Josh Dilsaver

About Josh Dilsaver

Posts by Josh Dilsaver:

Richard Earl

In memory of Richard “Geronimo” Earl. Quite literally ~ a Hero to the very last second. You’ll be missed.

Long-time member of Branch 111.

Carl Bergman, a 70 year Antelope Valley resident, died Sunday at a Lancaster residential care facility following a lengthy illness. He was 95 years old. Born Nov. 10, 1907, in Compton, Bergman moved to the Antelope Valley on July 1, 1933, driving a Model T roadster with his wife of two years, Alta. Alta died on Nov. 23, 1999. They were married for 68 years.

Bergman was probably best known in the Antelope Valley for his work with Branch 30 of the Early Day Gas Engine and Tractor Association. A founding member, Bergman brought gas engines to the Antelope Valley Alfalfa Festival when it was held in downtown Lancaster in the late 1930s. In late August of last year, Bergman visited the Antelope Valley Fair for one last look at the branch’s display of engine and tractors. “I have so many great memories of this place, mostly the people,” said Bergman, enfeebled by age but resilient in spirit. “Many of them are gone, but there’s still a few of them around. We put in many hours and many years into helping make the fair become what it is.

Bergman shuffled over to an old John Deere tractor and leaned against it for a photo. He gestured towards the antique engines, tractor, cars and trucks. Many of these are my friends. I’m in good company, Bergman said. He worked for the Union Oil Co. and once operated his own gas station at what was now Sierra Highway and Lancaster Boulevard. Later, he teamed up with the late Russ Turner to build about 500 hay barns in the valley, as well as in the Kern and Mono counties. Bergman also worked as a carpenter and special effects man for movies made in the Antelope Valley. He was a projectionist at the old Valley Theater when it was owned by Judy Garland’s parents.

Barney J. Langner

BERNARD J. LANGNER

Died Thursday, January 2, 2003 at the age of 81 years. Beloved husband of 58 years to M. Virginia Langner of Hayward. Loving father of Pamela Brownlee of Arkansas, Bernard J. (and Denise) Langner Jr. of Santa Cruz, Kristin Strege of Fremont, Deidre (and Ken) Meyers of San Leandro, and Laurie Langner of Castro Valley. Devoted grandfather of ten and great grandfather of five. Dear brother of Teresa Reagan and Edward Langner, both of Missouri. A 33 year employee of Hunt-Wesson and affiliates United Can and Glass Containers, he was a life member in the National Association of Purchasing Managers and the Northern California Purchasing Association where he served three terms on the Board Directors. A member and Board of Director of the Hayward Trade Club, he also served three time Board of Directors. A member of the Board of Director of the Hayward Trade Club, he also served on the Hayward C of C Industrial Committee. He held a lifetime membership in the PTA and had been President of the Winton Junior High PTA. A Pearl Harbor survivor, he was active in the PHSA, and a past president of Kaneohe Klippers an organization of survivors stationed on Kaneohe that fateful Sunday morning December 7, 1941. An active member and former Secretary/Treasurer of the Early Days Gas Engine and Tractor Assn. Branch 3 and also a member of Branch 13. A CCD teacher at St. Joachim’s Church, a third degree member of the Knights of Columbus and an active participant in many church activities.

President Branch 3, Chuck Schoppe’s memorial message:
In Tribute to Barney

I first met Barney at the Santa Clara County Fair many years ago. We were both members of our hobby club, the Early Day Gas Engine and Tractor Association, and were exhibiting our collections of old engines and tractors with other members of our organization. I had many long conversations with Barney during the several days that we were there and I gained an immediate respect for him and his life’s experiences. He impressed me very much and I told my wife Peggy about the friendly guy that I had met. Over the years our friendship with Barney transcended our mutual interests in old machinery. Peggy and I always looked forward to our visits and we valued the time shared with this gentle man with his ready smile and twinkle in his eyes.

Barney was all about caring, giving and helping, and for that he gained and held the friendship of many, as attested to by all of you who have come to honor and remember his life this evening. He was a charter member of our California Branch 3 of the Early Day Gas Engine and Tractor Association and was, perhaps, our greatest supporter. For his many contributions, we honored him with a lifetime membership. He led and served our group in many ways over the past 25 years, and was actively involved to the end. Besides serving in elected offices, Barney was an organizer of many of our most successful shows and exhibits. His writing skills were read and appreciated by all who receive our newsletter. He will leave behind a void that cannot be filled.

