Theodore “Ted” Wilshusen (1919-1987), Ionia, MO
Ted Wilshusen will long be remembered as an enthusiastic Guernsey breeder and dairy leader. He was born in 1919 at Douglas, Oklahoma. In 1923 his parents, William and Dorathea, with their three children Ted, Rudy and Emma moved to Ionia, Missouri where the family operated a farm. William died in 1939 and the children and Dorathea operated the farm with another daughter Viola. Dorathea died in 1982. In the beginning beef cattle and dairy cows of mixed breeding were kept.
Ted finished the local rural grade school and began working on his parents 360 acre farm. He worked on farms in Minnesota and Iowa for several years but continued his home ties. In 1946 the family increased the dairy operation, with Ted leading the way. He converted the herd of 30 mixed breeding into a registered Guernsey operation.
He purchased the first registered Guernsey in 1946 and by 1962 the herd totaled 90 registered Guernseys. The herd was placed on the America Guernsey Cattle Club Herd Improvement Test in 1959. The farm was named Prairie View Farms and the Guernseys featured. The foundation cows were purchased from J.E. and L.E. Funk, Windsor, Dick Monsees, Smithton and others. One of these cows Barbara of Hermosa Farms left a number of daughters in the herd as did Hermosa Rae Lass. By 1980 there were 120 herd of registered animals in the herd with many two year olds producing at the 10,000 pound level.
Ted took a prominent part in the state Guernsey activities. He enjoyed showing cattle and exhibited regularly at his District Show, the Ozark Empire Fair and the Missouri State Fair. His animals won championships at the Ozark Empire Fair, at the Missouri State Fair, and district shows. He was a President of Guernsey District 4 and he served as a Director of the Missouri Guernsey Breeders Association and on the sale committee and the show committee. Ted was a member of the Farm Bureau and active in the local church. Since Ted’s death, the farm and herd are operated by his brother, sister Viola and a son of Emma’s.