Emil Sackmann was born on April 18, 1922, on the family farm in Lind, Washington, the seventeenth child born to Gottlieb and Lydia Sackmann. He spent his life working on the wheat farm, playing baseball with his brothers and riding his white horse and raising cattle.
He married his beautiful wife Janet on May Day, 1955, who joined him on the farm, where they raised their two children and enjoyed 63 years of marriage.
He served as Adams County Fire Commissioner for 20 years and enjoyed singing in the church choir and serving on the board of the Lind Congregational Church.