The Press-Dispatch
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A-4 Wednesday, July 24, 2019 The Press-Dispatch LOCAL Call: 812-354-8500 Email: news@pressdispatch.net or bring in a hard copy: 820 E. Poplar Street, Petersburg NEWS BRIEFS Tony Rothrock to perform Friday evening Tony Rothrock and Rhonda Bozikis on keyboards will be at the Village Inn, Friday evening from 6 -8 p.m. Veale Creek Theatre presents 'Sweeney Todd' The Veale Creek Theatre presents Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street on July 26 at 7:30 p.m., July 27 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and July 28 at 2 p.m. It is direct- ed by Tyler Simpson, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and based upon the book by Hugh Wheeler. Summer cook-off at VFW The Petersburg Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3587 is having a Summer Cook-Off on Saturday, July 27. Co- ney sauce, wings, baked beans, potato salad and pies are to be judged by those in attendance. The $5 plate gives those attending five votes to cast for their favor- ite dish. Judging will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. There will be great fun, food, friends and also mu- sic by Greg Peters from 8 to 10 p.m. Everyone is invit- ed to partake of the summer cook-off event. The eve- ning will benefit charities and veteran programs the post promotes. Pike County's Got Talent to showcase local performers The 4-H Council of Pike County and the Lions Club, of Petersburg and Winslow, will be presenting the sec- ond annual Pike County's Got Talent on Saturday, Ju- ly 27, from noon to 2 p.m. at the Pike County 4-H Fair. The contest will be at the stage in Hornady Park as part of the 4-H Fair festivities. Adult division is a coun- ty-only competition and the winners will receive a tro- phy for solo or group performances. Youth divisions will also receive trophies, but have the additional op- tion to advance to the Indiana State Fair Competition. More information, including applications, guidelines, rules and judging criteria, are available online at the Pike County 4-H Fair Facebook page or by calling the Pike County Extension Office at 812-354-6838. Fam- ily-friendly music is required. There will be karaoke for fun following the competition. Free Parent Cafe event at Oakland City Twp. Library Oakland City Columbia Township has partnered with Ireland Home Based Services for a free Parent Ca- fe event on Thursday, August 1, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The program is geared towards connecting parents in the area with community resources and ways to take some of the stress off parenting in the 21st cen- tury. The library will also offer a free program/activ- ity for children ages three and up during a portion of the event, so parents can listen without distraction. The event will then wrap up with a free meal for par- ticipants. Register is required. To register, call the library at 812-749 -3559 or message through Facebook. 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A lifetime's collection Stendal farmer displays more than 80 tractors at three-day show By Andy Heuring A lifetime of tractors were on dis- play over the weekend near Stendal. Erich Meyer, Jr., better known as Bud, had about 80 tractors he has accumu- lated over the last 70 or so years. Some he bought when he needed a new trac- tor, some he "rescued." Nearly all of them have a story. A story Bud is more than willing to tell. Like his first tractor, he bought it when he was eight years old with money he earned mowing. "I had an 18 -inch mower. I mowed the church cemetery and school yards. I could get that 18 -inch mower between the tombstones," said Meyer. The job al- so included him trimming around the tombstones. He said he would save his dimes by putting them in a beer can. Eventu- ally, he saved up three and half cans full of dimes. It was enough for him to buy his first tractor. It was a B Farmall he bought for $ 349 from Blesch Bros. He still has it. He also has a 1939 F20 McCor- mick Deering Farmall. While it isn't the same tractor that was his father's first tractor, it is the same model and year, fully restored. "I grew up under a 1020 and F20," said Meyer. Meyer has been farming nearly 150 acres along CR 800 E., between Old State Road 64 and Highway 64, since he was 15 years old. He became a full-time farmer by tragedy. He and his father, Erich, Sr., were out cutting timber when a tree broke in half and a limb from it hit his father and killed him. Bud was just 15 years old and a junior in high school. At the time, he was the only child of Erich, Sr. and Ola who was still liv- ing at home. So he grew up fast. He took over the farming and helped Ola milk cows until he graduated school. He still lives on the same homestead, farming much the same acreage and raising a few head of cattle. "The house I grew up in was right over there," said Meyer, pointing to an area just behind one of the barns where he keeps his tractors. Meyer worked for Old Ben Coal for 39 years. He started in the mainte- nance department and finished his career as an operator of Big Kate, which, at the time, was one of the larg- est shovels in the world. But he continued to farm. Now his grandson, Owen Kinker, who attends Southridge High School, is involved in FFA, (which was formerly know as Future Farmers of America). "He is real involved in farming and tractors," said Meyer proudly. "I help him out in the fields, do whatever needs to be done," said Keeker of working with his grandfa- ther. "I'll probably be farming right around here. I don't know if it will be full-time or not, but I'll be around here," said Keeker. Meyer's story about how he accu- mulated so many tractors has to do with trade-in values. "When you go to trade-in a tractor, they won't give you anything for them. So I just kept them," said Meyers. His wife, Sherry, fleshes that story out a little. "A lot of these were res- cued," said Sherry. Meyer said most of the larger trac- tors he uses or has used on the farm. He also has used several of the small yard tractors. Just putting them in place for the three-day show in his front yard was a monumental job. They parked 80 trac- tors in the shape of the International Harvester logo. Over the three days, people streamed in and talked with Meyer about his tractors, like fellow trac- tor enthusiast Gary Tooley. "This is great. It is amazing these are trac- tors he has used," said Tooley of the display. The tractors practically formed a maze you could walk through and see red tractor after red tractor, from the 1939 tractor of his father's to modern day tractors. For Meyer, they have been a way of life. An aerial view of Bud Meyer's tractor display with 80 tractors parked in the shape of International Harvester's IH logo. Owen Kinker, grandson of Bud Meyer, stands in front of a 1939 McCormick Deering Farmall that is the same model tractor as Bud's father used. READER GUIDE Subscriptions: Change of address: subscribers changing addresses will please give old address as well as new one along with phone number. We cannot guarantee prompt change unless this is done. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Press-Dispatch., P.O. Box 68, Petersburg, IN 47567-0068 or e-mail to subscribe@ pressdispatch.net. Subscription rates: One year: $31 for Pike County and all 475/476 zip codes; $34 in the state of Indiana; $51 elsewhere in the USA. Paid in advance. Subscriptions taken after noon on Friday will not receive a paper until the second edition after their subscription date. About us: Andy Heuring and John B. Heuring, Publishers Andy Heuring, Editor John B. Heuring, Adv. Mgr. Eric Gogel, Production Mgr. Monica Sinclair, Office Mgr. Dennis Marshall, Sports Editor Cindy Petty, Adv. Sales Pam Lemond, Adv. Sales Matt Haycraft, Adv. Designer • • • Published every Wednesday by the Pike County Publishing Co. Phone: 812-354-8500 820 E. Poplar St., P.O. Box 68, Petersburg, IN 47567-0068 • • • Entered in the Post Office in Petersburg, Indiana for transmission through the mails as Periodical Mail, postage paid at Petersburg, Indiana – published weekly. (USPS 205-620) Contact us: Phone: ................................................................... 812-354-8500 Fax: ....................................................................... 812-354-2014 Gary Tooley looks over one of nearly 80 tractors on display at Bud Meyer's Tractor Show last week on CR 800 E. near Stendal. The collection was almost entirely Farmall and International Harvester tractors.