Vintage farmer and his tractor

[farmerjim]

jb was over that way about a week ago doing some work and just looked over and low and behold the tractor caught my eye, and i got to see where he exactly lives and saw the tractor parked right up by the house w/ a tarp over it as it was raining that day, the ducks in the pond were having a blast. also looks like there were a couple of old chicken coops on the property as well, and some fruit trees that probably still bear some fruit. anyway keep the pics coming brings back some memories for me.

 

[stevem5215]

We had the same situation here. We bought the farmers house even. And I got his tractor too. A Ford 1900 that he towed over from the neighbors farm and resurrected back to life. He was 90 last year in Feb when he passed away. He had 160 acres here and sold it to a developer about 7 years ago. They've since had a auction and sold off the barn and old farm house to people who took them down and used the lumber for other things and the barn was dismantled by the amish and rebuilt. But we ended up with the 4 acres and the "park like setting" in the middle of the development. It really is a awesome thing. And I have a nice garden. Not the kind put in with a plow setup but it's still got the farmer installed electric fence from the cows protecting the veggies lol...

Grandpa Steve with Bridget on the farm lol

 

[ToadHill]

I've told this story before but bear with me. I had an older gentleman neighbor who owned 650 acres who I bought my land from. He had a couple old MF's that he farmed with. The MF85 was a tired machine and I rebuilt the engine for him. One day seversl years later I got my 8N stuck in a mudhole and went to see him to borrow one of his machines to get it out.

He tossed me the key to the 85 and said" You know I retired from farming and I don't use this one anymore, beside you wouldn't let me pay you anything for rebuilding the engine, so use it to pull out your tractor and when your done park it in your barn, and I'll know where it is if I need to borrow it. It goes with that last piece of land you bought from me."

His name was Stan, the Marines gave him a haircut in 1944 and he still had the same haircut style last summer when he passed away at 94.

 

[clemsonfor]

Sorry for pulling up an old thread but i found it in a search and just read the whole thing.

Man there are a lot of great stories in here. Im 28 and lov the older generation. I have 1 grandparent left who she left the that type life and went to college, her stories are really more modern type life stories she has a masters and so on and lived in the city after school and was a teacher. My did grew up on the farm, his mother just passed (my grandmother) 2 years ago she would still work her 50x100 foot or so garden by hoe and was weedless. Would split wood untill those last year or so. Would go to the woods with me when i lived with her my first year after college. I would cut the tree and limb it while she loaded wood. She would load all but the larget trunk pieces that i would load. The truck was 4wd chevy with a little lift im 6ft2' and tailgate is my waist or a little higher, she is 5 foot something 2 or 3 and she would throw it up there. My grandad died when i was in college and was stuck in his chair and a nursing home the last 2 years or so so i really dont have too many years where i really appreacited him. I still have many memories of him though just that by the time i hit highschool he was pretty much stuck in his chair. I hated that, he was a working man.
This side of the family was farmers untill my grandad got a job in the mill and kept the farm and mill job. He grew up on the farm that was 130 acres i still have that piece of land that has been in the family 200 years or so. Sadly i cant live on it (work is the other side of the state) but i do my best to maintain the land and keep the house up as my wife and i stay in it when i come to hunt each deer season, where i try to kill "big boy" as my grandmother calls the big ones. All i think by looking at the farm what they use to work and the sheds they built by hand no powertools, and all i can think of is how lazy i am, i am by for the bar hopping type who sits and watches sports or stuff all day. I love tv home remodeling shows and those logging crabbign types on history discvery (im a forester). i doo everything i can im my house from floring to fixing pretty much any engine mechanical failure i have built my wood shed this winter etc. Self taught myself to weld and do all these construction and mechanical knowlege (with inet help of course, some thanks to TBN)

Granddad lived what is now 25 mins from the mill but back before pavement was closer to 45-50 mins. Grandmom told me how she use to wake up and something like 3:something to get the wood stove started so she could feed him as he was out the door at 5am to be at the mill by 6. He got off by 2pm and was home i guess around 3pm and worked the farm with her till dark i guess, all the while he was at day job she farmed tended cows chickens and maintained the roads with an ax keepiing brushed out etc. Man what i would do to have them back now. My wife has no memories of her grands so she kind of adopted mine and was just as sad when my granmother died as she tried to learn everything she could from her.

Put some more pics about osacr and let us know how hes doing.

-Nate

 

[clemsonfor]

Oh the other thing i got a chuckle form is that i noticed that oscar is wearing a JD had even though he has had his ford since the late 40's. But like you said he not really into talking tractors and probly got it as something gave him or from buying parts or something for a jd dearler.

 

[clemsonfor]

Picture of my dads mom, my grandmother. One of her more favorite shirts favorite hat and her Garden in the background.

 

[JB4310]

Nate, and others
Sorry I haven't responded to this thread in a long time, first of all I have not been on TBN in a while, I have to work my small contracting business in season and find I get so wrapped up in TBN I spend to much time on it.

Second, I stopped posting to this thread cause I felt like I was going behind Oscar's back and he probably wouldn't have liked it. I started this thread just as a curiosity, 96 year old guy and his tractor. But I started to get close to him after awhile.
At first he didn't want any new friends but after some time he got use to me coming around, I would spend every Saturday with him for 2-3 hours, doing chores or just talking. He had the most incredible memory and some great stories.

Unfortunately, Oscars old body finally gave up 12/9/10, two months after his 97th Birthday, he spent a couple of short stints in the hospital this past year, got out from the first one in late spring and said he was all through with farming but after a couple weeks he was out plowing a small plot for corn and other veggies.
He never came home after his last visit to the hospital, just before Thanksgiving.

I'm really missing him now, I have acorn and butternut squash in my cellar that he grew this year. Still can't believe he's gone, just seemed like because he was around for so long he'd be here forever.
I really only knew him for just a couple of years but he will be forever in my memories.

Thanks to everyone who responded to this thread, it seemed to strike a nerve with many folks, it started out about an old man and an old tractor but I guess it was about much more than just that.

John,

Took this picture the day after he died, seems to tell it's own storey.

 

[77transam]

JB, is there anyway you can rescue/purchase that tractor? Sure would be nice to restore in memory of Oscar...great thread BTW, just finished reading it!:thumbsup:

 

[irvingj]

Yes, great thread, glad you started it. Very sad to hear that he's passed away. I suspect that your companionship may well have cheered him up some for his last years with us.

 

[gregsons]

That Last picture says alot. Looks like that tractor is missing it old friend.

I worked for a guy like him growing up. At that point he just hayed about 75-100 acers. Me and my buddie would unload that wagon and put it up in the barn. Then he would take us in the truck and we would deliver it to horse farms. he was about 82 YOA and could out work us anyday. I really think he just wanted someone to talk to. I loved his stories about the days gone by. Now when i go over to my folks house i drive by there and wish i could unload a few more wagons with him and hear all those stories.
The day he died i heard he kissed his wife walk out to the barn sat on a bale. They found him dead on a bale, when he didnt come in for lunch.
He was a good man.