Branch 158 is a member of the Early Day Gas Engine and Tractor
Assn., Inc.
Individual dues for principal members are $25.00 per year. Dues
for auxiliary members are $17.00 each per year. Spouses and dependent
children from 12 to 18 years old of principal members are considered
auxiliary members. New members joining during each membership
period will be considered members through the end of that period.
Those with membership in a different EDGE & TA branch, may
join Branch 158 with full membership privileges for $17.00 per
year along with proof of membership (i.e., photocopy of card)
in the other branch. Dues become due and payable on January 1st
and are delinquent if not paid by April 15th.
Dues may be paid at the Annual Meeting or by mailing a check payable
to EDGE&TA, Branch 158 along with a stamped, self-addressed
envelope to Secretary-Treasurer Sue Westwood, 310 Cross St., Woodland,
CA 95695.
The Baling Wire is the official newsletter of Branch 158. It provides members with reports of past events, calendar of coming events, letters, ads, club information, and tips for the restoration and preservation of vintage farm, mining, construction, and related machinery. There is no charge for ads in the Baling Wire. All ads must be related to antique engines/tractors. For sale ads will be accepted from anyone, regardless of EDGE & TA membership. Wanted ads will be accepted only from EDGE & TA members. Your input for the Baling Wire is most welcome. Send to John Boehm, Editor, 14151 County Road 98A, Woodland, CA 95695-9134; e-mail: rustyacres@yahoo.com.
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Important Dues Information
A reminder that your dues are now due and payable. This will cover your membership for the period from April 1, 2024 to April 1, 2025. Dues may be paid at the Annual Meeting or sent to Secretary-Treasurer Sue Westwood (see above)
2024 BRANCH 158 DIRECTORS
AND CLUB OFFICERS
President
Kathy Boehm 530-383-7305 quiltnurs@yahoo.com
Vice President
Ed Morris 530-908-0353 emorris_23@sbcglobal.net
Secretary-Treasurer
Sue Westwood 530-304-4735 swestwood@carbahalcpa.com
Editor
John Boehm 530-867-5886 rustyacres@yahoo.com
Safety Director
Dave Honer 530-681-2694 honer1946@hotmail.com
Directors
Pat Garrison 530-867-4210 pmgarrison1@pacbell.net
Brian Barnett 530-908-4242 bwbarnett49@gmail.com
Branch 158 Coming Events
Fun Day/Open Shop and Potluck
This year's Branch 158 fun day/open barn and shop will be at Jerry Minatre’s rice farm. He has an interesting collection of old tractors, trucks, farm machinery, boats, cars, motor homes, and other items. This is planned to be a morning of fun and learning, followed by a pot-luck barbecue for lunch. The date is set for Saturday, September 21, 2024 at 9311 Power Line Road, Sacramento 95837. The location is a few miles north of the Sacramento International Airport. Google Maps and most GPS locate it accurately. We will start at 9 am and the barbecue will be about 11:30 am. Hamburgers, condiments, and bottled water will be supplied. Please bring a side dish and any other liquid refreshment. It will be for EDGETA members only. For more information, please call John Boehm 530-867-5886 or rustyacres@yahoo.com.
Bob Hinds Plow Day
The Rio Linda Elverta Historical Society and EDGT&TA Br 158 Woodland will be having the Bob Hinds Plow Day at the Dry Creek Ranch House 6852 Dry Creek Road Rio Linda 95673. There will be fields to plow and space to run Hit and Miss Engines. It will start October 12th at 8:00am and run throughout the day. Dry Camping is available. Contact Jason Green at 916-716-6845 or John Boehm at 530-867-5886.
Yolo-Capay Tractor Ride
Branch 158’s Fall Tractor Ride will
be on Sunday, October 20, 2024. We will be able to make an extended
rest stop at the Cache Creek Nature Preserve as it is closed Saturdays
and open Sundays. Come enjoy a pleasant drive through beautiful
farming country.
We will meet at John and Kathy Boehm’s place at 14151 County
Road 98A, Woodland 95695 (about 1/2 mile east of the town of Yolo).
