BILL SLATTERY of Spearville, Kansas, died October 20, 1979. He
was 71 years of age. Mr. Slattery was a farmer all his life. His
spare time was devoted to antiques and collections of steam engines
and gas tractors. He was a charter member of the Antique Engine and
Threshers Association of Wichita and Bird City, Kansas and also a
member of Haviland, Kansas Association. He and his brothers staged
several old fashioned threshing bees at his farm for the past
years.
Submitted by his sister, Mrs. Luke Hipp, Wright, Kansas
67882.
LOREN M. WADE, 71 years, Tracy, California, died August 1, 1979.
He was a native of Ross, North Dakota, raised in Saskatchewan,
Canada. A member of Branch 13 Early Day Gas Engine & Tractor
Association, he resided in Tracy, California. In the depression
years of 1930 he became a professional wrestler. He stood 6′
3′ tall and weighed 245 pounds. He wrestled across this nation
billed as the ‘Masked Marvel’ and as ‘Danny McDonald.
He wrestled at Madison Square Gardens in New York City. His
opponents included ‘Man Mountain Dean’ and Ed
‘Strangler’ Lewis. He retired after five years on the
circuit and became a self-taught machinist with the Shell Oil Co.
Pipeline Pumping Plant. He was an expert on steam engines and he
used to power the oil pumps. He was promoted to mechanical
supervisor for 10 stations between Bakersfield and Martinez,
California. He retired in 1968 before the pipeline closed down.
During vacations in the 1950s he would travel to Chirikof Island
called the ‘Wild Cattle Island’ located in the Aleutians
near Kodiak, Alaska, and worked for his late uncle, Charlie
Waller.
While growing up in the Canadian Plain wheat fields his interest
was in steam engines. In 1950 he acquired a 1912 Case steam tractor
used for road work in Douglas County, Oregon, and also a 1911
Reeves steam tractor. The ‘jewel’ of his steam collection
was a 1922 Stanley steamer auto acquired from a cotton picker
developer in Coalinga, Georgia. His expertise also was in rifles.
He built and modified many. He also made several left-handed bolt
action rifles from scratch.
Memorials are requested in the form of contributions to the
Loren Wade Scholarship for Engineering, which he was denied, to be
given to deserving graduating seniors at Tracy High School. This
writer saw Loren’s steam, machinist and wrestling capabilities
and expresses his sorrow in the loss of this fine man of men.
Submitted by Louis Chapo, 2530 lone Street, Sacramento,
California 95821.
CLYDE F. McALLISTER, 65, passed away February 11, 1980, of a
heart attack after unloading logs at his home. Mac, as he was
better known by his friends, was a very hard-working man and was
never idle. He was an expert sawmill man, hammered saws and built
mills, etc. learning from his grandfather and father as taking over
operation of his father’s mill in 1935. He lived in Richfield,
Ohio from 1946 until 1969 moving to Jeromesville. McAllister’s
mill was one of the last steam operated sawmills in the state. Mac
was a member of the Ohio Association of Steam Engines. He appeared
in many steam shows across the state. His last show was at the
Huron County Fair in 1979 where he and his best friend, Lyle W.
Smith, sawed the siding for a century-old barn that was erected on
the grounds. Mac was a licensed stationary engineer and a great
friend and helper of the Amish. He would like to be remembered as a
man who helped his fellowman in any way he could.
Submitted by Ruth McAllister.
HAROLD PLUMMER passed away in Peoria, Illinois on December 30 of
medical complications. He was 85. He had been interested in
threshing machinery all his life. The first engine he ever ran was
a Heilman. Harold learned the trade of a carpenter and worked
around Peoria until he retired in 1952. He knew many of the old
machine men around Peoria. His hobby was photography and he took
many pictures of our hobbysome of which appeared in the Album.
Harold and I have spent many days hunting engines and repairing
them. I have the fondest memories of this man. For many years he
helped the late Clarence Johnson operate his 18 HP Advance Rumely
at the Mt. Pleasant show.
Submitted by Lyle Hoffmaster, 1845 Marion Road, Bucyrus,
Ohio 48820.
HERBERT N. MOEHRKE, 80, of 2508 Georgia Avenue, Sheboygan,
Wisconsin, died November 10, 1979 following a coronary. Herb was a
charter member of the Wisconsin Steam Antique Engine Club, which he
served as vice president for 27 years. He owned several steam
engines, gas tractors, and antique cars which he exhibited yearly
with his son, Danny. In addition, he was a member of the National
Association of Power Engineers. In his earlier years, he became
acquainted with steam engines when he threshed with his dad on
neighboring farms. Herb also was the chief engineer at Dillingham
Manufacturing Company from 1949 until his retirement in 1964.
