A century on the ranch: Pzinski-Krell Ranch honored for century of family agriculture
Photo courtesy of Bev Krell: The Pzinski-Krell Ranch, located near Four Corners, was one of 12 Wyoming ranches recognized for continuous operations for 100 years by the Wyoming Centennial Farm & Ranch program. The ranch is currently owned and operated by Bev Krell and her children.
The Pzinski-Krell Ranch was recognized as a Wyoming Centennial Ranch on Aug. 15, marking 100 years of continuous family ownership and operation.
The ranch was honored alongside 12 other Wyoming operations during a ceremony at the Wyoming State Fairgrounds in Douglas. The family continued the celebration the following day with a barbecue at the ranch.
“This is special to me. It is an accomplishment with the way agriculture is overall,” Bev Krell said. “There are always ups and downs to endure over the years. We’ve been able to keep generations around that want to remain on the ranch.”
The Wyoming Centennial Farm & Ranch program honors families that have owned and operated the same agricultural property for at least 100 years. Nearly 350 families have received the designation since the program was reestablished in 2006.
Every other year, the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office and its program partners hold a celebration recognizing the families. The program also publishes an annual yearbook featuring their histories and photographs.
The Pzinski-Krell Ranch traces its beginnings to George and Ella Pzinski, who purchased the Cummings place in the Horton community in 1925.
According to a family history submitted by Krell, George Pzinski was born April 21, 1889, in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, to Stanley and Genevieve Ida Pzinski. When George was 13, his family moved to Cambria and later to the Prairie Springs farm near present-day Four Corners.
George married Ella Kudlock of the Prairie community on Dec. 16, 1918. The couple initially lived in Glenrock, where George worked in the oil fields.
After purchasing the Cummings place, George and Ella raised three children, Edward, Elizabeth and Betty. The family grew wheat and oats, and raised Hereford cattle on the ranch.
George and Ella moved to Newcastle in November 1946, leaving operation of the ranch to their son, Ed, and his wife, Judy. Ed and Judy continued farming and ranching and added Angus cattle to the herd. They raised three daughters, Bev, Marilyn and Janet.
Following Judy’s death in 1986 and Ed’s death in 1990, Bev and her husband, Gary Krell, took over the operation. Gary died in 2020, but Bev continues to live on the ranch.
Her son, Ty, and his wife, Jenny, live nearby with their children, Jake, 17, and Hadlee, 16. They represent the fifth generation carrying on the Pzinski family’s agricultural legacy.
Centennial farms and ranches help preserve Wyoming’s rural heritage at a time when agricultural land faces development pressure, drought, mining threats and other challenges. In addition to producing food, agricultural operations maintain open spaces, support family businesses and contribute to the state’s economy.