CLAUDE N. GAZELETT of Auxvasse, Missouri answered the call of
the Golden Whistle December 26, 1997, at the age of 101 years.
He was a farmer, steam ‘engineer,’ thresherman and saw
mill operator. He started running the sawmill at the age of 17. He
and his grandfather sawed the floor boards for the first Missouri
River Bridge at Jefferson City. They used walnut and oak for the
said, they had a large order for ash and hard maple for the
Garrison Machine works at Belleville, Illinois, for constructing
Belleville separators. During the depression he had an order for
$2000 worth of ties for the Wabash Railroad. He said he worked so
hard for that money he put it in the bank and never spent any of
it!
Claude was very active at various shows at a very late age. When
he was 98 he sawed a couple of logs at the Montgomery County Old
Threshers Show.
He lost his right hand about forty years ago in a sawmill
mishap, but that didn’t slow him down. He quickly learned to
use a hook. He was fond of steam engines and his favorite engines
were the Jumbo, Case and the Advance. He liked the Jumbo for the
road gear. He said it didn’t take him long to move on to the
next crop.
Claude will be missed by all who knew him and especially younger
engineers who learned a lot from him.
Submitted by Bob Hart, Box 93, High Hill, Missouri
63350.
