Vickie Rountree: A Family Legacy at Risk 

For more than half a century, Vickie Rountree’s, nee Kerstiens, family has cared for and cultivated over 160 acres of Indiana farmland. What began as a piece of land that others saw no value in became a source of pride, purpose, and stability through the determination of her father. 

He transformed it into something meaningful for his family, creating a legacy that his wife and children have continued to steward for decades. This land is not simply acreage. It represents years of labor, memories, and generational investment. 

Today, that legacy is under threat. 

The proposed Midstates Corridor Project would cut diagonally across the Kerstiens family’s property, effectively splitting it apart. The impact would be devastating. Not only would a significant portion of the land be taken through eminent domain, but what remains would be rendered largely unusable due to the corridor’s placement. 

The Kerstiens family’s story is not unique. Hundreds of other families and properties are facing similar threats from this project, raising serious concerns about the broader impact on communities, livelihoods, and generational legacies. 

For the Kerstiens family, this is not just an infrastructure project. It is the loss of a lifetime of work and the dismantling of something built with care and intention over generations. This is not just about land. It is about history, livelihood, and the theft of a legacy built over decades. 

Vickie’s story highlights a broader concern facing families across the region. When development projects move forward, what happens to the people whose lives and legacies stand in the way? For many, it is not just a disruption. It is the forced taking, the quiet theft of years of labor and generational legacy, leaving families to watch what they have built be dismantled. 

We invite you to watch her story and consider what is at stake.