Karl Herbert Merrill (September 1, 1900 – December 2, 1984) was an American farmer who established the Trina line of

Holstein cow Holstein Friesians (often shortened to Holsteins in North America, while the term Friesians is often used in the UK and Ireland) are a breed of dairy cattle that originated in the Dutch provinces of North Holland and Friesland, and Schleswig-Ho ...

in 1961, beginning with Trina Redstone Marvel, or "Old Trina", which was traced back sixteen years to one of the first cows imported into the United States from the Netherlands."Mike Wilson of Wilsondale Farm Obituary"
– Cowsmopolitan, June 15, 2021 Today, there are thirty generations of Trina Holstein offspring. Merrill owned Springdale Farm, in

Gray, Maine Gray is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 8,269 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Portland– South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area. Gray is located at the intersection of ...

, established by Merrill's paternal grandfather, George T. Merrill (died 1885), which is still in operation."Wilsondale Farm celebrates 50 years with friends and family"
- ''

Lewiston Sun Journal The ''Sun Journal'' is a newspaper published in Lewiston, Maine, United States, which covers central and western Maine. In addition to its main office in Lewiston, the paper maintains satellite news and sales bureaus in the Maine towns of Farming ...

'', June 19, 2011

Life and career

Merrill was born to George Edwin Merrill and Mary Evelyn Merrill (of a second Merrill family).''Portland Evening Express'', September 18, 1956, p. 2 He was their second known child, after George (1893–1929). He attended school in Gray, and graduated from

Hebron Academy Hebron Academy, founded in 1804, is a small, independent, college preparatory boarding and day school for boys and girls in grades six through postgraduate in Hebron, Maine. History Hebron Academy is one of the nation's oldest endowed preparatory ...

in 1918. He went on to own Springdale Farm for forty years. It was renamed

Wilsondale Farm Wilsondale Farm is a dairy farm in Gray, Maine, United States. It is notable for its introduction of a specific breed of Holstein cow. It was originally known as Springdale Farm. The farm, of , was purchased by New Gloucester's Pineland Farms ...

when the Wilson family purchased it in 1961.Valley Farm
–

Pineland Farms Pineland Farms is a 5,000-acre farm and recreational property in the eastern part of New Gloucester, Maine. It is partly on the site of the former Pineland Hospital and Training Center. History In the early part of the 20th century, the State of ...

In 1932, the year that his father died, Merrill married Annie F. Merrill (of a third Merrill family).

Death

Merrill died on December 2, 1984, aged 84. He is interred in Gray Village Cemetery, beside his wife, who predeceased him by seven years.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Merrill, Karl 1900 births 1984 deaths Farmers from Maine People from Gray, Maine