Robert ‘Bob’ and Victoria ‘Vicki’ Van Hofwegen

Inducted in 2012

Mar 1

Tolleson - Maricopa County

Inducted in 2012

Rober “Bob” Van Hofwegen's determination to own his dairy was unwavering. He started his journey in California, but when he saw better opportunities in Arizona, he and Victoria didn't hesitate to move. This was after his return from the Korean War in 1959. They bought 60 cows and rented a small property in Laveen, beginning their dairy farming journey.

Bob is a native of Iowa but only lived there for about a year before his parents moved the family to South Dakota. His dad opened a grocery store and peddled his wares from a truck to the surrounding countryside. After about five years, Bob's Uncle Case suggested they move to California, so the family packed up and headed west. "We ended up in Artesia, California," Bob remembers. There were nine children in the family, seven of whom became ill on the trip.

Vicki was a Texas girl born in Austin. "My Dad was in the Army. We were heading for Oregon and only got as far as Loma, California." Vicki said, "My dad became a carpenter. Then we moved down to Chino. Bob moved to Chino, too, and we went to Chino High School together. That's where we met." The young couple was married in 1953.

Just after our wedding, a notice arrived. 'You are requested to report for duty,' it read. For the next 18 months, Bob served in Korea, leaving Vicki to manage the new life independently. In 1959, the Van Hofwegens and their two children moved to Arizona, where they opened a small dairy in Laveen. "Well, she worked in the bank first, and then I decided I wanted to do dairy like my dad did," Bob said. He and Vicki started in rented facilities on 59th Avenue south of Dobson Road with 60 cows and two surge milking machines. Summers in the desert are hot, so to keep the cows cool, Bob would drive his pick-up into Phoenix and load it up with discarded palm fronds that he could bring home and tie onto the old shade frame in the corrals. After three years, they sold their cows and went back to California but returned four years later.

In 1966, the now-expanded family moved to the Tolleson area, renting a dairy at Southern and 119th Avenue and starting dairying with a herd of 80 cows. The herd grew to 200 cows, and the family grew to include four boys and two girls, all of whom helped with the chores as they became old enough. Work was hard, and Bob was doing the bulk of it himself. Janet Van Hofwegen relates how he hired his first hand, "Like most days, there was always something that had to be taken care of. On this particular day, Bob had a fence to fix, a broken water line, and doctor a cow down with milk fever. Someone drove to the place looking for a job. Immediately, Bob put him in the bam to milk and hire his first employee." Bob's dream was to stop renting and own his dairy. He realized that dream 1972 when he purchased 20 acres on Broadway in Tolleson from Chuck Lakin. The dairy sold its milk to Arizona Milk Producers, now United Dairymen of Arizona. At about that time, Bob switched to Holstein cows to increase milk production and increased the size of the herd to 500.

Bob and Vickie's family grew along with their dairy business. They have six children, and Vickie humorously notes that it seemed like every time they moved, they had another child. Later, their children became their partners, further strengthening their family bond. The Van Hofwegens' legacy extends beyond their dairy. Their sons have followed in their footsteps, establishing their dairies. Their oldest son, Robert, owns the Paloma Dairy in Gila Bend, where his four sons are actively involved in the dairy business. Their commitment to the industry is a source of pride for the Van Hofwegens and the entire community.

Bob Van Hofwegen retired in 2000. Throughout the years, he and Vickie have been very active in their church, with Bob serving on the board of Phoenix Christian High School for 14 years. Their son David leases and operates the old home. After selling the property, which was later acquired by developers but left undeveloped, we could rent it back. Now, it's once again home to Jerseys, returning to its original use as a dairy farm.

Their third son, Paul, has trucks and moves hay. Donald, son number four, moved his cows to Stanfield and has a dairy out there. In addition to the four sons, they have two daughters. Linda's husband is the business manager of Robert's dairy, and Sarah and her family live in Minnesota.

They have 24 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, and still more on the way."