Farm honored for 125 years

Family members of Martin Munson were recently honored by the South Dakota Farm Bureau at the 2025 South Dakota State Fair for 125 years of continual family land ownership in South Dakota and in Moody County.
Munson immigrated to the United States from Sweden around 1884 and lived near Cherokee, Iowa a short time before homesteading in Moody County in 1899. At that time, Munson purchased approximately 320 acres of Spring Creek Township farmland at a cost of $5500. He married Maria Lou Johnson, settled into rural South Dakota living and raised seven daughters: Bess, Esther, Myrtle, Mabel, Freda, Edla and Ann.
The family lived in the same house where Gwenda (Winter) Gullickson still lives. Gwens mother was the Munsons oldest daughter, Bess. She married Louis Fred Winter in 1930. Gwenda married Eudene Gullickson in 1970 and the couple purchased the original 320 acres from the remaining living Munson sisters in 1973.
Joining Gwen, shown here in front center, are family members including granddaughter Kaylee Kemp, daughters Judene Smahel and LuAnn Kemp, grandson Wesley Kemp and granddaughter Alyssa Kemp. Gwen also has another daughter, Loribess Valentin, three more grandchildren, Aimee (Eli), Marcus and Malory, and three sons-in-law, David Smahel, Chad Kemp and Craig Valentin.
All three of Gwen and Eudenes daughters also grew up in the same home.
There were four Munson brothers who settled in Moody County on adjoining land in Spring Creek Township. Martin and August stayed here while Jim and Tom relocated to Alice, OK.