ARIE STREEFLAND

Mr. and Mrs. Arie Streefland (Jansie Vandergraaf) came to America from Lekkerkeak, Holland with a year-old son, Arie, and Arie's brother, Art. They arrived in St. Paul in 1894. The trip from Hamburg, Germany to Chicago was $50.00 in those days. Through a real estate firm, they found their farm which had been owned by Gus Owens.

Originally the farm consisted of 640 acres purchased at $8.00 an acre and finally expanded to nearly 1,000 acres. Wages at that time for farm help were $140.00 per year. Eleven children were born to the Streeflands, 5 of whom lived to adulthood.

Mr. Streefland was a great supporter of community progress. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Farm Bureau, the Orchard Lake Union Church and the little cemetery north of the church, having donated the property for that purpose.

The Orchard Lake School depended on his efforts. The Dan patch Railroad and Lyndale Avenue were supported to a large extent by Mr. Streefland. Ge was also instrumental in organizing the Dakota County Electric Cooperative.

He died in 1953 at the age of 84. Few people have contributed so much to the community.

I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of society but the people themselves.

Thomas Jefferson





RUSSELL AND MARY STREEFLAND

Having grown up as a farmer's son, Russell Streefland continued in the same business. After completing military service in the United States Army, he married Mary Slater in 1919. They proceeded to clear the land and build a home and barns on Crystal Lake Road. For 47 years they farmed and raised a family of five children.

Russell, as did his father, Arie Streefland, contributed to all phases of community service. He also helped in the construction of Lyndale Avenue and was Township Assessor for many years. As a long-time member of Orchard Lake and Lakeville School boards, he became chairman of School District 194 and attended National School Board conventions throughout the United States. He devoted a great amount of time and effort on bond issues, and was instrumental in developing school building programs. He later helped promote vocational programs which included agriculture, home economics and business education. His intense interest in education resulted in his working on courses in remedial reading, speech therapy, art and languages, which are now part of the high school curriculum.

In 1968, Mr. Streefland was rewarded for his years of school involvement by being named winner of the Minnesota Distinguished Service Award, honoring State School Board members.

Russell and Mary, now retired, live in Lakeville and are very active in church and senior citizen affairs. Their five children remain in the area--four in farming and their youngest son in law practice in Burnsville.

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