Eminent Farmer
County: Union
Joseph J. Curry, Elk Point, comes from a family that settled in Union County shortly before the Civil War. Both of his grandfathers homesteaded within four miles of Elk Point.
Curry was born on April 12, 1892 in Elk Point. He was the third child in a family of five.
Following his high school graduation in Elk Point, young Curry helped his father in the farming and livestock business.
He hauled rocks for revetment projects on the Missouri river so he could afford to enroll at Iowa State College at Ames. The financial returns from the revetment work took him through only one quarter, so he returned to the farm. When World War I came, Curry enlisted in the Navy as an apprentice seaman. He received his commission as an officer from the Pelham Bay, New York, naval training school.
After the war, he married Lois Russell on Dec.29, 1920.
They raised three sons, all of whom are interested in farming.
Curry was one of the first farmers in the state to become interested in hybrid seed corn. About 200 acres of his farm are devoted each year to producing Curry’s Dependable hybrid seed corn. The remaining 200 acres are put into alfalfa, sweet clover and other soil building crops. He was South Dakota Corn King in 1946.
The Currys have been able to extend the grazing season by seeding a variety of pastures, including rye, sudan, brome and clover. About 300 commercial hogs, a yard full of feeder cattle and a small dairy herd make good use of the pastures and get the discard corn from the hybrid seed corn enterprise.
In addition to following good farming practices, Joseph Curry has found time to take an active part in community affairs. While his sons were of 4-H age, he was the leader of a 4-H club. He is a charter member and past commander of the Elk Point American Legion post, member of the crop improvement association, the State swine improvement association, Farm Bureau, Boy Scouts, Izaac Walton league, dairy herd improvement association and the Elk Point chamber of commerce. He was AAA community committeeman when the program began. As a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, he has held several offices.