Joseph Mellecker
1872-1942. Born and died on the Liberty Township family farm homesteaded by his German immigrant father, John, in the Stanislaus church community southwest of Hills. A school board member, popular among his neighbors, father of 12, he is representative of the uncounted devout, hard working area farmers who, through 170 years, have built the economic base of this community in the rich soil of Johnson County. Pioneer farmers raised and picked by hand 40 bushels of corn per acre, then a record 55, followed by 75, and upward to a 2009 average 182-bushel yield, now machine harvested.