Celebrating 50 Years

My parents were married in 1947 shortly after my father returned from military service in occupied Japan. In the summer of 1954 my father borrowed $500.00 from his parents and my mother borrowed $500.00 from her parents to buy a farm. Eight months later on May 25, 1955 on a farm near Udall Ks. my parents went to the basement with their two children. They emerged several hours later to find they had lost everything they owned in the worst tornado in Kansas history. My father picked up a hammer and started rebuilding, I never heard my parents complain about their loss. After the tornado they hung on and made things work. They later moved to Winfield Ks. where I grew up. In the fall of 1963 my parents had scraped together enough money to buy a new truck. It was the first new vehicle they ever owned. My father was so proud of it. I will never forget him telling me – I hope we are doing well enough now that we don’t have to use 18 year old trucks anymore. Maybe we can buy a new farm truck every 8 or 10 years now.
This year we are having a celebration of sorts. The “Red Ford” will start its 50th year of work. It is used on a regular basis. Three years ago it hauled 280 loads of dirt to reroute a terrace in a field. Two years ago it hauled 388 loads of dirt to reroute another terrace. If there is work to be done my father expects it to get done.
If you can’t tell, this is my fathers “Baby”. He has owned newer trucks and bigger trucks but this one has always been his favorite.
Used daily on the Schmidt farm in Winfield Kansas.
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My old supply sergeant at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO ended up in Winfield after he retired from the Army.

We communicated at Christmas time until a couple of years ago when he passed away. I think he may have been a Deputy Sheriff there at one time. Name was Kenyon Martens.
 
Thanks for sharing. Great pictures, makes a guy feel a little more grateful to be where he is when you hear a story like that. Quite a truck and quite a man.
 
And that's what happens when you treat something with respect - it is still here for you 50 years later. We had the exact same truck. I loved that thing. It was the only Ford allowed on the farm and it did us well.

Grandma had always driven Fords before she and my grandfather were married (2nd for both when dad was 19). He wouldn't hear of having one. We all got tired of holding the 49 Chevy in third gear with a load of wheat so she put her foot down and made him buy that truck. She was so proud of that truck.
 
Great story Roger..Its been a loyal and faithful servant for 50 years and you can tell that its been cared for....

We had a green 1962 F-600 with a 292 and a 4-2 speed...It was a good truck and got great fuel mileage..The country used to be full of them..
 
The Red Ford has 140,000 miles on it. It has made a few trips to western Kansas and Missouri to bring tractors home. Four generations of my family have hauled wheat with this truck. Grandparents, parents, my three sisters and I, my wife and two daughters have all driven it. We put it on LP Gas about 1970. My father is an LP man and has most everything on propane. The truck is well taken care of but it is also used, if it’s on this farm it has to earn its keep. As for the hat, my father is a Moline man through and through. But he will wear any hat that is free.
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Nice looking truck, you can tell it was well taken care of. Those single axle trucks were used here until the 80's.

My Grandparents and Mom left Kansas in 1953 because Grandad had heat strokes every summer. They lived there through the depression. They moved to Oregon. Grandparents name was Call, the family farmed between Cedar Vale and Winfield....James
 
I have my dad's '66 Ford grain truck, which i learned how to drive with. He took very good care of it, still gets used some every year.
 

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