HENRY BRANNOLTE died at his home in Wisner, Nebraska on November
17, 1980 when his house was destroyed by fire.
In 1926 Henry purchased a used airplane named
‘Travelair’, manufactured in Wichita, Kansas at a plant
which later was bought out by Cessna. The light blue plane was
number 1800 and had an all steel framework fuselage. He had. a
Henry started barnstorming in 1927 as well as stunt flying in
Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota.
Henry sold his airplane in 1928 and devoted his entire time to
blacksmithing and carpentry. At times he made intricate machine
parts that were hard to buy. He owned several automobiles but
preferred to ride a motorcycle.
Henry began collecting old machinery and antiques that people
had discarded. He preferred to trade his work for old things folks
were not using any more, but would charge reasonable rates when
necessary.
He owned two Reeves engines, #7381 and #7720, both of which were
20 HP, simple. They are pictured and described on pages 73 and 74
of my book ‘Historical Stories about Reeves Engines.’
Henry bought these steam engines in his own neighborhood in the
1930s and drove them home. I offered to buy his engines at one time
and he replied that he couldn’t sell them as his cabin was
anchored to them to keep it from blowing away. He worried during
World War II that the government might confiscate his steam engines
for scrap iron.
When I went to the sale of his antiques in December, 1980, I
found that Henry had wrapped his Reeves engines in oil and boxes,
protecting them from the elements to the extent that they were
about as good as new.
Henry liked living along among nature in his later years and
enjoyed showing off his antiques to all interested. He never
believed in the new fangled things of today.
It is strange to say that this man who courted disaster in the
skies of his youth found it in the peace and quiet of his own home
when it was destroyed by fire.
Submitted by Haston L. St. Clair, Box 140-A, Holden,
Missouri 64040.
JOHN FLOYD KING, 70, Kings, Illinois, died March 28, 1981, at
9:45 p.m. from a massive heart attack at his lifetime home where he
was born. His sudden death came as a great shock to his family,
neighbors, friends and steam show associates. He was a member of
First United Presbyterian Church of Kings, and a charter member of
North Central Illinois Steam Power Show, which he helped organize.
The annual steam show was held on the King farm several years prior
to 1974, at which time the annual show was moved to a permanent
site at Hickory-Oaks Farm, two miles east of Davis Junction,
Illinois.
Mr. King, commonly known as Floyd, was a lifetime farmer until
his retirement from farm work about four years ago. He was the
fourth King generation farmer tilling the King Centennial Farm. His
son, Dale King, is now farming the ground. Early in life the King
families farmed with steam engines and did their threshing that
way. Floyd always enjoyed the sound of steam engines and the
whistles. He was the operator of George Hedtke’s 50 HP Case
steam engine annually at steam shows since 1962. Floyd will be
greatly missed by his family members, the North Central Illinois
Steam Power Show membership group, and others who learned to know
him through steam show reunions throughout many states.
Submitted by Emit Svanda, Box 111, Davis Junction, Illinois
61020
CURTIS B. CORBIN, 66, died March 16, 1981 after a short illness.
A native of Adams, Kentucky, he was a retired truck driver for
Time/D.C. He was a member of the Methodist Church and the
Tennessee-Kentucky Threshermens Association. After retiring, Curt
drove the lowboy and hauled the engines for our show. He was one of
the best in the business and a great help in operating the engines
and keeping them running. He was raised on steam as his father
owned a 13 HP Nichols & Shepard engine. He lived on a farm
until starting to work for the trucking company. One time he was 22
hours hauling a 65 Case engine to the show because of break downs.
After unloading the engine he was helping at the saw mill. He was
truly an iron man. He was a Mason, member of both York and Scottish
Rites, the Eastern Star and Al Menah Shrine Temple. He drove the
van for carrying crippled children to and from the Shrine Hospital
at Lexington, Kentucky, which was close to his heart. As the
Shriners say, ‘No man ever stood so tall as when he stoops to
pick up a crippled child. He will be missed by his family, to whom
he was devoted, his church, his Masonic affiliations, this
association to whom he gave so much and his many friends.
Submitted by Billy M. Byrd, 369 S. Harrig Street,
Madisonville, Kentucky 42431.
