IN MEMORIAM

By Staff
Published on July 1, 1999

RONALD L. McVEY of Wilmington, Delaware, died Friday, March 26,
1999, at age 84. A WW II veteran, he served with the U.S. Coast
Guard in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska.

For 25 years he was the proprietor of Delaware Engine Suppliers,
a business that handled construction equipment and small gasoline
engines as used in construction and industrial applications.

He was an avid collector of early and historically significant
internal combustion engines.

His collection included many pre-turn-of-the-century engines. He
was especially fond of English Crossley Brothers Otto Slide Valve
engines. His collection included several engines that were designed
and manufactured by Crossley. His well-known collection of finely
restored and running engines was always available for viewing by
visitors from here in the U. S. and Europe.

He had been associated with Rough and Tumble Engineers of
Kinzers, Pennsylvania, and over the years supported many of their
projects.

One of his early Crossley Brothers Slide Valve Otto engines,
which was acquired at the first Henry Ford Museum sale, was
restored to running condition and has since been on display at the
Coolspring Power Museum. This 1879 engine was one of the first Otto
Patent Design engines to be displayed as a running exhibit and is
one of the oldest known operational four-stroke engines.

Mac will be missed by his many friends and fellow engine
collectors.

Submitted by his nephew, David L. McGuigan, 15 Hawthorne Road,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15221,

OTIS L. FAIRCHILD passed away February 1999, at the age of 78.
He was a member of EDGE& TA, Branch #30. Otis was a personal
friend of mine and I will miss him. Otis will be sorely missed by
all Rusty Relics, not to mention family and friends.

Submitted by Dale Fry, board member, EDGE&TA, 901 Thistle
Ridge Court, Arlington, Texas 76017.

JOHN COOK, 78, of Wilson and Mayodan, North Carolina, passed
away December 18, 1998. He loved engines of all kinds. He owned
very many throughout his lifetime. He attended every show within
our area that he could. He was a state licensed plumbing, heating
I, II, and III, and air-conditioning contractor. He and his son,
Harry Cook, enjoyed restoring engines. He will be greatly
missed.

Submitted by Harry Cook, 1724 Hill-crest Dr., Wilson, North
Carolina 27893.

WILSIE L. ORMAN, of Burlington, Iowa, passed away December 20,
1998, at the age of 72. Born in Davis County to David and Clara
Eakins Orman, he married Mary Dunlavy on November 22, 1944- He had
been a farmer west of Bloomfield, as well as a veteran of WW II,
and retired as a machinist with Murry Iron Works Company in
Burlington. He was an exceptional model maker. His most interesting
pieces were the small working model John Deere crawler and the
model two-cylinder John Deere stationary engine belted to the model
saw mill. Wilsie would spend hours at shows sawing, and would show
to adults and kids just how a saw mill worked.

Mr. Orman was a long time member of the South East Iowa Antique
Gas Engine Club. He also participated at shows in other parts of
Iowa, as well as Illinois, Missouri, and Indiana. He enjoyed the
Portland, Indiana, show so well he was in the process of building a
small model of the working shingle mill that he saw at the
show.

Mr. Orman’s wife, son, and grandson are planning to continue
showing at some shows. His picture appeared on page 14 of the 1998
Show Directory.

Submitted by John Crouch, President of S.E.I.A.G.E.C., P.O. Box
84, Yarmouth, Iowa 52660.

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