[SS5150]

Thanks for all the kind thoughts everyone. It's been a difficult couple days, when we thought we were set, (on our way home after ordering the headstone) Mom & my brother & I went to the cemetery to look at the site, since I hadn't seen it yet. Dad wanted to be placed near his Parents if he could, so Mom bought 2 plots near them. Low and behold it was dug wrong! Mom was extremely upset, and the caretaker of the cemetery is out of town. Tried calling our priest, but couldn't get ahold of him.....BUT...I remembered he bought a new car where I work, and I called my boss and got his cell phone #, so I was able to get ahold of him. He was out of town visiting his sister, but when he heard our concerns, he left immediately to meet me there. Dad was one of the caretakers of the cemetery up until 2016, and Father felt that it needed to be right. He looked at the plot, and agreed it was unsuitable. We were able to move it 1 row over, thankfully, but still nearby his Parents. Such a relief.

Anyway, I've been reminiscing (sp) a lot the last couple days. 2 years ago the Red Power Roundup was only about 45 minutes away, so I took a vacation day and took him up there. We walked through the tractor display, and came up on a TX (tractor experimental) 5088. He looks at the sign the owner put up, and he's like "it's _______ ______? He was a customer of ours at Olson's". The owner's farm is in the next town over from where Olson's was. Olson's closed in '77. When he was still able to drive, he would visit the farms of guys he knew who bought equipment from them back in the day (keep in mind those guys are getting up there in years too) and stop and visit. He'd spend hours visiting with these guys sometimes.

Dad was really involved with the volunteer Fire Department here in town, spending 37 years. Dad, his brothers, and a cousin BUILT the department a Tanker out of an old milk truck in the late 60s. It was an IH of course. Back then the town just couldn't afford a new truck, (let alone have it outfitted for fire service) so they built a lot of their equipment themselves. We cared for the firehouse lawn & landscaping for most of the 80's (the 1650 got a workout). The firehouse was a 1/4 mile from the grade school, so Dad would load the 1650, a pushmower, and some rakes, shovels, etc after work, and I'd walk over after school to mow. The Dept finally took the last truck Dad serviced out of duty earlier this month, an early '80s GMC Brigadier chassis. The Dept got a new truck last Tuesday to replace it, and Mom took him down to the firehouse to see the new truck last Wednesday. She got his last picture that day.

Olds, I will most certainly need help with paint. I can do mechanical work, and I can get help here if I have a question, but I've never done any paint or bodywork. I appreciate the offer.

Sorry guys it got wordy, but I needed to share it. Thanks