History


Kevin, Seth, Peg, Don Christmas Eve 2006.
 

Kevin will be ordained a priest in St. Joseph's Cathedral, Sioux Falls on May 25th. He is finishing his last year of seminary in Denver and also working as a deacon at Holy Trinity Parish, Denver. We are planning a reception for him in Highmore on Sunday, May 27th. His first assignment as a priest will be somewhere in East River, South Dakota.

Seth graduated from SDSU in May 2006 with an animal science degree and is working on the ranch. In addition he launched a karaoke business this fall. Z-Money's Flying Circus show can be found entertaining in the local area on many weekends.

Peg & Don continue to operate the ranch and are very glad to have Seth at home working with them.  Fresh ideas, more help, different perspective are always good things. They still take the Goldwing on summer Sunday jaunts and also spent 3 days riding in the Black Hills in August. Peg always has at least one quilt in progress and also enjoys photography.
 


 

John & Dorothy Zilverberg on Christmas Eve 2006. They are both very actively involved in Highmore's community activities.

 


 

Cody and Wesley in front of their condo in College Station, Texas. In March 2007 Cody will complete his master's degree in agricultural economics with an emphasis in international agriculture. He will most likely take a job working in the international ag office at Texas A&M in March.
Wesley continues to take undergraduate courses that will prepare her for med school. She will be taking the MCAT in Sioux Falls on June 15th.  We are praying that she will be accepted into the med school of her choice.  Cody & Wesley plan to spend a month on the ranch during the time of Kevin's ordination.  We can't wait!

          
  


The year was 1928. The Dutch immigrants Jake and Lutske Zilverberg moved their family of four sons and one daughter to northern Hyde County, South Dakota. They had lived several different places in southeastern South Dakota before settling permanently 13 miles north of Holabird on the prairie. In those days fences were few and far between. Cattle and horses both roamed at will. Sometimes Lutske would flap her apron to scare away bands of horses who ran through her yard.

John Zilverberg, the second son, was a teenager at this time. He and his family worked hard on the ranch. In 1940 John purchased three Hereford heifers. Ranching was put on hold, however, during his stint in the Marines during World War II. In 1945 after his marriage to Dorothy Boehmer and his discharge, he started ranching in earnest and Bar JZ Ranches began.

Through the 50's and 60's John raised Polled Herefords and started having production sales, first at the local auction barn and later in his own sale barn on the south ranch. Then in 1970 Limousin cattle were also introduced into the Bar JZ herd. Bar JZ is one of the original 100 members of the North American Limousin Foundation.

Today the third and fourth generations of Zilverbergs (Don, Peg & Seth) live on the home place and continue the Bar JZ tradition of raising Polled Hereford and Limousin cattle. Visitors are always welcome to view the cattle, and the coffee pot is always on.