Howard Brusveen was born January 28, 1917 on an 81-acre dairy and hog farm in the Town of York, Green County, and lived there until he retired from farming in 1977. Mr. Brusveen was not always the full-time operator. From 1949 to 1960, he supplemented the farm income by doing carpentry and construction work while his father concentrated on the dairy farm. By the late 1950's, Brusveen's father, then in his 80's, sold the cattle, and rented the cropland to neighboring farmers. In 1960, Howard Brusveen purchased the farm from his father, began to build a small dairy herd, and improved the uneven cropland by contouring. He obtained clear title to the farm in 1966, producing milk for cheese until declining health led to his retirement eleven years later. Since retirement, he and his wife, Avis, have lived in the city of New Glarus, a few miles away.
Married in 1942, Howard and Avis Brusveen lived in the small south wing of the farm house until 1970, when they finally moved into the main dwelling after both his parents were deceased.
