Kuehnert Dairy Farm mourns loss of family patriarch

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) - Family members at a legacy dairy farm in Fort Wayne are mourning the loss of family patriarch Melvin Kuehnert.

Kuehnert Dairy Farm, a 6th generation farm on the city’s northwest side, has been serving the area for 125 years.

Leaders of the farm posted on Facebook Monday morning that they had difficult news to share: they had to say goodbyes to their dad, grandpa, and great-grandpa Melvin Keuhnert over the weekend.

They say Melvin was the glue that held them all together, saying they are thankful and blessed for his life so well-lived.

21Alive sat down with Andrew Kuehnert in the fall of 2021 to talk about the passing of Alan Kuehnert, who died in a farming accident earlier that year.

“Working on a dairy farm, you live everyday like it could be your last, because so many things could go wrong so quickly,” Andrew, Alan’s son explained. “He was what taught me and my brother what hard work was. My dad was the hardest working guy I’ve ever known.”

Andrew Kuehnert was named the Indy 500 Milk Man in 2019, where Hoosier dairy farmers are tapped to continue the tradition of handing the winning driver a glass of milk.

A visit to the Kuehnert Dairy Farm has become a tradition for many in 21Country during its annual fall festival. You can read more about the farm here.

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