Theodore Kack News Today

Bill Palmer We’ve been learning about MaryAnn (Kack) Blanchette, who was born and grew up on the family farm near Lake Marshall south of Marshall. Her mother, Anna, died from a heart condition when MaryAnn was 11, forcing MaryAnn into the role of homemaker for her father, Theodore Kack, and older brother, Ted, Jr., who had been her farm chores partner growing up. MaryAnn, the child homemaker, continued attending her country school, District 6, which was conveniently located immediately to ...

Prairie Lives We’ve been learning about MaryAnn (Kack) Blanchette, who was born and grew up on the family farm near Lake Marshall south of Marshall. Her father, Theodore Kack farmed with horses into the late 1940s and ran a stud service with his Belgian stallions. Her mother had a chronic heart condition that limited her participation in the farming and eventually took her life when MaryAnn was a child of eleven, but not before she gave birth to another boy, MaryAnn’s younger brother, Euge...

Prairie Lives Last week we met MaryAnn (Kack) Blanchette, born June 19, 1931, on the family farm south of Marshall, and began learning about her life growing up on that farm. MaryAnn’s father, Theodore Kack, farmed with horses into the late 1940’s. He loved his big, Belgian workhorses. He ran a stud service, offering his prize Belgian stallion, “Governor,” and two others as sires for farmers interested in breeding their mares to increase their herds. MaryAnn explained that part of the...

Prairie Lives MaryAnn Blanchette was born June 19, 1931, to Ann and Theodore Kack on the family farm south of Marshall without any physician or midwife in attendance. MaryAnn, at that time, was the youngest of four children. The eldest, Eleanor, was 18 years her senior. MaryAnn’s parents were both children of immigrants. Her father’s parents emigrated from Germany to Iowa. He was fluent in several dialects of German. MaryAnn recalled that he could also speak with their Belgian neighbors i...