Barney’s life was far too short – and to say that he will be missed by all of us would be an understatement. His sudden and unexpected passing should be a poignant reminder to us all of the fragile hold on life we really have.

Barney has been called home now, and it is not be for us to understand why. However, in memory of Barney, we can learn from his life, and carry on the values by which he lived and by his example instilled in all of us who knew and loved him: his great faith and trust in God; his love for his wife Virginia and for his family and his many friends; his love of and pride in our great country; his genuine respect for literally everyone that he knew, and his great willingness to share of himself and of his time.

Good bye for now, Barney! We miss you deeply, but you’ll be forever, in our hearts.

Chuck Schoppe and Branch 3

Harvey Hilands

Harvey Hilands, member of Branch 15 passed away from a heart attack on September 1, 2001.
Harvey held many positions as an officer:
1971-1973- Vice President for two years when the club formed as EDGE&TA
1973-1978 – Editor of Branch 15 Newsletter.
1976- Harvey was elected Sec/Treas of the National. He was elected to serve until 1986.
Harvey was also inducted in to EDGE&TA Hall Of Fame in April, 2001.
Harvey’s contributions to the preservation is how Antique Powerland Museum has grown so quickly. His donations of time and money have made several projects manageable. Harvey, being a plumber, donated several hours of work building our first indoor restroom with showers.
Other items and equipment that Harvey purchased for us to use were two forklifts, a road grader, a ditch witch, a backhoe, and three golf style work vehicles to zip around the grounds with. The latest most recent donation for the club and Powerland was paying for a beautiful 150′ x 40′ building for our big engines. Due to Harvey’s generosity, this will allow us to display and run engines all year long.
Harvey was not a person that looked for a “thank you”. He was one of our best supporters and you would always find him working to better the club. What most of us thought of as work, he thought of as play. He enjoyed watching others having fun with their hobbies, and helping them restore and preserve parts of the past.
We would not have accomplished so much if not for Harvey’s outstanding donations and involvement with the club. EDGE&TA & Branch 15 will miss him deeply.

Shar Moore

Bob Messick

The old iron preservation community has lost another stalwart member. Bob Messick lost his battle with cancer on July 1. Bob was born in 1930 in San Joaquin County, where he grew up on a farm. He held a degree in electrical engineering from Coyne Trade School in Chicago. He served his country in the Korean war. He married Jean in 1953, and shortly thereafter they moved to Newark. They have resided in the East Bay since then. After he retired from his electrician work, Bob was hired to help open Ardenwood Historic Farm where he was known as “Farmer Bob”.

I first became aquainted with Bob when I joined the Daniel Best operating crew at Ardenwood in the mid-80’s, and Bob was the resident farmer at Ardenwood. He was always helpful, cooperative, and friendly with the Best crew, and we were sorry to see him leave. Ardenwood’s loss was the Alameda County Fair’s gain — He was in charge of Agricultural History at the fair from 1990 until 2001.

He leaves behind his wife Jean, two daughters, and grandchildren… he will be missed by many.

Glen Christoffersen

Vic Rivers

Vic was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin 80 years ago today. Vic was a resident of the San Leandro area for 55 years. He enjoyed machine building, wood working, and inventing. He was a long time member of Branch 3, and of Mulford Gardens Association in San Leandro. He was married to Patricia Rivers for 40 years. Vic is survived by Patricia and a step-daughter, three sisters, four brothers, one grandchild and one great grand child.

I first met Vic when he called me (the new Newsletter Editor), and asked if I would like to have some of his yarns of the past for the newsletter. Of course I agreed. The result of that conversation was his tales about the family’s old Fordson, building his own G.H.Q. model airplane engine, and “The Steamer in the Swamp”. Who can forget those tales! Now here is the rest of the story — Even back then, Vic was terribly crippled by his arthritis. He was unable to pick up a pencil or a pen in the normal manner. He had a little ”fence” built at the corner of his work top, and he would push the pencil into the corner and then worry it until he finally had it in his grasp. His writing came to me as large capital letters printed in a childlike scrawl on yellow lined paper. It required about 12 to 15 pages of his writing for each short episode in the newsletter. I would read it through and then call him and we would have a long discussion about details not included in the story. Sometimes I would suggest changes to Vic’s text, and discussion would follow. I consider myself to be a pretty good word-smith, but I met my match with Vic. Usually he won these debates. I don’t think very many of our readers realized what a Herculean effort Vic made for those stories, and I will always admire him for his courage and patience.

