This Is How They Roll
vBy Julie Eickhoff
WNAX and the Tri-State Old Iron Association have been hosting
an annual two-day tractor ride for twelve years. The route and breaks,
through South Dakota the first day and through Nebraska the second
day, vary each year, allowing the participants a variety of scenic
countryside. It’s a great way to take a break from life in the fast lane and
take in nature’s incredible beauty at 12 miles per hour.
The ride has become increasingly popular since it began and has a
limit of 200 tractor enthusiasts allowed. Many ladies have taken part,
either as a passenger on a tractor equipped for two or a driver of their
own tractor. I talked with a few ladies who attended this year’s ride
about their experience with tractors, this year’s ride and other rides
they have been in.
Marilyn Ashley
Marilyn Ashley, a Lindsay, Nebraska native, is not new to the twoday tractor ride, having taken part in it a handful of times. She’s always
liked tractors and remembers their family’s old Alyce Chalmers WC,
when she and her brother would sit on top of the flat gas tank and ride
along during daily chores.
She and her fiancée Virgil each drive their own tractor, taking
part in about five or six local rides through Iowa each year. She has a
1954 Farmall Super H with a blue cultivator, a tractor that she’s had
since approximately 2010. She explains that the red tractor and blue
cultivator combination tend to stand out in a group. Virgil opts for
green, driving a John Deere in the events. The longest ride they have
taken part in was taking part in three days of a seven-day trip across
Nebraska.
She enjoys being out in the open and taking in all the scenery the
rides have to offer. “I like talking to other people on the stops and
looking at the other tractors,” she explains. Visiting with the other
drivers allows an opportunity to learn from them, often sharing
trouble shooting tips and similar experiences. She views the two-day
ride as a short vacation for her and Virgil, giving them the chance to
visit another town and see its surrounding
countryside.
Grace Driver
Grace Driver, from
Hartington, Nebraska, took
part on her first ride in the
two-day tractor ride this year.
She drove her own tractor, a
1945 Farmall H, one of the
first antique tractors that her
grandfather bought.
She rode with several
family members. She and
both her grandfathers, her
father, older brother, older
sister and a cousin were in
the same group, along with
one of her grandfather’s
best friends. The motivation
22vHERVOICEvSEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018
from spectators along the route sticks in her memory. Along the route
during this ride, she smiled as she heard a stranger yell out to her,
“GIRL POWER!“
Laurel Driver
Laurel Driver, from Hartington, Nebraska, is Grace Driver’s sister.
She drove for the second time in the two-day ride, taking her grandpa’s
Farmall Super
M. Her grandpa,
Dale Harkness, is
the third owner
of the tractor. She
recalls the tractor
being driven
many times by
her grandpa,
brother, cousins,
and by her.
Though she
has not yet taken
part in any other
Grace Driver, Dale Driver, Laurel Driver, Lane Driver, and Darrel Driver
rides, she really
enjoys participating
in the two-day ride as a family. She reflects, “I think it is really cool that
I get to spend time with them driving tractors together.”
Karen Larsen
Karen Larsen, a Viborg, South Dakota native, was also new to this
year’s ride. She split the route with her brother, Randy Blunck, and
drove on Saturday while he drove on Friday. They used her Farmall M
for the trip, a restored tractor that her husband surprised her with on
Mother’s Day in 2009.
She takes part in one to two rides per year, having previously driven
the Midway tractor drive and the Hurley tractor drive. She explains
her favorite part in participating in rides, “Exactly how it is described,
viewing the world at 12 miles per hour. I love to look at the scenery, the
farms and the wild flowers and animals.”
She enjoyed her group of fellow drivers this year, taking part in the
first group, with
Rodger Harts as
the leader. “It kept
me on my toes.
It was fun to be
part of such a big
group of people
just enjoying their
hobby,” she states.
Randy Blunck and Karen Larsen