HERMAN OSWALT, 13654 Bandy Road, Alliance, Ohio 44601 -Died last
July 28, 1974. Of all the books and magazines he read the Iron-Men
Album was his favorite. He got where he didn’t do much reading,
but he would read and look at that book over and over. He would
have attended all the steam engine doings no matter how far he
would have to travel – if he had been able. When he was a young
Submitted by Mrs. Herman Oswalt, 13654 Bandy Road, Alliance, Ohio
44601
ELMER R. LARSON, President of Western Minnesota Steam Threshers
Reunion died May 12, 1975. Mr. Larsen died of a heart attack
shortly after arriving at ‘Steamer Hill’ at Rollag,
Minnesota. Larson was elected President of WMSTR in June 1967 and
his knowledge in restoring old machiner and enthusiasm in promoting
projects at Steamer Hill has brought many permanent attractions to
the Annual Labor Day Show, considered one of the best in America.
He was known throughout the nation for his knowledge of early day
farm machinery, and his business firm in Fargo, North Dakota
restored machines for several Midwest reunions. He was 59. He moved
to the Fargo-Moorhead area in 1937 and worked at the Fargo Foundry
until he started Larson Welding & Machine Co. Elmer Larson
shall be greatly missed by all his fellow threshermen and family.
Submitted by Mrs. Jim Briden, Route 1, Box 292, Fargo, North Dakota
58102.
D.R. ‘DICK’ BARTMUS died on March 6, 1975 at St. Elmo,
Illinois. Dick was a charter member of the American Threshermen
Association and held the title of Honorary Chairman for many years.
He was a devoted member and was very active as long as his health
permitted. He will be greatly missed by all his friends in the
midwest. Submitted by George F. Bahre, Secretary, Coulterville,
Illinois 62237.
ARTHUR H. WELLER, Pekin, Indiana passed away June 6, 1975,
99 years of age. He would have been 100 in August. Mr.
Weller spent most of his life operating traction steam engine. He
operated several makes of engines including a four-wheel drive
Lansing engine. He was a subscriber to The Album for several years
and enjoyed the pictures and articles. His and his wife’s
picture was in the Fall issue of 1948 for their 50th Wedding
Anniversary. Submitted by Herbert H. Baker, Borden, Indiana
47106.
HENRY CHRISTGAU of Grand Meadow, Minnesota passed away May 21,
1975 at the age of 79. Krink was one of a vanishing breed of
self-taught super machinists, who could build or repair any
mechanism. He had a tri-state reputation for doing the jobs that
other shops couldn’t handle. In 1941 he built his first
operating percision scale model of a steam traction engine, a 1/6
scale Case. When the steam hobby began spreading rapidly, he built
two more beautiful 1/6 scale engines, an undermounted Avery and an
Advance Rumely and did the percision work on another small
undermounted Avery. In the late 50s and 60s he built three 1/2
scale percision models, giving due credit to some good help with
the heavy work, as he was still open for business to machine men
from everywhere. The three engines were Jesse McMiller’s 1/2
scale Advance Rumely, his own 1/2 scale undermounted Avery, and
James Sylling’s 1/2 scale Case. Anyone of these engines will
develop as much power as a two plow farm tractor. Courtesy of
Durward Steinmetz, route 1, Box 120, La Farge, Wisconsin 54639
RUDOLPH C. SHINHOLT, 65, of Jonesboro, Indiana, died June 16,
1975. He was a long time subscriber to The Iron Men Album, and was
truly a ‘steam engine man’. The former Secretary of the
Elwood Historical Club of Elwood Indiana, he was one of the first
organizers of the show and a member of some 17 years.
At age 7, he had the honor of sitting at the dinner table of the
adult engineers, a seldom seen sight, as women and children were
second to eat meals. That morning he had completely operated his
father’s engine while threshing wheat. At age 15, he was
operating one of the two rigs owned by his father, threshing many
area crops. He and his father would compare the acres harvested
each evening after supper. Rudolph often surpassed his father in
the work, which greatly pleased him.
The former owner of both a 40 HP and a 65 HP Case Engine, a Case
Separator, and a Water Wagon, he was very proud of the fact that
his engines were always in running condition and painted as they
had originally looked.
Rudolph C. Shinholt was a true ole time steamer, highly regarded
for his knowledge of, and ability with, machinery both old and new.
In his final tribute he was described as a master mechanic, and a
true friend of many.
‘Few men have walked God’s highways so lightly, yet left
such deep footprints’. Submitted by the family of Rudolph C.
Shinholt, 5477 S 150 E, Jonesboro, Indiana.
