Celebrating The Life of an Iconic Cattleman, Arnold Wienk
I was in Missouri getting ready to speak at a cattlemen’s event when I got the call — my grandfather, Arnold Wienk, had entered his eternal resting place at 87-years old.
It was a long drive home on icy roads as I contemplated the loss of someone so special to myself, and so many others. Ironically, I had just visited with a fellow Charolais breeder at a feed store down in Missouri, who happened to know Arnold.
Not surprising, this happens to me often. Everywhere I travel to speak, someone usually nows and loves Arnold Wienk, and it always warms my heart to hear stories of his cattle adventures across the country and the impact his kind-heart, good humor, and generosity had on those who he encountered along his life’s journey.
Arnold, and his beautiful bride Carol, got married in 1958. That same year, they purchased their first Charolais female, and Grandpa would often say, “That was the year I got the two loves of my life.”
And just as Mark 10:8 tells us, “And the two shall become one flesh; so they are no longer two, but one flesh,” that’s exactly what Arnold and Carol did.
Together, they built an internationally-recognized and respected cattle operation, Wienk Charolais, and raised five daughters - Deb, Kim, Peggy, Jody, and Amy, on the ranch by Lake Preston, SD.
That family, and cattle business, multiplied quickly - 16 grandkids, 26 grandkids, too many white cows to count, and an extended family tree that could fill up a gymnasium.
Love of God, country, family, cattle, community, and rural America — that’s what Arnold and Carol Wienk exemplified to so many. The lives that they touched span across the globe. Through their passion for the Charolais breed, they traveled the world, visiting Spain, France, England, Holland, Belgium, Japan, Mexico, Canada, Australia, and all across the United States.
And at home, they truly showed all of us that there is always room for one more at the dining room table. They hosted international exchange students, collegiate livestock judging teams, 4-H and FFA kids, visiting ranchers from all over, and they never turned away a stranger in need of help.
And while there was always work to do on the ranch, they taught us to find joy and seek adventure in our daily lives. Countless memories were made with all of us at the family cabin by Lake Poinsett. Arnold loved being surrounded by family and friends, and he always had a listening ear for others, (one that he could wiggle to make his grandkids and great-grandkids laugh, by the way — a fun fact he was happy to share for a smile.)
Arnold loved his South Dakota State University (SDSU) Jackrabbit basketball games, and although he never graduated from the university, he was recognized by the college as the SDSU Friend Of The Beef Industry and SDSU Eminent Farmer.
His accolades also included the American International Charolais Association Seedstock (AICA) Producer Of The Year and AICA Hall Of Fame. Arnold and Carol were active with the cattlemen’s associations and beef councils on a local, state, and national levels. By every measure, they were one of the first of a generation committed to improving the beef cattle industry, and they generously gifted their time, talents, and treasures to doing exactly that.
Together, Arnold and Carol set the bar high for what can be achieved in this ranching industry we all love, and in a lot of ways, they set the course for me to follow in my own career in the beef cattle business.
But as I pondered the life of this wonderful man on my drive home from my speaking engagement, I could’t help but smile between the tears. As you read the book of this beautiful life, written by God and lived out by Arnold, I feel joy and pride in my heart. Arnold lived fully. He made the most of each day. He faced the hardships that come with a positive, loving attitude. He found the bright spot in all circumstances, and he saw the good in each person he interacted with.
A Charolais friend of Arnold’s told me at the visitation, “Amanda, if someone told Arnold it couldn’t be done, he didn’t believe them. He was a dreamer, and he was absolutely living his dream.”
In so many ways throughout his life, that absolutely rings true. May we all hope, dream, grow, and build like Arnold.
Arnold, you are known and loved by so many, at home and around the world. We’ll never fully know the magnitude of the impact on the countless people you met along the way. How blessed are we to have called you ours?
Now, you have reached the goal we all strive for, and I know Carol is right by your side. I know she was waiting for you, and it brings me immense happiness to know you are reunited once again. I can’t imagine eternity without an endless view of white cows on puffy clouds, and I pray that one day I can enjoy that same view.
As Matthew 25:23 reads, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Well done to my dear Grandpa Arnold. Well done.