Karl Merrill
Karl Herbert Merrill (September 1, 1900 – December 2, 1984) was an American farmer who established the Trina line of Holstein cow in 1961, beginning with Trina Redstone Marvel, or "Old Trina", which was traced back sixteen years to one of the first cows imported into the United States from the Netherlands.[1][2] Today, there are thirty generations of Trina Holstein offspring.
Karl Merrill | |
|---|---|
 A ten-year-old Karl Merrill with "Old Trina," around 1910 | |
| Born | September 1, 1900 Gray, Maine, U.S. |
| Died | December 2, 1984 (aged 84) Yarmouth, Maine, U.S. |
| Occupation | Farmer |
| Spouse | Annie F. Merrill (1932–1977; her death) |
| Parent(s) | George Edwin Merrill Mary Evelyn Merrill |
Merrill owned Springdale Farm, in Gray, Maine, established by Merrill's paternal grandfather, George T. Merrill (died 1885), which is still in operation.[3][4]
Life and career
Merrill was born to George Edwin Merrill and Mary Evelyn Merrill (of a second Merrill family).[5] He was their second known child, after George (1893–1929).
He attended school in Gray, and graduated from Hebron Academy in 1918. He went on to own Springdale Farm for forty years.[6] It was renamed Wilsondale Farm when the Wilson family purchased it in 1961.[7]
In 1932, the year that his father died,[5] Merrill married Annie F. Merrill (of a third Merrill family).
Death
Merrill died on December 2, 1984, aged 84. He is interred in Gray Village Cemetery, beside his wife, who predeceased him by seven years.
References
- "Mike Wilson of Wilsondale Farm Obituary" – Cowsmopolitan, June 15, 2021
- "New England Holstein Convention Shows Off Maine Farms" – Lancaster Farming, November 3, 2017
- Gray, Maine, Louise M. Knapp, Gray Historical Society (1999) ISBN 9780738589824
- "Wilsondale Farm celebrates 50 years with friends and family" - Lewiston Sun Journal, June 19, 2011
- Portland Evening Express, September 18, 1956, p. 2
- Lewiston Sun-Journal, December 4, 1984, p. 2.
- Valley Farm – Pineland Farms