We never know just how or when or if we might hit pay dirt.
Those who call it luck of the draw oftentimes miss the sweat of the brow and the dirt under the fingernails, not to mention the hand of God, especially when it's a farmer who hits pay dirt on the back forty.
Wilbert and Darlene Kelzer farmed together all of their married life, over 40 years.  It was a familiar way to put meat and bread and milk on the table.  They grew up on farms and much of the population at that time also milked cows and put up hay.  Creamery buildings and feedmills were popular and prosperous all over Carver County -- as creameries and feedmills, not as restaurants and shops.
Things started changing about 40 years ago when Carver Park consumed many farms in the Victoria area.  Other farms were purchased by developers and turned into urban spaces.  Today the change appears to be complete ... until annexation of adjacent township property happens.  Meanwhile, the last owner-operated Victoria farm is gone.  It belonged to the Kelzers.
Some might say that with the demise of that farm, Victoria has now come of age, what with a golf course, a high school, a huge shiny water tower, an ice arena, and all kinds of fancy neighbor-hoods sprawled across the landscape.
Can it be mere coincidence that the last Victoria family farm disappeared at the exact same time that the reconstruc-tion of downtown Victoria finally began?  About one mile lies between the farm and Main Street, so the relationship is not obvious to the casual observer.  But fixing up the downtown has been a hope and goal of city fathers and mothers for many years now -- about 40 years in fact, ever since the farm business started its down-ward trend in the area.
As with other farm sales over the years, Wilbert and Darlene Kelzer didn't sell their property on a whim.  Stated Darelene, "There have been many interested buyers these past years, but we weren't of age."  Apparently 66 and 62 are the right ages.
This story is about the Kelzers coming of age and hitting pay dirt when they sold the farm.  They still live on the acreage, now a large platted development called Watermark, in a luxury home that sits, big and elegant, on the same spot where their barn once stood, tall and proud.

Wilbert was born on August 25th, 1936, to Charles and Emma Kelzer.  He is a twin and yet refers to himself as "the second of three sons" and "the middle child" because he was born before his twin brother.  The home place was just south of Waconia on Highway 284.
"It was a hobby farm," said Wilbert.  "First my dad owned Kelzer's Hardware in Waconia, then he worked at the Waconia Creamery, and then he built cabinets for Waconia Lumber.  He quit the hardware store because of lead poisoning.  He did a lot of tin work.  He lost a lung when he was still a young man.  It was from soldering."
The Kelzer sons attended St. Joseph's Catholic School in Waconia, and after eighth grade Wilbert worked farming with a cousin in Waconia.  He recalled, "My dad always said you gotta find a good job, work hard, keep learning, and keep on going."
In 1953, at the age of 17, he was hired by Spannaus Farms at Waconia where he "did dairy, hauled hay, field work, everything."  That was a four-year stint.
In 1957 he began to build homes for Wilfred Braun Construction, also out of Waconia.
Meanwhile, on the sidelines, there was a "gang" of friends that went dancing on the weekends to the Paradise Ballroom at Waconia and just hung around together.  "There were about 8 to 10 guys and 8 to 10 girls," said Wilbert.  One of the gang was a young lady from Victoria.

Darlene was born on April 1st, 1941, to Conrad and Agnes Krueger of Victoria.  She has an older brother.  The Krueger farm was located on County Road #43, about a mile southwest of downtown Victoria.
Darlene attended the St. Victoria Catholic School, grades 1-8, followed by three years at Guardian Angels Catholic High School in Chaska, graduating from Chaska High School in 1959.  The young farm girl thrived on outdoor work and continued to help her parents on the farm after high school.
"A bunch of us hung around with Waconia guys," she said, "and one night at a wedding dance he asked to take me home and we started going together.  We both liked old time music."  She was referring to Wilbert, of course.              Click here to continue.