We have begun learning about Marland Burckhardt, who grew up in rural Russell as the first of three sons born to Katie (Wixon) Burckhardt and Edward Burckhardt.

Marland described his mom’s roles in the family.

“Mom was a housewife and took care of meals and housework. The chickens were also her responsibility. She had a big garden and much of our produce came from that garden. She canned the excess for winter use. Mom would ask us to help weed the garden. I liked the products, but wasn’t fond of weeding. I probably pulled as many vegetable plants as weeds.” (Marland chuckled)

His dad’s roles were equally clear, but frequently took him away from their farm.

“Dad was a hard worker on the farm, but also worked as a painter and frequently fixed power poles and ran power lines. Russell hired him to help repair power lines after storms. There were many days when it was just Mom and us at home. Mom was capable of discipline, but sometimes she’d say, ‘Just wait ’til your father gets home!’ We’d worry all day.

Marland described the ethnic and faith heritage of both sides of his family.

“The Burckhardt side came to the U.S. in 1848 (from German states). They were the ’48-ers’ because of the turbulence in Europe. They came to Minnesota after the Civil War. My great-great-grandfather, John Burckhardt served during the Civil War. He came to Lyon County in the late 1880s. Nobody spoke German by the time I came along. Mother’s family goes back to Colonial New England. It appears Wixon’s were more English than Irish. My mother’s side was Lutheran and my father’s side was Presbyterian, but neither side were routine church-goers. You went to church for funerals, weddings, and special occasions.”

He explained that he always had lots of family in the area, some of whom had strong influences during his formative years.

“The Burckhardts and Wixons were big families, so as a young kid in Russell, I was related to an awful lot of people. My dad had two sisters and two brothers. His youngest brother, Gerald, had a tough life with polio and responsibility for a car accident death for which he served time. Mom also had siblings – four brothers and two sisters. We went to my maternal grandparents on Christmas Eve and exchanged presents. We’d spend Christmas Day with paternal grandparents with a big dinner, gift exchange, and the adults played cards. Grandfather Burckhardt, Uncle Alvin Burckhardt, and Uncle Walten Wixon were almost like second parents. My uncle, Wallace Wixon, was one year younger than me and we became very close. He was born in the same house as I.”

The Burckhardt farm involved Marland and his brothers in plenty of chores, but they found time for other activities.

“The farm had a spring out in the cow pasture that fed into a stock tank where the cattle got their water. There was a big, old willow out there that was about horizontal to the ground. I’d go out there with a book, climb on that willow to read, and sometimes fall asleep there in the warm sun. In the winter there was sledding and snowball fights. There were plenty of hills around.”

Grandpa Burckhardt occupied a special place in Marland’s life.

“Grandpa Burckhardt probably didn’t get beyond eighth grade, but loved to read history. I was the firstborn grandchild, so I was a favorite and did a lot of fishing with Grandpa, locally or on lakes by Alexandria. Grandpa took us to Lake Shetek fishing and we sometimes went there for family gatherings and for the 4th of July. Grandpa also got me into trapping. It was largely mink and muskrat, but mink was the real money. You’d take your furs to a buyer in Marshall or sometimes they’d come to you. I learned to skin them; put them on stretchers; and brush them — the whole works. My grandpa taught me where to set the trap –he was a master. He could look at a creek bank and just know where that mink would go. Some Depression years he made more money from trapping than farming.”

Marland recalled his family also had good relations with their neighbors.

“We sometimes traded work and machinery. We’d have card parties in the winter. The men would play poker and the women would gather in another room. We kids would play until we were worn out, falling asleep on beds covered with the coats. So, there was an element of neighborly back and forth.”

The family grew in March 1951 when Marland’s youngest brother, Alton was born.

Marland reflected on the core lessons he took away from growing up in his family.

“You were expected to be honest and work hard. You were expected to be a good person. You had raised livestock and understood where life came from. You understood the potential evils of drinking, but sampled and enjoyed it. You were expected to respect girls and women and never strike them or use profanity around them. You understood that family was important — they would always watch for you and were willing to help. We had not experienced the big world and had few “city smarts,” but we had plenty of “country smarts.” We understood the natural order and how the seasons prescribed what you’d be doing throughout the year.”

Marland brought these lessons to his education in the Russell Public Schools, but they were unable to fully shield him from a family disaster during his high school years.

©2025 William D. Palmer.