[AT] Lost my Dad

joehardy joehardy at epix.net
Wed Sep 23 18:55:52 PDT 2009


Rob; I know how you feel as I too lost my dad at the age of 76 back in '86. 
I often think about him whenever I'm working in my corner field. One time he 
& I seeded a field of buckwheat by hand. He taught me to use stakes  at the 
end of the field to guide our path so we would not leave any areas not 
seeded. When we got tired, we'd sit under a shade tree on the edge of the 
field and he would talk about working the horses around the large stones 
that couldn't be moved. He talked about a thresher machine his dad owned and 
he & his brothers would go to the neighbors farms and process the grain; 
bartering: two bushel for the farmer & one bushel for dad. They had a cider 
mill & done custom pressing. Dad was kept home from their one room school to 
help in the mill. His dad would argue with the truent officer as to why my 
dad was missing from school. Work to survive. That was the order of the day! 
My life has a hole in it that will be never filled! I loved my dad!
Joe Hardisky
Ryman Farm, Dallas, PA where I still ride the Farmall A that my dad gave me 
before he passed away......
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rob Wilson" <ro.wilson at att.net>
To: "'Antique tractor email discussion group'" 
<at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Monday, September 21, 2009 10:54 PM
Subject: [AT] Lost my Dad


> Well guys the man that inspired my interest in tractors and all things 
> rural
> has passed from this life. My Dad was only 74 and taken too soon. It was 
> him
> that introduced me to farming and "old" things when I was a youth and him
> that later rekindled that interest when he introduced me to Gene Dotson. I
> had my Grandpa's first tractor he ever bought a dilapidated 1944
> Allis-Chalmers C with a belly mounted sickle mower that my Grandma gave me
> when she moved off the farm. Probably thinking I was the only one that 
> would
> save it but unfortunately it sat outside under a tarp for far too many
> years. For Gene that restored it it was the worst looking parts tractor 
> he's
> ever seen. With a lot of prodding from my Dad and a great deal of work and
> tons more generosity from Gene the C sprang to life. I was so proud of 
> "my"
> tractor and my Dad was too he cried at seeing it restored after all those
> years of sitting. It had been 50 longs years since my Dad had taken a ride
> on the old C when on a Father's day about five years ago he took her for a
> ride around my backyard. My Grandma was there to see it too and she too 
> had
> a tear in her eye seeing it a color other than rust and actually running. 
> He
> told me stories of driving it to the neighbor's farm to watch the Saturday
> night wrestling and driving home in the dark with the C's headlamps 
> leading
> the way. I want to take this time to openly thank my Dad for all he did 
> and
> thank Gene for making my Dad so happy. For all you guys out there that 
> have
> lost your Dad's you probably know exactly how I feel and for all you guys
> who's Dad is still around do me and yourself a favor. Next time you see 
> him
> give him a big hug and tell him how much he means to you and how much you
> love him. Someday you won't be able to.
> Thanks for listening
> Rob Wilson son of Larry Wilson
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