Spring 2021
WCSA AlumNEWS HARLEY HANKE, A MAN OF MANY TALENTS, TURNS 100 Reprinted with permission from Katie Erdman, January 2021, Stevens County Times If you tried to list the accomplishments of 100 year old Harley Hanke, you would probably need at least 100 pages. He is a man who wore many hats in his life and worked hard to go from a humble beginning to a successful career. Harley worked for 33 years teaching and doing cooperative livestock research with the University of Minnesota. He was hired as an assistant professor at the West Central School and Experiment Station in Morris in 1956. There he was in charge of teaching and research with dairy cattle, beef cattle, swine and sheep. During his time in Morris he authored or co-authored 57 articles or abstracts published in the Journal of Animal Science, 95 articles that appeared in the Minnesota Sheep and Lamb Feeders Proceedings, 59 articles in the University Swine Report, 45 Beef Feeder proceedings, 6 Beef Cow-Calf publications, 2 articles in the Journal of Animal Production and numerous University bulletins and folders dealing with sheep and swine. He also was a member of the American Society of Animal Science and served as a director of the Minnesota Shorthorn Breeders Association and of the Dakota-Minnesota Columbia Sheep Breeders Association. In his off time, he was a member of the Kiwanis Club, an advisor to the Key Club, member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Morris Sportsmen’s Club and past president of the Morris Federated Church. He also was a 4-H parent helping at many events. In 1921, when Harley came into this world, things were very different. Harley was born in the same house where his father was born on a farm in Houston
Hanke on the farm as a child County, Minnesota, on the edge of Brownsville. Harley’s grandfather originally homesteaded the property and ran a flour mill there, shipping products down the Mississippi. Harley and his wife, Helen, purchased the farm from family in 1980 and it is now listed among the century farms of Minnesota. Harley’s parents were community leaders and active in community organizations. His mother helped organize the first 4-H Club in the township and was selected as a Master Farm Homemaker by the Successful Farmer Magazine. They were active and interested in the Agricultural Extension Service in the county and put many of their recommended practices to good use on the farm.
REUNION IS BACK—FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2021 COVID won’t stop us this year!
See pages 9–11 for more details on a new date and location for our 2021 WCSA All-School Reunion and Annual Meeting.