John J. Berglund, Springfield
Although he started his career in dairying with Guernseys, John Berglund made his reputation in the dairy business as an owner and breeder of quality Jerseys.
John has been in the dairy business all of his life as he was raised on a dairy farm near Strafford. As a member of the Grandview 4-H Club in Greene County he showed his first dairy cattle – Guernseys – at the Ozark Empire Fair and Missouri State Fair in 1938.
He was born Nov. 12, 1925, at Strafford and married Dorothy Breshears in 1949 at Oakland Methodist Church in Springfield. Mrs. Berglund died in 1997.
The couple had two daughters, Jedonna who died in 1994, and Dee Ann Dighero who, along with husband Herb and son John, are partners in Larklund Jerseys, an operation of the Berglund family.
He started farming on 320 acres and also did custom farming with his uncle. In 1952 the Berglunds moved to Evansville, Ind., where he became herd manager for Larcland Jersey Farm. When the farm was sold in the late 1950s, John bought several of the Jerseys and the family moved back to the Springfield area and has been active in the registered Jersey business ever since.
Over the years, John bred and showed many champions and class winners from the local county level all the way to the National All-American Show level. During his tenure in the dairy business he served as president of the Missouri Jersey Cattle Club for three different terms and also was secretary/treasurer of the Missouri Club.
The Larklund Jersey Farm is a Missouri Century Farm.
John has been a leader in his community as well. He was president of the Greene County 4-H Council for several years and also was dairy leader for the Grandview 4-H Club for 20 years. John also was a supporter of the Junior Farmers Club during its lifetime.
He is a lifetime member of the Oakland Methodist Church and was chairman of its board of directors for many years. Also, he is a member of the Masonic Lodge United 5, Springfield.
John served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II.