Richmond Family of Goldstar Farms

Goldstar Farm, located on both sides of Biggs Avenue, north of Fallasburg Park, has been owned by the Richmond family since 1844 when Lucien Richmond first purchased the land. In 1851 he sold the 120-acre parcel to distant relative James C. Richmond.

James was married to Susan Lucas and then Eunice Sage and had 14 children and one stepdaughter. James cleared the land, a very large task, and built a log cabin on the west side of Biggs, along with a barn. In Chapman’s 1881 History of Kent County, he states that “James came to Michigan with $5.00, part of which he invested in an ax and went to work. He now owns 250 acres of land, most of which is in a state of advanced improvement.” In 1867 he built a new house on the east side of Biggs. Elmer was the first of the children born in the new home. Most of the children moved when grown, but Fred stayed in the Smyrna area and Elmer stayed on the farm.

Elmer farmed and served as Justice of the Peace. His wife Corra Burras had children Leo and Florence before dying from German measles. In 1902 Elmer married Gertrude Heining of Terra Haute Indiana and together they had Nola, Harry, Ruby and James. Elmer added crop farming in addition to cattle and sheep ranching. The Richmond farm was the first in the area to partially mechanize. Elmer purchased a ford tractor in 1919, but it wasn’t able to completely replace the horse teams.

Elmer and Harry began constructing a barn in 1928 that was made from wood cut right on the farm. The new barn had an upper floor for hay storage, and the farm added a dairy operation with Guernsey cattle.

Harry took over the farm in 1929, and his wife Irma Eickhoff worked as a schoolteacher. Their children were David, Robert, Jerrold and Mary. Irma taught at the Vergennes Township one room schoolhouses of Fallasburg, Waters, and Valley. She also taught in Grattan, Paris, Cannon and Ada Townships. She finished her distinguished career in Lowell teaching fourth grade. Harry worked as a correctional officer in Ionia and hired farm help. Electricity came to the farm in July of 1932. Harry bought a new John Deere tractor in 1937, and this tractor was able to replace the horse teams in the fields. The farmhouse burned in 1945, and the current home was built.

In 1958 the Richmond farm received Centennial Farm status. Jerrold (Jerry) had finished his studies at Aquinas College and was operating the farm. At the time the farm was 213 acres and operated a dairy. Jerry had raised purebred Yorkshire swine to pay for college. Jerry married Diane Uzarski and they raised their five children on the farm. Under Jerry’s operation the farm grew to more than 500 acres with more than 230 Holsteins in the dairy herd. The tractor fleet included 6-7 tractors, along with uncountable various machines.
Jerry named the farm Goldstar Farms. Why Goldstar? The distinguished Goldstar Award went to farms with the highest milk quality, and Jerry’s goal was to have a dairy truly worthy of the Goldstar award.

In 1968 Jerry built the new milking barn while working with the Michigan State University Extension program that helped farmers expand and modernize. The Richmond farm was added to Michigan State University’s Agricultural College’s list of model farms. In 1971 Jerry and Diane were recognized by the Michigan Milk Producers Association as Outstanding Young Dairy Couple, one of only 12 across the state of Michigan among 6,100 dairy farmers.

Jerry not only was a part of the centennial farm celebration, but he was able to celebrate the farm’s sesquicentennial also. Thanks to their son Ben’s research leading to the discovery of the family connection between Lucien and James, Jerry and Diane were able to celebrate the farm’s sesquicentennial together in 1994. Had they waited and used the date of James’ purchase of the farm, the celebration would have been empty, as Diane was killed very unexpectedly in a car accident just five years later.

Jerry died of cancer in 2010 and today Goldstar Farm is owned by Jerry and Diane’s son Mark and his wife Sherry Hildenbrand. While Goldstar is no longer a dairy farm, the Richmonds raise beef and field crops of corn, soybeans and hay. The sixth generation of Richmonds also raise market animals on the farm.

The Richmond Family land extends beyond Goldstar Farm. Fifth generation Richmond family members Andrea, Ben, and Brian all either live or own land near the Goldstar Farm.

What does the future hold? When asked the very same question at the sesquicentennial, Jerry answered, “It is up to the children to decide if they want to run the farm.”
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A special thank you to Ben Richmond for sharing his family research and Bruce Doll for use of his photographs.
Images
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Centennial Farm, left to right - Jerry, Harry, Irma and Bob.
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Sesquicentennial Farm, left to right Jerry, Irma, Elena, Mark and Diane.
Harry and Irma Richmond with son Jerry's family, his wife Diane, children Mark, Elena, Andrea, Ben and Alicia.
Jerry and Diane Richmond.
Richmond Farm Courtesy of Bruce Doll, Images of Vision.
Richmonds left to right - unknown, Elmer, unknown, James C. - sheep herd helped clear the land.