On April 15, 1874, Paul Obery purchased 127 acres in Central Illinois founding Obery Farms. Throughout 2024, the Obery family will celebrate its sesquicentennial and six generations of farming. To learn more, read the press release or the history of Obery Farms.
A new film about the Obery Farms legacy was released on August 3, 2024. The film was a collaboration between Obery Farms and Levi Obery, 6th generation.
Metamora, Illinois – April 15, 2024 – Obery Farms, a 6-generation family farm, announces its 150th anniversary. Obery Farms was founded on April 15, 1874 when Paul Obery, after immigrating to the United States from France, purchased 127 acres north-east of Metamora, Illinois. Today, Obery Farms and its 5th generation principals, John, Mark, and Joel Obery, grow corn and soybeans using the latest in technology, equipment, chemicals, and fertilizers.
"As a family, we are proud that 6 generations have lived and farmed these fields. That doesn’t happen very often," said Joel Obery, 5th generation partner of Obery Farms. "One hundred and fifty years, you think about that, there are very few businesses that can survive 150 years, but a farm can."
"Special, blessed, fortunate are three words that I could describe how I feel about farming ground that my father, his father and my great-grandfather farmed," said John Obery, 5th generation partner of Obery Farms. "I hope the next generation can take it over, grow it, and prosper and build on what we put together."
While Obery Farms has expanded into a thriving enterprise over the past 150 years, it has remained true to its humble beginnings, where hard work, a passion for agricultural excellence, and stewardship of the land have always been at the forefront. For the past century and a half, the Obery family has cultivated a legacy of trust and exceptional service that has become synonymous with the Obery name.
"Obery Farms expanded throughout the years by putting in a lot of time and effort and sacrificing to expand," said Mark Obery, 5th generation partner of Obery Farms. "Farming today on this field that’s been in the family for 150 years, there’s a sense of pride in that."
"My hope for the future is to continue the legacy and continue to build on what they have accomplished so far," said Grant Reckling, farm worker, Obery Farms, and John’s son-in-law.
Obery Farms will celebrate its sesquicentennial throughout 2024 and is committed to preserving its rich heritage for generations to come.
Press Release (PDF)
Paul Obery, his wife Catherine, and their family immigrated to the United States from France and in 1874 began farming the 127 acres north-east of Metamora, Illinois that would later become the Obery centennial farm.
Born shortly after settling in the United States, Paul’s seventh son, Martin, stayed on the farm and eventually took over after his parents retired. Martin was also a thresherman. His sister Louise kept house for him at the Obery homestead for many years. Although he and his wife Bena had six children, four died at birth. Surviving were Edward and Kathryn.
A photo of Martin Obery, his brother Henry and Sam Rife with Martin’s threshing machine taken in the early 1900s just north of the Metamora Abattoir.
Edward farmed his father’s land and also hauled gravel to earn money to buy a diamond ring for, Hilda, his bride-to-be. Edward and Hilda married in 1915 and were the parents of six children, Dorothy, Elmer, Viola, Walter, Eddie and Eugene. In 1925, Martin gave the farm to Edward and Kathryn. Edward then purchased his sister’s share and continued to farm.
A 1930s photo of the Obery homestead.
Three of Edward and Hilda’s sons, Walter, Elmer and Eddie, served their country during World War II. Walter enlisted in the Air Force in November 1942 and lost his life on July 31, 1943 while riding as a passenger in an Army car on Highway 17 near Jacksonboro, South Carolina. Elmer enlisted in the Navy in June 1944 and Eddie enlisted in the Army in July 1944. After landing in the Philippines, Eddie saw combat on the island of Luzon helping to take Belete Pass. He spent a total of 131 days in combat and returned home on July 17, 1946 to farm with his younger brother, Eugene.
A photo of Eddie, Eugene and Elmer Obery.
Edward retired in 1947, moved into town, and eventually sold the land and equipment to his sons Eddie and Eugene. They purchased the equipment from their father and formed Obery Brothers. Edward continued to make daily trips to the farm until his death in 1969.
Eddie, Eugene and their father joined with neighbors to help finish picking corn after a farmer was killed in a picker accident on a farm the brothers would later purchase and become the Obery Farms® headquarters.
