Gustav Sumnick emigrated from Germany, traveled to Oklahoma and decided rather than be a Sooner, he wanted to be a farmer. He moved north to Nebraska and married an Irish immigrant farmer’s daughter. They farmed near Fremont, Nebraska, where the Platte and the Elkhorn rivers meet and grew the family farming operation to more than 1,100 acres.

In 1932, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was campaigning for president and wanted to meet a successful Nebraska farmer. Unfortunately, finding a farmer having success during widespread drought was challenging, but Gustav was up for the challenge. When FDR’s presidential trail pulled into the station in Fremont, a large crowd was there to meet his group, including national media. From Fremont, the group traveled to the Sumnick farm and gathered beneath the shade trees.

An article in The New Yorker said the crowd at the Sumnick farm was 8,000 strong. Howard Brubaker, in “Of All Things,” said, “The Sumnicks of Nebraska are one of the few remaining specimens of the prosperous farm family. When they visit the Roosevelts next summer they may be tapped for membership in the Smithsonian.”

At the Sumnick farm, though FDR was unable to leave the vehicle due to the polio that plagued him since 1921, the Sumnicks demonstrated some of their farm equipment and he and Gustav spoke about issues facing farmers. He was also treated to a plate of Mary’s fried chicken, which he enjoyed in the car while Eleanor joined the family in the yard.

An article that appeared in Time magazine on Oct. 9, 1932, detailed the “sun-bronzed Farmer Sumnick, coatless and with suspenders over his blue shirt, greeted Gov. Roosevelt on the elm-shaded lawn before his large, well-built house. He introduced his wife who wore her hair in the Pompadour style of 25 years ago, his 11 sons and daughters. “You’ve got a regular Roosevelt family,” remarked T.R.’s fifth cousin, father of five. A chicken dinner, cooking since 5 a.m., was served at tables on the lawn. Smacking over it, Gov. Roosevelt told his host: “I’ve eaten a lot of meals since I left home but this is the best yet.” Afterward he was driven out to inspect barn, hog lot, corn crib, silo, tractor, threshing machine. “Mighty fine! Mighty fine!” the Governor repeated. “You know. I’ve lived on a farm for 50 years.” Mrs. Roosevelt gamely climbed barbed-wire fences. At the thresher the entire party was deluged with chaff.”

The article goes on to describe Sumnick, in a German accent, telling Roosevelt, “We’re Republicans but we’ve got 11 votes for you in our family and we’d have two more if the youngsters were of voting age. At the price quoted when Hoover was inaugurated, the 30,000 bushels of corn I’m now harvesting would be worth $28,500 in Omaha. But instead, it’s worth only $8,100, a clear drop of $20,400. And my 350 hogs at the price when Hoover became president would be worth $4,120, but at this year’s prices would bring only $1,015. The drop in my corn and hogs totals $23,505. If Hoover and his Farm Board had kept their hands off, I’d be from $75,000 to $85,000 better off today than I am after four years of Hoover.”

Mick Sumnick said his grandfather was stern, serious and concerned more with the success of his farm operation than politics, though he recognized the relationship of the two. FDR, he said, was a real go-getter, smart and he liked to know how things worked. When he was in the White House, he sent Gustav a telegram that read, “Gus, I’m going to be passing through Waterloo and I’d like you to get on the train with me. I need some facts and information.”

That was in 1936 and FDR was on his way back east from visiting Sidney and North Platte. A huge crowd welcomed the presidential train into Fremont with red, white and blue banners fluttering above them. According to History Nebraska, Sumnick and Nebraska Gov. Robert LeRoy Cochran were both aboard the presidential train. Sumnick spoke about agriculture, and Cochran spoke to the president about the need for major flood-control projects in the Republican River Valley, which had flooded the year previously with disastrous results. Not unlike today, water and agriculture were top of mind and it was those in production agriculture trusted to relay the most vital information.

The following November, Nebraska voters delivered 57% of the vote over Republican challenger Alf Landon. It was the second time, and the last time, FDR carried Nebraska in his four presidential campaigns. Today, Colorado is locked in a fight over water with Sumnick’s home state of Nebraska. It will take leadership willing to surround themselves with those who can offer the best information and, just as it was on the presidential train long ago, it will take ignoring party politics to win either battles or wars.

Rachel Gabel writes about agriculture and rural issues. She is assistant editor of The Fence Post Magazine, the region’s preeminent agriculture publication.