Following his retirement, Herb devoted his entire life to
repairing and renovating steam engines, old gas tractors, and
antique cars. His reputation for excellent restoration ability is
well known throughout the nation. Music was another of his hobbies.
He enjoyed restoring old pump organs. He was a member of the male
choir of his church for the past 30 years.
Submitted by Mr. Gilbert Steinbrecker, Manitowoc, Wisconsin
54220.
WM. (BILL) SCHWARZENDREBER was the victim of an automobile
accident in Peoria, Illinois last December 21st. He was born in
Johnson County, Iowa and his family were threshermen of the area.
Bill retained a life-long interest in farm machineryhis favorite
being Port Huron. He owned a 19 HP Port Huron at his death. He had
previously operated a medical laboratory in Peoria for 30 years,
having retired in 1974. In the ranks of one’s friends,
Bill’s place will be hard to fill.
Submitted by Lyle Hoffmaster, 1845 Marion Road, Bucyrus,
Ohio 44820.
I wish to report at this time for all his good friends and
acquaintances that LYMAN COX of Clay City, Illinois passed away
December 20 at the age of 75. Lyman lived a long, adventurous vital
and hard-working life and ended his earthly passage with great
dignity and courage. He was, during the course of his life, a
thresherman, sawmiller, mechanic, truck driver, oil field worker,
house mover and a good family man and a true lover of life.
Lyman never amassed any great earthly fortune but he was
incalculably rich in friendship and serving. He truly lived by the
Golden Rule and became old only physically.
He was a former vice-president of the American Thresherman’s
Assoc. of Pinckneyville, Illinois, where he usually showed the
family 22 HP Keck-Gonnerman double. He always maintained, however,
that of all the steam engines and tractors he had operated the
30-60 Aultman-Taylor tractor was his favorite. He attended some of
the earliest reunions, especially the Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, and
Pontiac, Illinois, shows, and was a reader of the Iron-Men Album
and Engineers and Engines magazines almost from the beginning. His
knowledge of these machines was vast and irreplacable. Lyman is
greatly missed by his family and the Pinckneyville show will not be
the same without his sense of humor and inexhaustible wealth of
stories and reminiscences. Let’s hope that as the Golden Roll
lengthens the shows will continue and that the vital spirit will
never be lost.
I imagine Lyman, never being one to sit around long, has
probably turned in his robe and harp for overalls and some good
tools, and with his family and friends who have gone before is
having a heavenly time once more with the machines and people he
loved.
Submitted by John Cox, Carbondale, Illinois 62901.
HARVEY D. STUDEBAKER of R.D. 1, Portersville, Pennsylvania, age
81, passed away January 2,1980. He had shown a team of beautiful
light grey Percheron horses at the Northwestern Pennsylvania Steam
Engine and Old Equipment Association Show ‘Portersville
Puffers’ for a long time until forced to sell out by illness
and advancing years about four years ago. People with his knowlege
of and love for horses are a rarity these days. We will miss him
greatly.
July 10, 1979, EARL ENYART, 83, of Rochester, Indiana, met with
a tragic and fatal accident. He was pulling a heavy lawn roller
with his 8-N Ford tractor and the roller slid sidewise down a
4′ embankment into a ditch pulling the tractor with it. The
tractor rolled over top of him and killed him. He had had many
types of stationary steam engines, including the one I have now
which I bought from him. He loved to work with steam and was a
subscriber to Iron Men Album. He will be greatly missed.
Submitted by D. L. Decker, 503 S. Franklin, Mentone, Indiana
46539.
JOHN H. NAHRWOLD, 60, of New Haven, Indiana, died unexpectedly
on October 29, 1979, following a brief illness. He was a dairy and
grain farmer and attended St. Peters Lutheran Church, Ft. Wayne. He
was a charter member and a director of the Maumee Valley Antique
Steam and Gas Association, formerly the Old Time Threshers, Ft.
Wayne, Indiana. His main interest was steam engines, but he also
owned several gas tractors and other pieces of old farm machinery
which he enjoyed exhibiting. He enjoyed life and always had time to
help a friend or just to talk.
Submitted by Roger Schuller, Woodburn, Indiana
46797.
LLOYD F. SMITH, 85, of Collins, Ohio, passed away after a long
illness as a result of cancer. He was a retired farmer and owned
and operated a threshing rig for many years around the Collins
area. He also used steam. He subscribed to the Iron Men Album for
many years and was a past member of the Ohio Threshers Association.
He enjoyed going to steam shows, talking with the old-time steam
friends at Wauseon, Montpelier, Dover and Mansfield.
Submitted by Lyle W. Smith, Collins, Ohio 44826.
