Louis Wiese (1st generation of Flying W Ranch) with whom would become his future father-in law Elmer Clemens stacking hay in Nebraska

Some of Eldon’s sibling in the house owned by Eldon’s father on the land that is still a part of the ranch today.

Eldon in 1973.

Our History

The origins of the Flying W Ranch begin in an unlikely place — not in Minnesota, but on ground that is now home to a mall in Omaha, Nebraska. Long before it was a mall, Louis and Edith Wiese rented 440 acres there for $1,800 a year. The mall now stands where their home and barn were.

After several years farming near Omaha, they moved west to the Nebraska Sandhills in search of better opportunity. But the timing proved difficult. The Dust Bowl brought hardship and dry conditions. Determined to find a better future for their family, Louis and Edith made a bold decision. On May 4, 1935, they left Mullen with hopes of starting over in Minnesota.

Their original plan was to settle in the Red River Valley, but a stop at a friends house in Jenkins, Minnesota changed everything. It rained every single day for the week they were visiting their friend. To a family escaping dust and dry winds, the steady rainfall was a paradise. They decided then and there to stay.

The family’s first major land purchase in Minnesota included Section 16, bought by Louis for just $2 an acre. He paid $10 in cash for the timber value, financing the rest through term loans. Though the property later passed through a sibling and changed hands a few times, Eldon eventually purchased it back. Today, that very section remains part of the ranch’s foundation.

Eldon married his high school sweetheart, Shirley Allan, on September 29, 1945. That same year, he officially founded the Flying W Ranch, marking the formal beginning of what would become a multi-generational legacy.

Eldon’s early years were defined by grit and sacrifice. His first 160-acre purchase cost $2,500, a significant sum at the time. Short on cash, he borrowed $800 from his grandparents and $500 from Shirley’s parents to make the purchase possible. The land was heavily wooded and Eldon and Shirley cleared it entirely by hand, transforming it from timber into productive ground.

In 1949, at an auction in Pipestone, Louis and Eldon’s brother Harry purchased their first Angus genetics. That investment laid the groundwork for the ranch’s longstanding commitment to quality Angus cattle with a progressive breeding program.

In 1975, Eldon, with his sons Richard and Danny, held what would become their first annual production sale. Richard would later go on to start the WR ranch with Danny continuing the Flying W Ranch.

Today the ranch is owned and operated by Danny’s and Sue’s children: Dustin (Katie), Cody (Jenna), and Amy.

Eldon with his grandchildren.

Eldon and Shirley on their wedding day near where the ranch is today.

Danny with his pet pigeons in 1965.

Minnesota Cattlemen’s Association, 1968; Eldon is second from right. Eldon was one of the founding members and was the first President. Meanwhile, Shirley was one of the founding members of the Minnesota Cow Bells Association.