Article: OBITUARY; Retzlaff's farm was landmark; Pumpkin grower offered students a glimpse of rural life each fall

Charles Schulz's Linus spent each Halloween waiting for the Great Pumpkin, which appeared in only the most sincere and worthy of pumpkin patches.

Linus would have loved Henry Retzlaff's place.

For nearly 30 years, Retzlaff's Pumpkin Farm was the destination for thousands of area schoolchildren and families. He made sure there were hay wagons to ride to the pumpkin fields and animals to pet -- goats, pigs, sheep, rabbits, ducks, turkeys -- to give kids a look at farm life up close.

"My husband just loved it when the children came," said his wife, Joan Retzlaff. "He enjoyed teaching the children about farming. It was all about getting people there and educating them and entertaining them."

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