R.R. 1, Box 84, Foley, Missouri 63347
Restoring old tractors keeps me out of the taverns, off the
streets, out of the woods and the money too.
About the flood: after we sandbagged several days the water
topped our levee. Heavy fescue grass protected it, and it ran over
for several days without washing out. However the water did, on
July 9th, cut a hole in the levee 600 feet long and 50 feet
deep.
I had moved eight antique tractors. One McCormick Deering 10-20
was torn down, with parts in boxes. We winched it on a trailer. We
had four farm tractors, combine and machinery to move. We also
moved 450 bales of hay, 75 bales of straw, some ear corn, seven
heifers, and four small engines.
We took out furniture, and the pool table from the basement. We
took three cots and an outdoor ‘John.’ We had our grown
sons, other relatives, friends and neighbors help us; we never
could have done it without them.
We moved into a 100-year-old farm house in the hills, that we
own, where I was born 73 years ago.
These once-in-200-year-floods are coming more often. We were
also flooded in 1973.
We belong to the Lincoln County Old Threshers, Elsberry,
Missouri. Our show is September 17-19. I run the sawmill and the
binder to cut wheat.
I say I’m going back to the bottom. (the home we left). My
wife says she’s not going.
Gosh, I’m going to miss her!