There is plenty of room to park your trucks and trailers. Be there
by 8 am to unload and attend the safety meeting before we leave
about 8:30 for the ride. We will have our lunch stop at the Road
Trip Bar and Grill in Capay. The total ride distance will be around
28 miles.
This event is sponsored by Branch 158. All drivers must have a
valid driver’s license and show proof of membership in any
branch of EDGETA in order to participate. All tractors are subject
to a safety inspection and must have a kill switch, working brakes,
a slow moving vehicle safety triangle, a fire extinguisher, and
a minimum speed of 10 miles per hour. NO riders unless they are
in a seat designed for them and approved by the Branch 158 Safety
Director. For more information, contact John Boehm 530-867-5886
or rustyacres@yahoo.com
Remembrance
By Wilbur Reil
Back in the 70’s I had just picked up my first two engines
(a 5HP Galloway from my grandfather’s estate and an 8 hp
Economy from my neighbor). A family of a wife and 4 kids in school
and a fairly new job did not leave too much extra time or money
for me. However, I liked to go deer hunting in the fall. One week
my father in law and I were hunting on Table Mountain out of Oroville.
On the way back to his place we went through East Biggs. We were
talking about old engines and he asked where I might find them.
As we passed a little farm I pointed and said in a place like
that. I then pulled into the driveway. An older gentleman came
out of the house and we got to talking about the old tractor he
had hitched to a plow. I then asked him if he had any old flywheel
engines. He said he did have but he had just sold it to his neighbor.
Just my luck. Any way he said it was still there so we went over
and looked at the 4 HP headless Witte. After looking it over and
finding it complete except for the buzz coil I said “Too
bad it’s sold. I’d would have given you $20 for it.”
His face lit up and he said I’ll sell it to you for $20.
We loaded it up and I became the proud owner of another engine.
Anyone collecting engines now would say I robbed the old gentleman
but at that time old engines were considered junk by most farmers.
Not worth much more than scrap and even sometimes less than scrap
because you had to load and then haul to the scrap yard. My wage
then was less than 10% of what is being paid today. The house
we bought in Davis for $20,000 in 1970 now is 20 times that amount.
Who can predict the future? I have not considered my hobby as
a financial investment. I am in it for the enjoyment as my primary
goal. The hunt, the purchase, the restoration, the showing and,
yes, even the swapping or selling has brought me much pleasure
over the years.
Safety During Tractor Rides
We all enjoy our tractor rides. It is fun to get out and see the
countryside at 8 miles an hour!
But there are dangers in driving our older equipment. Most tractors
are designed and built for one driver only. Creative owners sometimes
add another seat for a passenger, and often these seats are not
safely installed. The safety requirements from our national organization
are that any auxiliary seats MUST be permanently and rigidly installed
to the tractor and a seat belt MUST be provided for the passenger.
Any tractors driven at our Branch 158 rides with an auxiliary
seat will be inspected by the safety director prior to beginning
the ride. If your tractor does not meet the national requirements,
you will not be able to participate in the ride.
Additionally, all participants in Branch 158 tractor rides MUST
be members of EDGETA, including passengers.
These requirements are meant to ensure the safety of all participants
in our rides.
President's Message
Hello Everyone,
I hope you have survived the dog days of July's heat. It
is now August and we have some events coming up that need your
participation. First up, is the Cruising into the
Next Chapter car show, which is a benefit for the Yolo Branch
Library. This is a good opportunity to show your engines
and tractors and also see some great classic cars and trucks.
Then we have the Open Barn day in September followed by
the Yolo-Capay tractor ride in October. All fun events!
Stay cool and Be safe!
Kathy Boehm
President Yolo Antique Power
Gerald “Gus” Gustafson
1947-2023
Gerald "Gus" Gustafson
passed away unexpectedly in his sleep on March 5, 2023. He was
born on November 22, 1947 in Woodland, moving to Grimes at a young
age. Gus graduated from Pierce High School in 1965 and attended
Yuba College. In his early school years, Gus would watch the big
rigs drive by. His early fascination evolved into a lifelong love
of big rigs.
