Vintage farmer and his tractor

[deerefan]

I recommend you find the time to do this....I lost my grandfather in 2005. He was a WW2 vet and, besides my father, was the best role model I had. He used to tell me the same stories over and over. How I wish I could here them one more time...

 

[LBrown59]

What a great post JB. And the replies aswell. I dont know how many times I wished I just took the time or had the chance to just sit on the porch with some of the older guys and just listen.

I had a very unique old friend a one of a kind guy.
Met him way back in 1961. I was 21 at the time.
I had just got a new job driving a 1960 ford 1 ton truck delivering 100 pound bottles of LP gas to rural and country customers.
For the first 2 month my boss drove the truck while I learned all the routs and where the customers lived.
One place where we stopped lived an elderly gentleman who lived alone .and you couldn't just drop off the gas tank and leave.
Oh No you had to be invited in and let him serve you a cup of coffee and a piece of pie or cake and set and chat with him a while before you could leave.
Some times it would be an hour or 2 before me and my boss got out of there.
He had so many stories to tell and things to share.
When I started running the routs by myself I continued this policy of visiting chatting and sharing a cup of coffee with him.
I left that job in 1963 and went into the service but I never forgot my old friend.
When the wife and I got married in 1964 one of the first things I wanted to do was to introducer her to him.
Form 1964 to his death around 1983 We visited him many times each summer and stayed several hours each time.
Just being in his presence seemed to make you forget all your cares.
He was 93 when he passed away but we still miss him .

 

[kebo]

You think ole Oscar has gotten his money's worth out of that old 8N??? I bet he's specified in his will to be buried sitting upright on it lol!!!!

 

[JB4310]

You think ole Oscar has gotten his money's worth out of that old 8N??? I bet he's specified in his will to be buried sitting upright on it lol!!!!

Yeah he's still out on the tractor everyday for a couple hours in the morning and a couple hours in the afternoon, even in the winter. Not all seat time but he parks the tractor right near the back door so he can go up to his old coups, feeds an old rag tag gang of about 8 domestic geese and some wild turkeys, brings in wood on an improvised carry all on the back of the tractor using the 3pt arms.

I've been visiting him a couple times a week lately, I'm going there tomorrow to cut some firewood. I told my wife I'm happy that we are kinda becoming friends and she says why does a 40 something year old want to hang around with a 90 something year old?

I thought about that myself and determined Oscar is special for many reasons, first of course his age, he's living history at 95, but more importantly his awareness for his age, I have not seen a hint of Alzheimer's or dementia. He's actually quick witted and engaging, he is hard of hearing so you have to repeat things sometimes.
He's got a great sense of humor and often has a smile on his face, he'll find something to make a joke about in most anything that comes up, the kind of dry old type of wise crack that you have to think about for a moment to realize he's not serious.

He's not agile and has had a stroke a few years back that he's still rehabilitating from, but he's not afraid to go out there, gets in and out of a truck/car no problem, goes up and down stairs. He's got a live in lady that helps alot with the chores.

Like LB said just being around him is special, puts things in perspective and lets you almost be in a different time for awhile, I do feel privileged that I got to know him.

JB.

 

[Soundguy]

heck.. that's like therapy...

soundguy

 

[MarkV]

JB, great post and it is nice you are taking the opportunity to help and learn from Oscar. He reminds me of my Grandfather who died of a heart attack in his mid 80's while working the fields on his old Oliver tractor. The family could not think of a more appropriate way for him to pass.

I was struck by the fact that Oscar is sitting on property that will leave his heirs multi-millionaires, yet he must feel there are more important things than money or he would have sold long ago. Sounds like a lesson worth learning.

MarkV

 

[LBrown59]

Yeah he's still out on the tractor everyday for a couple hours in the morning and a couple hours in the afternoon, even in the winter. Not all seat time but he parks the tractor right near the back door so he can go up to his old coups, feeds an old rag tag gang of about 8 domestic geese and some wild turkeys, brings in wood on an improvised carry all on the back of the tractor using the 3pt arms.

I've been visiting him a couple times a week lately, I'm going there tomorrow to cut some firewood. I told my wife I'm happy that we are kinda becoming friends and she says why does a 40 something year old want to hang around with a 90 something year old?

I thought about that myself and determined Oscar is special for many reasons, first of course his age, he's living history at 95, but more importantly his awareness for his age, I have not seen a hint of Alzheimer's or dementia. He's actually quick witted and engaging, he is hard of hearing so you have to repeat things sometimes.
He's got a great sense of humor and often has a smile on his face, he'll find something to make a joke about in most anything that comes up, the kind of dry old type of wise crack that you have to think about for a moment to realize he's not serious.

He's not agile and has had a stroke a few years back that he's still rehabilitating from, but he's not afraid to go out there, gets in and out of a truck/car no problem, goes up and down stairs. He's got a live in lady that helps alot with the chores.

Like LB said just being around him is special, puts things in perspective and lets you almost be in a different time for awhile, I do feel privileged that I got to know him.

JB.

She's missing one of lifes most rewarding experiences.

 

[rdbrumfield]

It sure does a body good to visit with elders. Not only family but what we learn from those we take the time to bring into our lives.

My son is getting his nurse practicioner degree and works in a nursing home. The stories he is told should be in a book. Once the eyes shut for the last time they are gone forever.
At Christmas I went in and this gal in a wheel chair started singing "here comes Santa Clause." I had a beard at the time. I said hi Honey how are you. She replied, I am so lonesome for my family, they can't get here because of all the snow in the parking lot. I bent over gave her a kiss on the cheek told her I would be right back with my tractor and clean the lot off. Her eyes just sparkled, that was a wonderful payment for cleaning it up for them.

The one thing I noticed on the 8N. A valvestem guard on the rear wheel. Would like to have one of those inner dishes too. I have a Harry Ferguson and mine are missmatched.

 

[ultrarunner]

I've been visiting him a couple times a week lately, I'm going there tomorrow to cut some firewood. I told my wife I'm happy that we are kinda becoming friends and she says why does a 40 something year old want to hang around with a 90 something year old?

I've always had a lot of older, often retired friends... even when I was a teenager.

My hobby, antique cars and machinery, has open the door to long lasting friendships... Sadly many have passed.

Stories about the living through the 1930's and WWII and just life in general provided me a glimpse of living history and helps me to keep things in perspective. None of these couples had more than 1 child and many never did have children...

My college girl friend said something similar to me and would really get bored easily when I would stop for a visit... she would often wait in the car and tell me to hurry-up... well... you can see why the relationship didn't last...

I've been called the kid since my teenage years and it's kind of strange now that I'm pushing 50 to still be called the kid...

 

[2manyrocks]

When these guys pass, it seems like there are so few photos and other things to remember them by. And it's so hard to adequately describe what they were like to someone else.

If he is open to it, get some video of the two of you together or at least some more photos.