For the tractor purist, this could be a very
scary story. But for those who enjoy a touch of whimsy, read
on!
Kathy Wimmer grew up in an International family. “My father and
grandfather had International tractors, which never really meant
anything to me until I got one myself,” she recalls. Her interest
helped her sister and brother-in-law with their tractors.
Inspired by their projects, Kathy found one of her own: a 1941
International Farmall H. “We restored my tractor that summer and
went to many shows over the next few years,” she says. By the time
a new millennium rolled around, though, that 20-year-old
restoration was showing its age. “It needed some minor repairs, new
tires and a paint job,” she says.
That’s when inspiration struck. In the summer of 2004, Kathy
decided to transform her Farmall H into the “Harvest Hollow”
tractor, a re-creation of a Franklin Mint model that came out in
1998. The most noteworthy aspect of that transformation? Orange
paint, not Farmall red. “When I told my family and friends of my
plans, they thought I would never do it,” she says.
With the help of her nephew, Kathy took on the prep work for a
new paint job. Six months later, she began painting. “After the
first coat of paint,” she says, “I knew I had made the right
choice.” Her Harvest Hollow tractor, complete with black cats, bats
and spooky lettering, made its debut at a local tractor show last
fall. “There were several very surprised people when they saw me
pull in with my newly restored tractor,” she says, “now bright
orange, and just in time for Halloween.”
– For more information: Kathy Wimmer, 5756
Princeton-Glendale Road, Hamilton, OH 45011.
