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Life Lessons<br />
most hazardous in the world.<br />
Ray said he has endeavored to teach<br />
Jay to work as cautiously and sensibly as<br />
possible.<br />
“I’ve seen what can happen,” Ray said.<br />
“If there’s any one thing I hope he learns,<br />
it’s that he needs to be careful.”<br />
Ray’s father, August, immigrated to the<br />
United States from Germany. In 1940, he<br />
bought the family farm for $50 an acre.<br />
In 1954, August was diagnosed with<br />
leukemia. With his father too sick to work,<br />
Ray had to do most of the farming. He<br />
took care of the hogs, cattle, milking cows,<br />
and 240 acres of cropland.<br />
Ray had two brothers, but they were<br />
both enlisted in the Army, leaving him to<br />
shoulder the responsibility of keeping the<br />
farm afloat.<br />
Fortunately, the Petersens’ neighbor, Ed<br />
Cain, stepped in to help.<br />
“He showed me how to operate the tworow<br />
corn planter,” Ray said. “All the other<br />
machines I knew how to run, but I’d never<br />
planted corn. I really looked up to Ed. He<br />
taught me a lot.”<br />
Ray’s father died in 1958. Cain continued<br />
to be there for Ray and his mother,<br />
Erna. Years later, in the mid-1990s, Cain’s<br />
shirt sleeve got caught in a power take off<br />
on a machine. He fell, breaking vertebrae<br />
in his neck, and became paralyzed from<br />
the neck down.<br />
The accident and the debilitating effect<br />
it had on his neighbor, friend, and mentor<br />
still haunts Ray.<br />
He wants to make sure practicing safety<br />
on the farm is part of his family’s tradition.<br />
“He’s always been very serious about<br />
safety issues,” Jay said. “I remember Ed’s<br />
accident. After that happened, grandpa’s<br />
always made sure I keep that kind of stuff<br />
in mind.”<br />
As the Petersens’ operation continues<br />
to grow and evolve, Ray will continue to<br />
farm with his son and grandson.<br />
While he enjoys watching Joel and Jay<br />
take on the lion’s share of duties, Ray also<br />
appreciates the significance of his situation:<br />
Being able to work alongside two<br />
generations of his family.<br />
“We cooperate well together,” Ray said<br />
as a smile began to spread across his face.<br />
“Most of the time, anyway.<br />
“Jay is a very aggressive farmer. He<br />
looks to the future and is interested in all<br />
the new technology for the farm. He does<br />
a great job.”<br />
Jay said he likes working with his dad<br />
and grandpa.<br />
They share a lot of the same interests.<br />
And, if not for his family and the legacy<br />
his great-grandpa started more than 75<br />
years ago, Jay would not be able to pursue<br />
his dream job of being a farmer.<br />
He credits his grandpa for giving him<br />
the tools he needs to keep that legacy alive<br />
for his own children.<br />
“He’s always doing what needs to be<br />
done,” Jay said. “He’s been a good example<br />
and always has shown me what to do,<br />
how to do it, and to make good decisions. I<br />
couldn’t ask for more than that.” n<br />
— kate howes,<br />
eastern iowa farmer<br />
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14 <strong>Eastern</strong> <strong>Iowa</strong> <strong>Farmer</strong> | spring <strong>2017</strong>
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