Vic, I hope that somehow you are able to read this and therefore know of my admiration and appreciation of you — You will be missed by all of us, but we are glad that you are finally relieved of the pain you suffered for so many years.

By Glen Christoffersen

Menno L. Kliewer

Menno L Kliewer, son of Peter J. and Susana Buller Kliewer was born on Dec. 15, 1921 in Henderson Nebraska and passed away to his eternal home on May 18, 2001 reaching the age of 79 years. His parents were immigrants from Russia during the great Mennonite exodus of the 1870’s. Menno was deeply influenced with his Mennonite heritage and cherished it during his entire life. Menno received his elementary education in a one-room schoolhouse, graduated from Henderson High School in 1940 and later attended Tabor College. Menno served his country for 3 1/2 years during World War II.

Menno was united in marriage to Ann Fast in 1947. They made farming their career in Henderson Nebraska until 1962 and then relocated to Reedley, CA. Together they had 4 sons, Ralph, Paul, Gene and Lynn. He had nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Menno has been our “story teller” for many years and many of us have shared in his experiences throughout both his childhod and his adult life. He has written many stories about the “Dust Bowl Era” and the “Great Depression”. Menno had many accomplishments in life. He served as Auction Chairman of the West Coast Mennonite Relief Sales for 20 years, he served as a Sunday School Teacher along with many other positions in the Reedley Mennonite Brethren Church, six years on the School Board and then in later years became greatly interested in collecting, restoring and exhibiting antique engines.

Menno was an honorary member of E.D.G.E.&.T.A. Branch 8 and served as secretary/treasurer for this branch for 5 years.

In 1986 Menno was elected National Secretary/Treasurer of the Early Day Gas Engine and Tractor Association and held this position until 1998. The organization was still small with only 21 Branches when he took on this position. Menno was a hard worker, a dedicated officer/director for 12 years and because of his efforts helped to make the organization what it is today. He has touched the heart of many through his stories, personal friendship and willingness to help others.

Menno was proud to display his many plaques on his office wall commemorating his many accomplishments and contributions throughout his life. Among these was his plaque for being inducted into the Early Day Gas Engine and Tractor Association Hall of Fame.
HE WILL BE MISSED!

Al Miller

Al Miller, member of EDGE&TA, Branch 15 since 1986, passed away on February 15, 2000. He was 71, a private service was held.

Al was born April 12, 1928, in Medina, ND, and moved to Portland in 1944. He was in the US Marines for 20 years, including service in the Vietnam war, before retiring in 1971. He worked as an assemblyman for Freightliner Corp. for 17 years before retiring again in 1988. In 1948 he married Barbara Bennett.

Survivors include his wife, daughter, Linda Wehling, son Patrick; brothers Milton, Vernon and Douglas. Sisters, Beverly Andreas and Yvonne Bleasdel; and three grandchildren.

Disposition was by cremation. The family suggests remembrances to Kaiser Hospice.

Paul Skalsky

Branch 35 regrets the loss of Paul Skalsky, 66, who passed away suddenly on the 15th of January, after spending the day working at Chippokes Farm and Forrestry Museum, one of the things he loved most. He was a farmer and retired Bridgestone Tire Company employee, a Korean War Army veteran, husband of Yvonne Skalsky, and father of Bruce Skalsky. Bruce shared many of his interests and was usually found helping him with the equipment. Paul played a large part in preserving the past, running the peanut picker for shows, working on the Antique Farm Equipment Committee for the museum, doing the hard work of maintenance and restoration, always taking a leading role and doing more than his share. Paul had been associated with the Museum for some 20 years. Someone else may do the work Paul always did, but no one will ever take his place. He will be greatly missed by his family and all those who knew him.

Bob Janes

JANES, Robert A (Bob) – 81, of Campbell. Entered into rest January 16, after a valiant battle against cancer. Beloved husband of Bobbie, dearest father of children and their spouses: Sharon and Fred Lueck of Vancouver, WA, Craig and Pam Janes of Arroyo Grande, and Rhonda Janes-Bump and Bill Bump of Campbell. Grandfather of 8, great-grandfather of 4. Born July 20, 1918, in Elbow Saskatchewan.

Longtime volunteer for many community organizations: Food banks at Sacred Heart Community Services and the Council of Churches for over 10 years. Active for may years with Early Day Gas Engine & Tractor Assn., well-known around the area for displaying his model gold dredge. A lifetime member of the PTA. Former Commissioner for Boy Scouts. Crane Operator and member of Operating Engineers Local 3 for over 50 years.