GEORGIA FARM (1950-1955)

According to land records at the DuPage County, Illinois courthouse, Bertis R. Stalions (1905-1 955) sold the Rolling Meadows farm, interestingly, back to Alexander Ferguson in March 1946. However, Bertis R. Stalions kept the residence on Diehl Rd. until March 1952 when he sold it to Nelson C. Dezendorf. Bertis R. Stalions had decided to move his cattle operation to a new farm he had purchased in Coweta County, Georgia. It was a large (1400-acre) farm that could support a larger herd of cattle and, apparently, was more economical to operate than the Naperville Rolling Meadows farm.

The move to the Georgia farm was made mostly in 1950 with some moving remaining to be done in early 1951. The move was a large-scale operation and attracted the attention of local residents. A caravan of several “Eighteen-Wheelers” was used to move all the cattle, machinery, etc.

Marvin Holtapp and his family also moved to Georgia and managed the farm there for Bertis R. Stalions.

Although the Naperville Rolling Meadows farm was sold to Alexander Ferfuson in 1946, Bertis R. Stalions continued to operate the Rolling Meadows farm until the move to the Georgia farm was completed in 1951. (Apparently, Bertis R. Stalions rented the farm from Alexander Ferguson during this interim period of operation (1946-1951)).

Bertis R. Stalions’ (1905-1955) new farm and cattle operation in Georgia attracted the attention of many cattlemen. An article about Bertis R. Stalions and his farm, and three other Georgia cattlemen, was published in the Farm Journal, November 1953. pp. 44-47. The article was entitled “Yankee Cattlemen in Dixie”. 

At the time of BertisR. Stalions’ death in Georgia in 1955, he was a director of both the Georgia Hereford Association and the West Georgia Hereford Association. Follwing his death, the Georgia farm was eventually sold by the family. 

Although Bertis R. Stalions ( 1905-1955) was in the cattle business only a few years (1942-1955, i.e., 13 years), he was very successful in raising many top quality purebred Herefords and helping other cattlemen to improve their herds.