Tractor Cruise

The Glen Elder Lions Club Tractor Cruise has been touring Mitchell County since 2006. On Saturday, 29 tractors, drivers and support personnel met for the 18th annual event at Hopewell Church on the north shore of Waconda Lake. The church has been the starting point of the Tractor Cruise for the past several years.

By 8 a.m., the area around the church was filled with tractors of many colors, Farmall red, Ford gray, Centaur yellow, Minneapolis Moline yellow, John Deere green, Oliver green and Case tan and orange.  Some were shiny, some a bit rusty.

Most of the 29 drivers of those tractors have been regular attendees of the event. How long? "Years" said Larry Feldmann, Athol. Feldmann was driving a MAA Ford. His cousin, Robert Feldman, Smith Center, came with an 800 Case. Justin Zimmerman, Smith Center, brought a 1947 Super H Farmall.

Leroy Quade, Salina, has attended "pretty near all" the cruises. He was driving a 1947 Gambles Farm Crest Cockshut tractor originally purchased in Beloit. "That rusty one over there."  He has other tractors and admits to being "a collector."

Virgil Jeardoe, Cawker City, is not a collector. His 1947 Farmall M was his first tractor and is his "one and only" tractor.  The tractor is used every day. Larry Angell, Cawker City, has attended "before."  This year he brought a Centaur 1949 Ohio Mower Tractor to the cruise. 

From Glen Elder, Roy Winkle, has attended "almost" all the cruises. This year he was driving a 4010 John Deere. Father and son duo, Leon Wagner, Ionia, and Chase Wagner, Victoria, also drive John Deere tractors, a 4010 and a B respectively.

Several tractors carried U.S. flags – some small some large. Dan Emmott, Beloit, and his John Deere AR carried a full-sized flag as did the 4010 John Deere driven by David Dobratz, Council Grove. Both men have participated multiple times in the tractor cruise.

Flying small U. S. flags was Leon Wright from Claremore, Okla-homa. He and his wife, Shirley Slate Wright, came the farthest to attend the event. Leon Wright was driving a Minneapolis Moline 2. Shirley grew up in the area and is the sister of organizer, Jim Slate.

Twenty-eight of the drivers were men, Betty Brown, Glen Elder, was the lone woman driving a tractor. She has participated before and this year drove a tricycle front end Farmall H. Rodney Howard, Burr Oak, also was driving an H but his was a wide-front end.  Betty's husband, Leo Brown, was driving a Farmall M.

The cruise left the church area, led by organizer Jim Slate, Glen Elder, on a bright yellow Case. The cruise moved through some of the campground areas then toured a bit of Glen Elder before heading to Beloit.  The destination there was the Fort Hays Tech North Central Campus. After a tour of campus, the group had lunch before heading back to Waconda Lake.

This year's event honored the late Jr. VanderGiesen. VanderGiesen, Smith Center, had been involved with the Tractor Cruise "from the get-go" according to organizer, Jim Slate, Glen Elder. During the driver's meeting, VanderGiesen was recognized with brief comments by Kerma Crouse. The remembrance included the Pledge of Allegiance, in recognition of the United States flags that always flew on VanderGiesen's John Deere tractor.

Plans are underway for next year's event. The 19th Tractor Cruise will meet at the Hopewell Church at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 30.