Gus worked as a truck driver and eventually purchased his own
truck. He enjoyed working on engines and restoring hot rods. This
love continued as a pit crew member for Hard Top Car Racing at
West Capital Speedway. Gus' greatest passion (other than all his
girls), was his collection of vintage gas pumps, high boy oil
pumps, porcelain and neon signs. Gus was very proud of his collection
and enjoyed sharing the history with others. Gus displayed his
collection at events, including many years at the Yolo County
Fair, Colusa County Fair and the Poor Boys Midnight Mass. Gus
called it Showtime!
Gus is survived by his wife Vickie, daughters, Kelly (Daniel)
Fahey, Kimmi (Jason) Meistrell and Michelle Scott, three grandchildren,
Olivia Fahey, Alliyah Bautista and Cody Scott; sister Ardy (John)
Miller and brother Mark (Glenda) Gustafson, as well as many nephews
and nieces. He was preceded in death by his parents, Alvin and
Dolores Gustafson,A Celebration of Life was held on March 28,
2023 at Heidrick's Ag Museum, Woodland.
Stan Gladney
Stan Gladney passed away on February
24, 2021 after several days in the hospital fighting a stubborn
MRSA infection. Stan was 90 years old. Though not so active in
the past few years, he was member of both Branch 158 and Branch
13 of EDGE&TA and was actively involved in their shows as
well as the antique machinery displays at the California State
Fair. He collected and restored hit and miss engines and was the
go to man for figuring out timing and magneto problems. He is
survived by his wife, Nancy, his daughter, and several grandchildren
and great grandchildren. Stan grew up on the family farm near
Guinda in the Capay Valley, served in the US Army during the Korean
War, and worked at Crystal Creamery during his working years.
He was a good friend who will be missed by all of us.
Tractor Drives
By Wilbur Reil
Tractor drives of antique tractors continue to bring enjoyment
to collectors and riders in the Sacramento Valley. Many of the
tractors now being driven on these rides were made in the 1940’s
to 1970’s era. That makes the older tractors approaching
the average life expectancy of the driver on them. Seventy or
8o years and they still continue to run. I have had my McCormick
Deering OS 4 on most of the tractor drives we have had. On all
the drives it has travelled more than 2000 miles or the same distance
if it was driven from Sacramento, CA to St. Louis, MO.
We are blessed with many rural roads in Northern California. On
the west side of the Sacramento Valley we have Hwy I-5 a freeway
that replaced the old 99W. 99W remained as a frontage road and
runs in most places along I-5 from Woodland to Red Bluff. With
all the rural roads with very little traffic it is an ideal place
for slow moving tractors on public roads. Other drivers are used
to slow moving vehicles.
The initial Yolo to Red Bluff Endurance Run was the brainchild
of Floyd Percival in 2005. He wanted to drive the distance in
the spring to go to a Gas up in Red Bluff, a distance of 120 miles.
The drive proved successful but the down side was that vehicles
with trailers then needed to be driven there to haul people and
tractors back. Willows or Colusa are towns about half way and
both had motels. Colusa had a casino that gave us discounts and
perks for a couple of years. There are also several different
routes to return to Woodland so it became the overnight stop off.
Since 2006 the endurance run has been from Yolo to Colusa and
back.
There are three main routes to Colusa with some deviations of
each route. Yolo, Dunnigan, Arbuckle, Williams to Colusa is one
route. Another route is along the east side of the Sacramento
River through Meridian, and Knights Landing. The third route is
through Grimes on the west side of the Sacramento River.
The drive in the springtime is beautiful with all the wildflowers
in bloom. The drive is through farmland and part of a wildlife
refuge. Birds including lots of waterfowl are abundant. Farmland
is being worked and planted. Rice fields are being flooded and
planted by airplane. Sometimes you can wave to the crop dusters
that are planting the rice and they will waggle their wings to
say hi. Along the Sacramento River there are usually lots of boats
with both fishermen and water skiers to wave and sometimes holler
at.
