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Darren has many different shows that he aids in
organizing all across Central Illinois that cater to young FFA
members, older folks who just collect tractors, and others who use
their tractors as a workhorse. Saturday’s turnout was good
considering the warm weather and extra activities happening around
the county.
A frequent participant at tractor shows is Jon Wibben
from Hartsburg. Jon ‘s hobby of collecting old engines started as a
youngster while playing in a family member’s old shed with a dirt
floor, he recalls. This old engine was a Maytag washing machine
family heirloom that was handed down to him and started an over
40-year hobby of collecting various types of engines. Since it was
given to him, Jon has the old washing machine running and has it
displayed in a special room at home. While staring at all these old
engines that were bolted down on his trailer, he remembered and told
a story, bragging just a bit, that his late wife would travel around
with him as he displayed his engines and she could talk about and
tell the history of each one, just as well as he could!
Keep your eye out at the Logan County Fair or the
Apple & Pork Festival for Jon’s tent full of old engines or his
bright red truck that says “Grumpy” on the tailgate. However, never
fear, Jon is the sweetest, most polite gentleman who is full of
history, family stories and loves to show off his love for antique
engines.
Another couple that was enjoying showing off their lifelong
collections was Mike & Chris Dahms Allis-Chalmers (AC) lawnmowers.
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They had two of the six mowers they own with them at
Saturday’s tractor show. They proceeded to explain that each of the
six tractors all have a different job. One mows, one plows snow, one
digs up potatoes, one is used for plowing the garden and the last
one is just for fun!
Mike got into AC mowers because of his father who
bought a new AC in 1970. He has been collecting them more seriously
since he retired 15 years ago, and Chris admits that it’s a good way
to keep Mike entertained. Chris teased that she always has Mike wear
bright-colored shirts so that she can see him coming, or going back
and forth, back and forth, and back and forth….plowing and playing.
This lovely couple from Lincoln enjoys working together in their
garden and showing off their pristine-looking golden-yellow garden
tractors as much as they can.
If you want to see a collection of beautiful old tractors and learn
a wealth of history, Darren will be at the Logan County Fairgrounds'
west gate on June 29th for the Logan County Charity Tractor Drive at
8 am. Please contact him if you are interested in attending any of
the Antique Tractor Shows that he has coordinated.
[JA Hodgdon-Ruppel] |
