by Dennis Dalman
At a St. Joseph Century Farm, a radiant morning sun rises above the horizon as a television voice-over says, “When life lays heavy upon one’s shoulders, there’s something about the morning.”
It’s the voice of Boyd Huppert, the host of Twin Cities KARE-11 TV’s “Boyd Huppert’s Land of 10,000 Stories.” The feature, broadcast Aug. 22, is a lyrical, moving tribute to Liz Fiedler, her daughters and her farm known as “Sunny Mary Meadow.”
Huppert’s story was re-broadcast nationally Aug. 25 on CNBC’s “The News with Shepard Smith.”
Some weeks ago, Huppert and his entourage visited Fiedler’s farm to film and do interviews. Fiedler was the subject of a story published in the Aug. 19 St. Joseph Newsleader about how she is raising money for a St. John’s University scholarship set up in her late husband’s name, Josh Fiedler. At the time of the interview with the Newsleader, Fiedler mentioned she had met with the KARE-11 team on the farm but did not know when the feature would be broadcast.
She and daughters Vidalia and Davie were very pleased to see the TV broadcast on Aug. 22.
Josh and Liz Fiedler moved to the fifth-generation Fiedler dairy farm after their marriage in 2014. He was an agricultural lender; she has a doctorate degree in nursing. They had one daughter, Vidalia. Almost two years ago, while Liz was at work, Josh died at home of cardiac arrest while using his treadmill during lunch break. He was only 39. Vidalia was just 3 at the time. There had been no previous indication whatsoever that Josh had any sort of heart problems.
The day after Josh’s funeral, Liz found out she was pregnant. Months later, she gave birth to another girl, Davie.
Devastated but determined to honor Josh’s memory by staying on the historic farm, Liz continued developing a flower-selling business, growing big plots of colorful flowers sold in beautiful bouquets. She began teaching flower-arrangement classes for customers who visited the farm.
She also wrote a children’s book entitled “When Flowers Bloom,” whose theme deals with grief and finding silver linings in life, despite sorrow.
The television feature shows Liz doing her gardening, frolicking with her two daughters, visitors sitting down to an outdoor luncheon at the farm, and visual reminders of Josh – the last pint of salsa he canned, his college flag on a pole in the yard.
“He loved St. John’s University,” Liz tells the interviewer. “He was the Johnniest of Johnnies.”
She also says this: “Things that you worry about all day – the day before or something – in the morning they seem a lot smaller.”
Then she adds: “Josh, I always say, was the how to my wow.”
The television feature can be viewed by going to https://www.kare11.com/landof10000stories.