Most of the drivers come from the Woodland, Sacramento and surrounding
area. We have had people join us from Nevada, Southern CA, and
the Bay Area. We cancelled the Yolo-Colusa Endurance run in both
2020 and 2021 due to Covid 19. Hopefully we can resume the drive
next year.
We pull a portable outhouse with us which allows us to travel
in very rural areas. Comfort stops along the route allows for
stretching and socializing. On some of the routes we take our
lunches.
Weather can sometimes throw us a curve in April. One year it was
cold and misty. Occasionally the north wind blows hard and can
be somewhat disagreeable. Usually the springtime weather in late
April is perfect. It is a wonderful time to be outdoors with not
a care in the world. Summertime drives can be a little warm .
We usually plan a route that can be cut short if it is too hot.
Branch 158 has held several one day tractor drives too. These
shorter rides usually are from 25 to 40 miles long. Past rides
have been in three different areas of Yolo County and surrounding
area. One route is from either Yolo or Zamora to Capay where we
have lunch at a restaurant and then back by a different route.
Another trip leaves from west of Davis to Winters and then back
along Putah Creek. The third route was in the Clarksburg area
in the Sacramento Delta.
One year on the Clarksburg drive we rode the cable ferry across
the slough to Grand Island. We had about 20 tractors and had lined
up in a row to get on the ferry. We did not realize there were
two lines so cars lined up on the other side and alternated getting
on the ferry. Going over we only had half the vehicles old tractors.
We figured it out so on the return trip the ferry was filled with
old tractors.
Do we have problems? Occasionally. I have been on almost all drives
driving a 1945 McCormick Deering OS 4. I try to keep the engine
and running gear up but it has never been painted thus it’s
name “The Rusty Bucket”. The fan belt broke one time.
Another time it started missing and then died. The magneto gave
out. I had it rebuilt and it runs much better now than it ever
did before. Both times I was towed in by another tractor on the
drive.
Other problems faced over the years by other drivers have been
a blowout of a rear tire, the front spindle crystallizing and
the front tire and spindle rolling off. Surprising the Ford did
not go down and gouge into the pavement and it could be driven
OK and loaded on a trailer. A back tire hub worked loose and the
whole wheel started moving out on the axle. A front axle bearing
froze up on a Farmall near a Napa store. With all the driver mechanics,
we had the bearing replaced in less than an hour. There were several
times tractors wouldn’t start and were either pull started
or pulled in. A few times someone has run out of gas. We carry
some extra. No one has ever been hurt on the drives.
Tractor drives have been enjoyable for me over many years. It
is great to see the old tractors perform and keep on performing.
It’s great to show off the restoration done. Many of the
old tractors were not built for comfort. There is no power steering.
I keep saying the manufacturer built the engine and running gear
to do a job. Then they said “oh yea, we need to attach a
seat for the driver”. Sometimes it’s hard to get on
or off them. It is amazing to me the amount of work farmers did
with the old tractors. I love to see them continue to run.
Editors Note: Many of you now know the
area around San Jose, CA as the densely populated Silicon Valley,
but before World War II, it had a thriving agricultural economy
and was a verdant land of walnut, prune, apricot, and cherry orchards.
It was so beautiful that it was then known as “The Valley
of the Heart’s Delight”. A good concise history of the
development of the Santa Clara area into Silicon Valley can be
found at https://interestingengineering.com/the-origin-story-of-silicon-valleyand-why-we-shouldnt-try-to-recreate-it
The account following was first printed about 30 years ago.
The Little Cletrac
By Locke Jorgenson
Reprinted from Branch 3 News
It took a circuitous route from the Cleveland Tractor Co. factory
by rail around the Great Lakes to Winnipeg, then south across
the plains to Topeka. At each railhead a few more of its identical
siblings were unloaded. The train went west next through the Rockies,
northwest to Portland and finally arrived in San Jose, California
in the spring of 1927. The Chairman of Bean Spray Company had
been at odds with Benjamin Holt and this year was selling Cletrac
rather than Caterpillar crawlers. Bean Co. made a full line of
sprayers and their own one cylinder engines, but had a display
room of tractors as well.
