A Family Affair

By Staff
Published on June 1, 1994
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Jim Bogedain and Dale Stevens at Local 602 's show in Anderson, Indiana.
Jim Bogedain and Dale Stevens at Local 602 's show in Anderson, Indiana.
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A display of our engines.
A display of our engines.
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'The Big 50,' made of steam engines circled by antique tractors, in preparation for NTA's 50th Reunion June 22-26, 1994, in Wauseon, Ohio.
'The Big 50,' made of steam engines circled by antique tractors, in preparation for NTA's 50th Reunion June 22-26, 1994, in Wauseon, Ohio.

11550 Trost Road Ida, Michigan 48140

In June of 1974, I was invited to attend the National Threshers
Association annual reunion for the first time. Little did I know
that it would have such an impact on my life. I have read different
articles about a dreaded disease or the ‘fever’ that some
people get inflicted with. Well, I got the symptoms on my first
visit and have never recovered. It has affected not only me, but my
whole family as well.

After attending the NTA Reunion and other shows I discovered a
1939 John Deere ‘B’ that needed a lot of TLC. When this
tractor was completed, my wife and I and her family started showing
that J.D. ‘B’ and their 1946 IHC ‘B’. We would show
at the NTA and participated in local parades with these two
tractors.

When at the NTA Reunion, the family almost has a reunion of its
own, with aunts and uncles and even friends and neighbors
attending. Most of us camp there and participate for the entire
event.

The year my father lost his battle to cancer, I lost my showing
partner.

Needless to say I quit exhibiting. I even sold the ‘B.’
I bought several others but parted with them before the restoration
was complete. Even though I quit exhibiting, the family continued
to attend the NTA.

Several years had passed when one day my son Trevor talked me
into helping him restore a David Bradley garden tractor that had
been sitting in the shed. After doing that, I realized I had found
another showing partner. Since then, he has restored a
Fairbanks-Morse ‘Z’ headless hit and miss engine, a Briggs
& Stratton engine, and a Chor-Trac garden tractor for 4-H
projects. He has also exhibited them at shows. Trevor has also
helped wrench on a few of my projects as well. He is a member and
past director of Southeast Michigan Antique Tractor & Engine
Association, Inc. (S.M.A.T.E.A.), as well as a member of NTA and
S.C.R.A.P. I can say he has the same symptoms as I have.

This rare disease has not only affected myself and my son, but
also has gotten to my wife and daughter. My wife Linda has been
secretary of the NTA and is currently an elected director. She is
also secretary/treasurer of S.M.A.T.E.A. She goes to every show and
display that our toys happen to go to. Every once in a while she
even goes to a swap meet with me and encourages me to buy. She
keeps repeating, ‘He who hesitates is lost,’ which has
happened to me a few times.

My daughter Kinsey is interested in the hobby as much as the
rest of us. She has her own Maytag engine and claims ownership of
the McCormick-Deering’ F-12. She helps her mom at the NTA as
well as the S.M.A.T.E.A. show and enjoys showing.

It’s hard to imagine that twenty years have passed. That I
would go from visiting to all sizes of gas engines, from small
Maytags to large S. M. Jones, from having no tractors to several. I
am a director at large of the NTA and president of S.M.A.T.E.A.,
also a member of S.C.R.A.P. and Early Engine Club.

As you can see, it is certainly a family affair. Come and visit
us at the NTA 50th Reunion to be held at the Fulton County
Fairgrounds at Wauseon, Ohio, June 22-26, 1994. For the Golden
Anniversary, the oldest organized steam show will be a five-day
event.

Or, you can come and say Hi! at the S.M.A.T.E.A. show on July
15-17, 1994 at the shaded Monroe County Nike Park, Newport,
Michigan.

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