Tractors come and go, and sometimes a collector is lucky enough to get back that elusive tractor he lost. The one that got away and comes back always means more the second time around, especially when the first purchase was for utilitarian reasons … and the second is for sentimental ones.
This is the way it is for Gerald Stork. He has back the tractor he had years ago, but it is how he got it back that makes this story so special. The tractor came as a Father’s Day surprise from his sons Dennis and Ron and son-in-law Ralph Schulein.
Gerald and Cecile Stork bought their 1940 WD Allis-Chalmers new. As time went on, the tractor wasn’t needed any longer. Dennis said, “The tractor was sold to neighbors when Dad left the farm.”
Knowing where it was and being able to purchase it was the first step in bringing this beloved tractor back. The second step was to restore it. Together, Ron, Dennis and Ralph restored the Allis-Chalmers and surprised Gerald with it this past June.
“Dad showed up for a large family gathering,” Ron said. “They thought we were having a cookout and when they got there, we gave him the tractor.”
Cecile said he was surprised and touched by the gift. After acquiring his restored tractor, Gerald, 82, had to give it a whirl.
The AC was also restored with the help of Vernon Sandusky, Kerry Wiley and Shawn Martin of Overkill Custom, Inc. The family had it at the American Thresherman’s Assoc. show in Pinckneyville, Ill., along with several other Allis Chalmers owned by the Stork brothers.
AC was the featured brand for this event, and the most exciting piece of equipment the Storks had to show was the newly restored WD. The tractor is just a piece of iron, but the memories and the meaning behind it are legend.Readers with questions or comments for Cindy Ladage may write to her in care of this publication. |
