NERVIG Family

NERVIG

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 6/20/2016 at 14:19:29

HARDY, Iowa - Stanley Nervig, of Marcus, relates how his grandfather, James A. Nervig, left Norway to immigrated to Slater. The emigrant was bound for Plymouth County in northwest Iowa, but when he traveled as far as Humboldt County, he stopped. ''This is far enough,'' he said.

Rick Nervig re-attaches the sign at the location of the family’s Century Farm south of Hardy in Humboldt County. The winds of this past winter blew the sign off its post marking the site of the 160 acres purchased by Nervig’s great-grandfather in 1882.

That was the beginning of the 160 acres that became the Nervig Century Farm, which he bought in Lake Township in Humboldt County near Hardy on Jan. 31, 1882. Stanley Nervig estimates the purchase price was around $30 an acre.

James Nervig later added 320 acres to the original 160 acres. Stanley Nervig said his grandfather farmed 140 acres and rented the rest of the land to other farmers.

James and Mary Nervig were the parents of a son and three daughters. Omen Edward Nervig was the father of Stanley Nervig and his brother, Edward Nervig. James Nervig was busy with his work as a Humboldt County supervisor so the farming duties fell onto the shoulder of Omen, said Stanley Nervig.

Upon Omen Nervig's death the Century Farm became a life estate to Omen's wife and sons. Stanley Nervig became the owner of the original 160 acres on Dec. 6, 1983 when he and his brother Edward divided the farmland between them.

Stanley Nervig's nephew, Richard Nervig, operates the Century Farm today. The building site of James Nervig was torn down in the 1970s and made into farmland.

Stanley Nervig said there was 18 years difference in age between his father and other. They grew up as neighbors and his father would occasionally baby-sit the young neighbor girl who became his wife.

Nervig recalls his father farming with horses with a two-row cultivator. Since he had two sons, he had each of them use a one-row cultivator. ''We didn't get to use the big one,'' said Stanley Nervig.

When they were cultivating, the Nervig brothers would race each other across the field. One day at church a neighbor reported to the father about the boys' cultivating skills.

'''It would have been done better if they had pulled the cat backwards through the field,''' Stanley Nervig recalled the neighbor's comment.

Omen Nervig preferred farming with horses, so didn't get its first tractor until 1946, a Case VAC, said Stanley Nervig.

Edward Nervig started farming in 1948 and now helps his son, Richard Nervig, with spring and fall work.

Stanley Nervig graduated from Iowa State University in1951 and entered the service. He married his wife, Joyce, and worked at a Sioux City bank for two years.

The owner of the bank then sent him to a bank he owned in Marcus, in 1956 where Stanley Nervig stayed until he retired in 1993. Since 1993, Nervig has served on the board of directors for the bank.

Stanley and Joyce Nervig are parents of three daughters.

http://www.farm-news.com/page/content.detail/id/501320.html?nav=5051