John Ellsworth was in his eighties. The fruit trees on his sixty
acres were mature and demanded more work now. He wished to turn
the whole business over to his son Fred, but first a new tractor
was needed. The old Titan of pre-World War I vintage was cumbersome,
clumsy and a "man killer" to start. It had been used
originally when the land was wheat, not orchard.
John and his son cranked up the Star and drove to San Jose and
for several hours haggled with the salesman. Finally, the sale
was completed. A Cletrac 20 with optional belt pulley was to be
delivered free for $865.00 cash. The bulldog Mack with its chain
drive and hard rubber tires took the good part of a day to carry
the tractor to its new owners in Saratoga. The first job demanded
of it was to pull the old Titan out of the shed to its final resting
place under a one hundred year old oak.
The prune and apricot trees were on the slopes, the cherry and
walnut trees on the twenty acres of level land close to the house.
The orchards were disced twice a year and dragged smooth just
before each harvest. The drag was simply a redwood plank weighted
with rocks from the creek. Dragging made picking easier off the
ground for prunes and walnuts and for a level surface for the
ladder pickers on the cherries and apricots.
It was the walnuts which required the most work from the Cletrac.
The walnut trees had to be irrigated. This was accomplished by
pulling a heavy V-shaped plow down the center of a row making
a two foot by one foot dike. Like contour lines on a map the dikes
had to connect to hold the water. At each meeting point the driver
had to dismount and winch up the plow, drive to the next starting
point and lower the plow. When they were complete, the temporary
holding ponds were ready for water. The tractor was backed up
to the creek bank and a flat belt connected from the drive pulley
behind the seat to the big centrifugal pump on the water's edge.
A six inch pipe carried water from the deep hole in the creek,
which doubled as a swimming hole, to the trees. Often trout would
be sucked right through the plumbing into the small lakes around
the trees and a little girl could be seen picking up fish to take
home to her mother, Fred's sister, for a special dinner treat.
For a full week the "20" ran at full throttle pumping
water. A model T gas tank tied on the crawler track served as
an auxiliary fuel tank to allow the engine to run at night without
refueling.
At harvest time the walnuts had to be
shaken from the trees. The tractor was backed up to a tree, and
the flat pulley was replaced with an eccentric one. A like pulley
was attached to the tree trunk with a chain wrapped in leather
and the belt pulled tight. At half engine speed, the tree would
give up every nut. Each tree was shaken and picked in turn so
as not to run over any of the bounty.
The Cletrac worked for nearly thirty years, through the depression
years, and the second World War. There was an endless list of
chores for it. If it wasn't pulling out stumps from dead trees,
it was pulling the sprayer through the orchards to rid the fruit
of insects or fungi. It pulled the neighbors' 1935 Ford out of
the creek one winter when the driver picked a poor crossing spot.
If a fellow orchardist needed help it was there to assist. One
spring the discing was delayed a week. The family cat "Lady
Claire" had her kittens in the tractor tool box. Work resumed
as soon a more suitable nursery was found.
At first light on a spring morning in 1953 the putt-putta-putta­putt
could be heard as the Cletrac pulled the six foot offset disc
down the rows of trees near the house. A small boy was soon out
to watch and see the machine which was making the noise. The four
cylinders labored at each turn at the end of a row, the brakes
squeaked as they assisted the turn, then the sound faded until
the turn was made at the far end of the row. Then back again in
a few minutes it came, the driver always conscious of the boy.
One day the boy heard a pounding coming from the tractor shed.
Upon his arrival there he found his great uncle Fred trying to
loosen a large bolt on the tractor axle. No amount of leverage
seemed to loosen the stubborn bolt. The boy asked if he could
help. He took the wrench, flipped it over and quickly unscrewed
the bolt. "It's left-handed thread" said the boy to
his uncle. His great uncle replied, "I am too old for this
anymore."
It was 1956. The profits were low on the fruit and walnuts due
to competition from growers in the San Joaquin Valley and property
taxes in Santa Clara County were higher each year. The land was
sold for the Merrivale Subdivision for what seemed then a lot
of money. The trees were bulldozed one by one into piles and burned.