Eugene and his wife, Marjorie, raised their family on the Obery homestead. They were the parents of two sons, Joel and David, and two daughters, Kristina and Marla. Eddie and his wife, Marcella, raised their family on a farm located only a mile from the first Obery homestead. Marcella felt right at home as she also came from a family of farmers. They were the parents of two sons, John and Mark, and four daughters Ann, Sue, Kay and Joy.
A photo of Eddie and Marcella's home in rural Metamora, Illinois.
The brothers baled hay and shelled corn for neighbors. They also raised cattle and Eddie prided himself on guessing the weight of the cattle that he hauled to market every Monday morning. Obery Brothers was incorporated as Obery Farms Inc. on February 25, 1966.
Obery Farms celebrates its 100th anniversary as all of the fifth generation sons followed their fathers into the fields, while the daughters pursued careers off the farm. During this time, the farm became a thriving enterprise as Eddie and Eugene raised their families.
A grain drying and storage facility was constructed on the original Obery homestead to serve Obery Farms® and other Central Illinois farmers. Obery Grain Inc. was incorporated on March 29, 1979 as the grain merchandising business grew. Eugene closely monitored the grain markets and would buy and sell several hundred thousand bushels of grain each year. Eugene's youngest son, David, eventually took over the management of the grain merchandising business.
Eddie, Eugene and their sons continued to expand the farm operations by purchasing additional acres and offering farm chemicals and fertilizers, custom application, grain merchandising, field tiling and trucking services.
A photo of Eddie, in the combine cab, and his son, Mark.
Obery Farms® was designated a centennial farm in 1981 by the Illinois Department of Agrilcuture for family ownership for over 100 years.
A photo of Eddie, Eugene and their families in front of the centennial farm sign in 1985.
Obery Chemical and Fertilizer was founded in 1978 and incorporated on January 11, 1989 as a chemical and fertilizer dealer and custom application service provider.
A photo of John and his daughters, Whitney and Morgan in front of a John Deere 4700 sprayer in 1998.
After battling Alzheimer's disease for six years, Eddie passed away in 1994. His death marked a turning point for Obery Farms®. The family decided that, with Eddie's passing and their aging equipment, they could no longer raise cattle. The Obery's continued to farm and expand their chemical and fertilizer business.
A photo of Eddie with his granddaughter, Whitney.
A new shop and office is constructed next to Obery Chemical and Fertilizer's warehouse and it becomes the new headquarters for the Obery businesses.
At the peak of their custom application business, the Obery's sprayed over 50,000 acres in Central Illinois.
While in the past the Obery's raised cattle and hogs, and grew corn, soybeans, wheat, and oats, today the Obery's concentrate on growing corn and soybeans. They plant using twin rows and GPS-guided auto-steer technology, apply the latest chemicals and fertilizers to improve yields and monitor crop performance at harvest with advanced yield mapping software. In 2005, Obery Farms® was named state winner in the National Corn Yield Contest with a yield of 250.7764 bushels per acre.
In the summer of 2006, David and Joel labored countless hours expanding the grain drying and storage facility. Sadly, that fall, while attending the State Semi-Finals in Springfield, David's life abruptly came to an end after suffering a massive aortic transection. This tragedy generated an uncertainty of the farm's future. In the aftermath of David's death, the grain merchandising business was retired and the custom chemical and fertilizer application business was scaled down.
Eugene passed away in 2008 after battling cancer for several years. He had celebrated his eightieth birthday just two days earlier. With his death, the fourth generation’s reign of Obery Farms® came to an end, but their legacy lingers on. The day after Eugene’s death, the Metamora Volunteer Fire Department presented Obery Farms® with the Mark J. Adams Memorial Award for generously volunteering time and support to improve the Metamora community.
Obery Farms® celebrated its 135th anniversary in 2009 with a documentary film produced by Levi Obery and his grandmother, Marcella. Harvest that year was the latest in the farm's history: it began on October 29 and finished on December 12.
On November 25, 2013, John and Mark Obery and area farmers gathered together to clean up debris from neighboring fields after a devastating EF4 tornado struck on November 17. This tradition of farmers helping farmers dates back to 1948 when neighbors finished picking corn on Mrs. Joseph Imhoff’s farm after her son was killed in a picker accident.
Obery Farms® celebrated its 140th anniversary in 2014. Over the years, the Obery name has become synonymous with trust and exceptional service.
Obery Farms® celebrated its sesquicentennial and six generations of farming in Central Illinois in 2024.