzard of 1936. At age 68, Willard lost an arm just below the elbow in a corn shelling accident. But that didn’t slow him down. He got a hook as a prosthesis and counted on his granddaughters to tie his shoes and button his shirts. He never had a grandson and when the fourth of five Kelly girls was born, he said “Oh, another girl. Thunderation!” But Mary said he still loved the little girl very much. Willard lived with the family of his son, George Francis Kelly and his wife, Alice, until he died in 1954 when Mary was 14. “My grandpa always wanted to work and always said ‘I want to die with my boots on.’ And he did. He and my dad were putting up hay and he had a heart attack when he was up in the haystack. And as hard as that was, we were glad for him because he wouldn't have handled not being able to do anything.”

RENAISSANCE MAN

Mary’s father, George, started dairying when he was 15 years old and he continued for 55 years, until August of 1971. He delivered “C” grade milk until World War II when farmers in the Sioux Falls area were asked to produce grade A milk for the cadets at the airbase.

Long before the war, George was an innovator and something of a “Renaissance man.” Joan’s family history book reads: “Dad was one of the most hardworking men ever. Alan Oyen, a neighbor once said, ‘No wonder George was so successful. He never walked, but always trotted from one job to the next.’ He never did anything halfway. He was a meticulous man who always did the best job he possibly could, whether he was milking a cow, planting corn, building a fence, repairing machinery, or mending broken or sick animals. He was a craftsman in the finest sense of the word. He built, he soldered, he welded, he fixed. He made many devices, hitches and attachments for his machinery to make the job easier or better. He devised his own manure removal system long before there were any mechanical manure loaders. He made our first power lawn mower.” Gary said his father-in-law was also known for his gentle ways with cows. Joan’s brother-in-law worked for George in the summer and admired the “placid nature of the livestock on the farm. All his cows received gentle care and therefore they were quiet and easy at milking time.”

SUMMERS WITH GRANDMA

A special corner inside the barn is dedicated to George’s wife, Alice, who brought some Norwegian genetics into the family. When Gary was working at Raven Industries and Mary was teaching nursing at Augustana, their children, Kärin and Erik, were often at the farm with Grandma. Kärin said, “We spent our summers here picking eggs, feeding the cats in the barn, and exploring the woods. Like most families did in those days, every Sunday after church, we came here and Grandma would have roast beef and potatoes and carrots and pie.” Kärin and her husband, Tim Renner, built a home just across the field in 1997. “So my kids had 7 or 8 years here with Great Grandma on the farm.”

The gatherings of Kelly family members in the barn are a continuation of her grandmother’s tradition of family dinners and celebrations. “Grandma was up before sunrise and working sometimes until late into the night. In addition to helping with the daily outdoor farm chores, she baked every day and she made meals for whoever was here working,” Kärin said. And, Mary added, “She still had time to read books to and play with her grandchildren.” Alice was a dedicated caregiver to George when was sick towards the end of his life. After he died, Kärin said, “It's like she had a whole new life.” She gave her time to many worthy organizations and causes. Gov. MIckelson recognized her by declaring July 15, 1990, as Alice Kelly Day. When the family spends time enjoying the barn today, Kärin said, “I just feel Grandma’s presence here.” Mary said when they first started refurbishing the barn, people in the community guessed they were turning it into an event center, a dance hall or a house. But the intention was always to use it for get-togethers of family and friends. “You know, the first time we had friends here and there was all this motion and dogs coming in, I was standing back and the tears just came. It reminded me of my mom and dad; Mom especially, since she was so outgoing and so giving. She would have planned something like this if she was in this spot.”

The loft of the rejuvenated barn decorated for a Kelly family celebration.

A look at a small portion of Kelly farm memorabilia.

Gary Brendtro power-washing the walls and ceiling inside the loft of the barn.

RECYCLE AND RESTORE CENTRAL TO BARN’S RENEWAL

Mary Brendtro is sad any time she sees old farm buildings falling down and in disrepair. She likes a quote from the book “Rural Wisdom” which says: “Tear down an old barn and you destroy a piece of your heritage.” The barn at the historic Kelly Farm Homestead was saved from such a fate, in large part because of the hard work and dedication of Mary’s husband, Gary, and their daughter, Kärin Renner. Gary began work on the barn in late 2014 and it continued through 2015 into 2016. Kärin worked full-time on the project in the summers of 2015 and 2016 during her break from teaching. “Dad and I worked seven days a week those two summers,” Kärin said. Her husband, Tim, and their children, Dan and Liz, also played important roles as did other family and friends. Luckily, the barn was built by skilled craftsmen in 1895-96 and its structure remained strong. Shepherd Construction of Dell Rapids, a company specializing in the restoration of old barns, fixed the one side of the foundation which was damaged, plus tore off all the old siding and roofing and replaced it. Additional contractors were hired to install plumbing and electrical. Beyond these professionals, turning the interior of the building into something hospitable was literally accomplished on the backs of the Brendtros and Renners.

Starting at the loft level, 50-year-old hay had to be removed. Fitted with a protective respiratory system, Gary, Kärin and Tim teamed up with West Central FFA members to remove the toxic hay. Then every surface was power-washed repeatedly. Kärin scooted inch-by-inch across the entire length of the barn floor many times to scrape 100 years of gunk out of the tongue-ingroove flooring. During the entire project, great effort was made to recycle and restore instead of purchasing new, Kärin said. Family members and the Shepherd Construction crew repeatedly found ingenious new uses for existing cupboards, adornments