A few veterans were saved to die a slow death in the overwatered
front yard of a new house or to be filled full of nails for a
kid's tree house in the back yard.
Only three acres and the home were saved from the developer. The
tractor was stolen, taken right out of the shed without anyone
hearing a sound! Perhaps it was stolen by one of the men surveying
the land, or by a construction worker or a thief who know the
value of the machine. It was never seen again.
Author's Note: This tale, originally written for an English assignment,
is a compilation of several people and events. The little girl,
however, was really my mother, and I was the boy standing at the
end of the row who got a wave and a wink from the man on the little
Cletrac.
Like us on Facebook!
Branch 158 is on Facebook with a group page devoted to the club.
When you are on Facebook, just type “Yolo Antique Power Association”
into the search bar and you will find our group page. Please join
the group so you can post about our events and share your photos
of them with us. In other words, Like us on Facebook!
Plow Day 2015
Branch 158 Fall Plow Day 2015
Our Ninth Annual Plow Day was successfully
held on November 7, 2015 at the Beeman Ranch on Road 95 west of
Woodland. We had some rain about a week before, but the heavy
clay ground was still a bit too dry for ideal plowing. At least
this year, we were on safflower stubble, so we did not have any
plugging problems. We plowed a lot more ground than last year
and there was enough good ground to satisfy all who showed up.
In addition to plowing, we also did some disking and dragging.
We would like to thank Greg Rieff, who is currently farming this
land, for allowing us to dig up the soil a little bit. He appreciated
that we opened up a bit of ground for him to seed for his haying
operation. Greg also loaned us his forklift. Thanks also to Wilbur
Reil for providing the signage as the field was a good distance
from the road. Thanks to Mike Cristler for arranging the use of
the land. See you out here again next year as this is a well received
hands on event that is quite different from the rest of our show
schedule.
Below: Plow Day 2015 Photos by Howard Hatshek
Plow Day 2014
Plow Day 2013
Branch 158 Plow Day November 2012
Branch 158 Plow Day 2010
Branch 158 hosted a very successful Plow Day on Nov 13, 2010. Three perfects! - The location at Silmer Scheidel’s ranch in Pleasant Grove, the weather, cool and sunny, and the soil, with just the right amount of moisture. No count, but there were 30 to 40 tractors present and about 60 acres were plowed and disked. Photos courtesy of Wilbur Reil
Joseph Lorenzo Freitas, Jr. was born
July 13, 1933 in St. Helena, CA. He died December 17, 2018. He
was born to Joseph Lorenzo, Sr and wife Lela. His brother William
preceeded him in death.
Joe graduated from Armijo High School in Fairfield, CA. He worked
at a gas station in high school where he also started doing car
repairs. He developed and used his outstanding mechanical abilities
throughout his life. Joe worked for tractor and farm equipment
dealerships in Fairfield, Petaluma, Red Bluff, and Woodland, CA.
For many years, he was the service manager for Woodland Tractor
in Woodland. He finished his career in the Service department
of Elm Ford in Woodland.
Joe met his wife, Donna, at church. They married in 1953 in Petaluma.
They raised three children, Richard, Melody, and Susan in Woodland.
He was active in church as a Sunday school teacher and deacon.
He also volunteered for many projects, such as maintaining the
buses. Joe and Donna helped to start a church related camp in
1964 in the high Sierras, Pilot Lake Camp. Joe served on the Board
of Directors. Joe volunteered for Woodland Christian School projects,
including digging trenches for construction with a backhoe.
Joe and Donna shared a love for animals. He loved cars, riding
motorcycles, fishing, hunting waterfowl, rebuilding and restoring
old tractors, and meeting up with his buddies at Starbucks. He
was a longtime member of Branch 158 Early Day Gas Engine and Tractor
Association.
Joe’s loving wife of 60 years, Donna, preceded him in death.
He is survived by his three children and five grandchildren.
Joe’s hard work ethic, friendly and kind manner, generosity,
and grateful spirit will be greatly missed.
