Kimballton, Iowa 51543
When the town of Kimballton, Iowa organized to celebrate its
Centennial year in 1983, I was appointed as co-chairman and also
parade chairman. I have been in business here in Kimballton for 21
years.
I have been interested in antique tractors for several years and
now with the Centennial approaching I began to search in earnest. I
thought it would be just what I would like to contribute to the
parade.
I am in the real estate and insurance business so I had the
opportunity to meet people and inquire if they knew of tractors
that might be available. In the process of selling an acreage near
Hoalan, Iowa, I learned from the seller that his father, Versal Cox
of Pisgah, Iowa had an old G John Deere. He didn’t know the
year or condition but offered to talk to Mr. Cox. About four weeks
later I received a letter telling me that his tractor was a 1937 G
John Deere with the serial No. 1034. He also said he would
sell!
That weekend I drove to his farm to inspect the tractor which
had been parked out behind the building, apparently for several
years. It looked tough! It was settled to the rims in soil, showed
lots of rust and the motor was stuck.
Versal said he hadn’t used the tractor for about 12 years.
He had reached the age of 78 years then and said he no longer had
the strength to crank it. He then bought a John Deere 60 which
started and retired the old ‘G’.
I made a deal with him that afternoon and the following weekend,
two of my friends, Paul Christensen, garage owner, and Robert Kite,
who is with a trucking firm, drove to the Cox farm to haul my
purchase home. I got a lot of sarcastic comments from many people
concerning my ‘old piece of junk.’
Then the restoration began and we worked many hours, but by
spring we had it pretty well restored. I got it painted just in
time to drive in my hometown’s Centennial parade on June 5
th.
This John Deere ‘G’ is one of the oldest in this area
and is in perfect running order. Now I would like to hear from
readers who may have an earlier model.
