From Arkansas we shot straight north and landed in Eldora, Iowa, where my ol’ Army buddy Folkerts and his wife Andrea and canine child Holly live. We set up camp at Pine Lake State Park and spent a couple days catching up. It’s been several years since our last rendezvous.
The Folkerts Family recently moved to small town Iowa from the Pacific Northwest, back to The Heartland where he grew up on an eighty-acre farm that has been in his family for over 100 years. The old farmhouse and barn were built by his great-grandfather’s hands – the barn was so expertly crafted that it still stands strong to this day, with NO nails, screws, fasteners, or metal – it’s all wood construction.
For the past twenty-five years Folkerts has been driving a big rig across the country. He’s seen a lot of beautiful places pass through his windshield, but ultimately the call of the land where he grew up never stopped beckoning.
He bought an old farmhouse and after extensive remodeling, they now have a beautiful home that Folkerts refers to as “farmhouse chic.” He’s planted his roots next to his father and siblings, close to the graves of his forebears.
Home is where the heart is, as the proverb goes, and I’m glad Folkerts has finally found both.