Floyd Percival passed away February 13, 2010. He was born in Meeker, Oklahoma on December 22, 1926 and grew up on a farm near Shawnee, Oklahoma. Floyd's parents grew corn, grain, hogs, and cattle. With all the chores that needed to be done, Floyd certainly was not spoiled. By the time he was ten years old, he was out in the field with a pair of bib overalls and a team of mules. Floyd still had the overalls to the end, though I suspect they were a few sizes larger by then. The Dust Bowl hit Oklahoma hard, so in 1938, Floyd and his father left the farm and moved to Capay, California. He married his first wife, then in the mid 1940's, his sons, Wayne and Jerry were born. He found work on a pipeline, then at a copper mine in Arizona. But a big, hot hole in the ground and no trees was a bit too much and he soon found his way back to California. He worked at various ranches in the Madison area for the next fifteen years. For a time, he also had a gas station in Esparto. In 1958, Floyd was remarried to Augie and they had five daughters. In 1959, he started work as a mechanic for the City of Woodland. He retired in the mid 1980's as the foreman of the vehicle maintenance shop.
Floyd never forgot his roots in farming. He was introduced to collecting antique engines and tractors by Cliff Hardy. Floyd joined Branch 13 of the Early Day Gas Engine and Tractor Association shortly after it was formed in the mid 1970's. Over the years, he served as Vice President for three years, President for three years, and many more years on the board of directors. More recently, he was instrumental in founding of Branch 158 of the Early Day Gas Engine and Tractor Association. He had been on its board of directors since 2004. He was also a volunteer at the Heidrick Ag History Center.
I first met Floyd when I joined Branch 13 in 1979. Then when we moved to Woodland in 1992, I really got to know him better. I started going in to the morning coffee group at Denny's once in a while. Floyd was always there and welcomed and encouraged me to come. Today I am still not much of a mechanic, but was really a greenhorn back then. Floyd always had the time to willingly and patiently show me how to do the various jobs involved in bringing an old machine back to life. Floyd really became a mentor to me. More recently, I got a grain binder and a threshing machine for our shows. Once again, Floyd was the man with the needed knowledge to set up and operate them. He took his time to instruct me, but I think he had fun getting the old machines going, too. I know that we will all miss his vast store of knowledge, his tales of how things were done in the past, and his helpful encouragement.
Floyd was a quiet leader who could and did get things done. For many years he ran the antique machinery display at the California State Fair Farm, coordinating the display, supervising all the helpers, and putting on a good show for the spectators. He was not content to keep doing the same old shows over and over again. Not one to sit around, he challenged us often by pushing us to start new events and expand older ones. For instance, six years ago, he told us that he was going to go on a two day 120 mile tractor drive, whether or not we joined him. We thought he was crazy when he first proposed it, but he persisted, and this drive has now evolved into the Branch 158 Colusa Endurance Run. Those of us who have participated now realize how doable it really was and that it was not beyond our capabilities. We have repeated this ride every year since then.
Floyd did start to slow down some in the past few years as health problems started to take more of a toll on his body. But he was active and alert to the end, just the way he would have wanted it. Even though he could no longer drive due to failing eyesight, he was usually eager to ride along when I went to deliver or pick up another old tractor. He enjoyed seeing the countryside and sharing in the discovery of some new old iron. Two weeks before his death, we found another tractor that he was interested in buying. We were making plans to take a look at it, when we found out it already had just been sold, so that was one that got away. He still had projects he planned to complete, ideas for the shows, and words of advice and encouragement.
Floyd was one of my best friends. And one could not have asked for a better friend. He was always helpful. I have never seen him get mad at anyone. Upset, maybe, but not mad. Floyd may not have been rich in monetary terms, but he was rich in the knowledge that he had of people and things. He understood how people thought and knew when they were not being honest with him, but usually did not let on that he did. He had a wealth of knowledge about old time farming methods and tractor and equipment repair. This knowledge he was willing to share and we have all learned much from him over the years. Floyd was a great father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and a true friend who will be greatly missed.
