Peter Volk is Hague’s oldest resident from the surrounding farm area.

Peter was born on April 27, 1909. His parents, the late Frank and Katherine Volk, owned the farm that Peter would later take over. He had four brothers and three sisters, of which Peter is the only one still surviving.

Peter’s family was German, like most of the Hague residents of the time, and Peter actually didn’t learn English until he was about eight or nine years old. His father, however, knew four languages: German, English, Dutch and Russian. His father was also an auctioneer in Hague.

During the Great Depression almost nothing grew. Since there were no crops to help out with on his own family’s farm, he and five other guys traveled to Harvey often to help haul bales on farms that were still able to produce grain.

Peter’s family operated a diversified farm, which means that it included both grain and livestock. Diversified farming, according to Adam Buechler, was the reason many of the farmers didn’t starve. They always had eggs and milk for food, however bad the grain crop was doing.

Peter would have been drafted into the military along with two of his brothers during World War II, but he got a deferment to stay and help his father out with the farm.

Peter’s wife, Mary, grew up on a farm a mile west of Hague. She and Peter were married in October of 1947. They never took a honeymoon, Mary said. The day after their wedding they cleaned up the house, and the day after that they went to pick corn.

Peter and Mary took over the 720-acre farm when they were married, but Peter’s parents continued to live there for 11 years.

Peter recalled the times when he had five horses pull a two-bottom plow. One horse in particular was very smart.

“When it was dinner time, he’d stop right there,” Peter said, jabbing his finger at the ground for emphasis. “[He was] a good horse.”

Peter was “a man of his own,” according to his wife, Mary. He didn’t get too involved in the town business or politics, and he even turned down a request to be usher at St. Mary’s church. He simply liked being on the farm. Peter almost never traveled. The biggest trip he ever took was down to Oklahoma and Texas to buy some machinery with his brother-in-law the year before he and Mary were going to be married.

Peter and Mary had three children, all boys: Jerome, James and Tim. James took over the farm in 1980, and Peter and Mary stayed on the farm until 1984, when they moved into Hague. Even after retiring Peter still helped out at the farm for many years.

“He was always busy,” Mary recalled.

Now, at 99 years, Peter’s life has slowed down. He doesn’t get around as much anymore, but he does read the entire Bismarck Tribune every day and enjoys watching TV.

Jerome Volk, lives in Dickinson and works as a civil engineer and is a deacon at Queen of Peace Catholic Church. He served in the military from 1969-71. James still runs the Volk farm. Tim works at Montana Dakota Utilities in Linton and is the mayor there.