Milk Can Urn Holds Dairy Farmer's Ashes

Milk Can Urn Holds Dairy Farmer s Ashes FARM HOME Miscellaneous Leland Paulson loved his farm his dairy cattle and his family After he was diagnosed with renal cancer Leland made an unusual request to a friend involved in metalworking “He asked his friend to make an urn for his ashes out of stainless steel from the dairy tank on our farm ” says Leland’s wife Myrna The friend initially had some reservations about it but eventually agreed After Leland saw how well the urn turned out he asked for a matching vessel for his wife “I think Leland and I probably have the only two matching urns in the world that look like miniature milk cans ” says Myrna “It was his idea because milking and the cows were so important to him and I’m fine with that ” Myrna says “Milking for him was always relaxing ” The urns are polished stainless with a cross and their names laser-engraved on the side Having been a part of the farm for so many years Myrna is proud of the symbolism that the urns carry “Leland lived on this farm 86 years ” she says “He took his first breath and his last one right here He lived a long and productive life We were married for 60 years raised two kids and he always enjoyed his work and the cattle ” The Paulson farm was homesteaded by Leland’s maternal grandfather in 1900 and passed down to Leland’s parents Leland graduated high school in 1944 and returned to the farm after spending two years in the Army He and his brother Raymond farmed together for more than 40 years “I don’t think the brothers ever had a cross word between them ” says Myrna “They milked 70 cows during their prime and the farm grew to 365 acres ” The Paulson’s retired in 1988 and rented the land to neighbors Leland worked full time in town and enjoyed interacting with a wide circle of people Myrna says the friend who made the urns told Leland he hoped he wouldn’t use it for a while but unfortunately that wasn’t the case Leland died at the farm last March surrounded by the land and people he loved “It was a beautiful service and people were very complimentary of the beautiful urn ” says Myrna Now it sits on a coffee table in the farmhouse as the family decides on the best place to have it rest permanently Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Mrs Leland Paulson 598 60th Ave Clear Lake Wis 54005 ph 715 263-2099

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