Baumann family history

In 1910 Leonard Theis built his home and farm on Kautz Road. Peter Baumann married Leonard's daughter Margaret in 1912 and they moved to the farm. Peter and Margaret raised their four children, Evelyn, John, Louise, and Leonard, on this farm for the next 30 years. They rotated crops of corn, alfalfa and soybeans on their 160-acre farm. Later they operated a dairy farm when Peter enlarged the original barn. John and Leonard helped with the farm chores from an early age.

When Peter and Margaret retired in the 1940's, John and Leonard took over the farm responsibilities for 20 more years. Leonard married Joanne Stemple in 1950 and they moved away, leaving the farm to John. After John died Leonard and Joanne returned to the farm on Kautz Road and raised their five children, Jack, Cynthia, Susan, Nancy, and Michael.

When the state purchased the land in 1969 Leonard and Joanne moved to a farm in Polo, Illinois and they retired in 1999. Leonard's sister, Louise Baumann Komes, currently lives in Batavia.

The house was moved from Kautz Road to #4 Sauk Circle. The barn, in its original location, is currently used to store the many tons of prairie seed that Fermilab harvests annually.

Click on individual photographs for more information.

Farm families