Art Kroetch was born and raised on the family farm approximately 20 miles northwest of Philip. He has lived his life in the Philip area except for the years he spent in the military.
Eleanor (Johnson) Kroetch was born and raised on a farm in the Russell, Minn., area. She lived there until she married Art on June 30, 1954. The couple has seven children, 20 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
The Kroetches have a very strong sense of family, church and community.