LEONARD A. WILCOXON of South Charleston, West Virginia, known to
his many friends as ‘Coxie,’ died May 12 at the age of 73.
He was a steam buff since as a small boy living in the country, he
would run to meet the big engines as they came to thresh the wheat
on his grandfather’s farm. He was a member of several
associations and attended many of the meetings and for many years
was a subscriber to the Iron-Men Magazine. Coxie was a model maker,
being the owner of a machinery shop, he made many of his own parts
of brass, copper and bronze. Among his many working models is a
Corliss, which has a generator, and lights surrounding it,
including a sign, ‘South Charleston Power & Light.’ He
was in the process of finishing a 2′ Case tractor. He made the
boiler and was able to hold 300 lbs. of air pressure. It was all
finished except putting on the wheels. He was also a craftsman,
using walnut and native West Virginia cherry in making beautiful
furniture for his family. Together, we both enjoyed going to the
meets and talking steam with everyone.
Submitted by his wife, Thelma.
MARK A. HUTTON, age 64, of Franklin, Tennessee, died at Veterans
Hospital at Nashville, Tennessee on May 23, 1977, after a long
illness. He was very interested in steam, his father having owned a
12 HP Advance Engine and Separator, which was sold to the late
Justin Hingten. He often talked of his father taking him when a
small child and putting him on the water tank of the engine and
letting him ride from farm to farm when threshing. He gave a
valuable collection of steam literature and out of print books that
cannot be duplicated to different libraries. He corresponded with
lots of people in regard to steam traction engines, separators, and
railroad locomotives. At Christmas time he always gave his friends
a valuable book.
Mark was a member of the Tennessee-Kentucky Threshermens
Association, the Bluegrass Steam and Gas Engine Club of
Harradsburg, Kentucky and the Kentucky Railway Museum at
Louisville. Most of his adult life, he taught school. He served in
the U.S. Army in World War II, and after the war, was an inspector
for North American Rockwell.
He had a kindly feeling toward all animals, and spent quite a
bit of money feeding and taking care of them. Mark had a heart as
big as all outdoors.
His relatives and many friends will miss this kind and gentle
man.
Submitted by Billy Byrd, 369 S. Harrig Street, Madisonville,
Kentucky 42431.
JOHN W. EICKMANN, 87, of 525 Guetting Avenue, Edwardsville,
Illinois died June 22 after a lengthy illness. He worked as a
machinist for the N. O. Nelson Company for many years and would
often run a traction engine in a threshing run when on his
vacation. He started running traction engines as a young man and
living on the farm. He was a subscriber to the Iron-Men Album for
many years and built four small model stationary steam engines. He
was an expert on setting valves and was called on to work on the
large engine that powered the Nelson Plant. He attended the
Pinckneyville, Illinois reunion every year and before that went to
the Pontiac, Illinois shows. He will be greatly missed by relatives
and friends.
Submitted by Oscar E. Buescher, R. D. 8, Box 189, Edwardsville,
Illinois 62025.
HAROLD GAY, age 64 of 633 Cleveland Street, Decatur, Indiana
passed away June 17, at Lutheran Hospital in Ft. Wayne following a
brief illness after suffering a stroke. He was a projectionist for
45 years in theaters in Decatur and Ft. Wayne. He was also part
owner in the operation of Gay’s Mobile Station for 19 years at
Decatur. He was a director of National Thresher Assn. for 25 years
at Wauseon, Ohio. He was also Master of Ceremonies at that show for
several years. He was well known at steam shows in Indiana and
Ohio.
Submitted by Frank Miller, Route 3, Kewanna, Indiana 46939.
RALPH COOK FULLER, 85, died June 25, 1977. Ralph was born and
buried near Glasco, Kansas. He was a graduate of the Clarke School
of Engineering and ran his own steam engine as early as when he was
eighteen years old. He was a veteran of World War I serving time in
the Panama Zone and consequently deserved a military funeral. He
was known by many for his undying interest in all manner of steam
engines and gasoline engines. Many readers of the Album read his
article and he was known by many more from the reunions which he
attended. We will all sorely miss him.
Submitted by Gregory Hoesli, C/O Rex Rice, Delphos, Kansas
67436.
