Howard D. Hodson was born July 6, 1930, at Chandler in Lincoln County, Oklahoma. He grew up on a farm near Tryon, OK. Howard still owns the property. His paternal grandfather bought the farm in 1906 before Oklahoma became a state. The old town of Norie is located on the land. The town was an Indian trading post on the border between the Iowa and the Sac-An-Fox Nations in the Oklahoma Indian Territory from 1892-1902. Howard\’s maternal grandfather was half Cherokee Indian from Mississippi, and his paternal grandmother was one fourth Sac-An-Fox from Arkansas. He graduated from Tyron High School in 1948. He shows his loyalty to his youth by serving since 1996 as the editor of the Tyron Alumni Banner.
Howard is married to Glenda (Friend) Hodson). The children include Mark, Lorna, Martha, Julie, and Jonathan. He has seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Howard began work right out of high school as a roofer. This work was interrupted when he was drafted into the US Army to serve from 1952-1954 during the Korean War. After leaving the active military, he worked from 1954 to 1973 as an aircraft avionics technician at Tinker AFB and for North American Rockwell Aviation. During that same period, he served in the US Army Reserves in the 95th Training Division. He went into active duty with the US Army and served from 1973 to 1990. He retired from the military with a total of 39 years of service on August 1, 1990. He held the prestigious rank of Command Sergeant Major (CSM) (E-9) on his retirement.
Since joining Tired Iron of the Ozarks, Gentry, Arkansas, Branch 37 of the Early Day Gas Engine and Tractor Association, in May 1995, he has been a driving force in the local, regional, and national levels of tractor and engine collection and preservation. Howard has served in many capacities at all levels. With Tired Iron, he served as vice president from 1997-98; as secretary from 1999 to date; and as secretary/treasurer since 2003. Besides his official duties, he has been a leader in building the facilities for the club. Since Tired Iron purchased land in 2003, Howard has led in establishing electrical, water, and sewer services for the club. He has worked countless hours in helping build a pavilion, bathrooms, a clubhouse, a sawmill, and an exhibition shed on the land. In support of the areas other EDGE&TA clubs, in 1996 Howard became an active member of Rustic Relics, Branch 85 in Morrow, Arkansas. In 2000 he helped organize and became a charter member of Farm Echoes of Yesteryear, Branch 123, in Jane, Missouri. He is faithful to attend all the meetings and to participate with his exhibits and. expertise at all club shows.
Howard became active at the national level when he was appointed to complete a two year term on the National Board of EDGE&TA at the national meeting in 1998. He was assigned as the Northeast Regional director at that time. Reelected to that position in 2000, he was reassigned as the North-Central director. In 2003 he was reelected and assigned as the South-Central Region director, where he continues to serve.
During his time on the national board, Howard has served in many ways. He was national vice-president during 2001 and president during 2004. His work has included serving as national safety officer from 1998 to 2003; developing the EDGE&T A Youth Driver Certification program during 2000 and 2001 and he continues to administer that program; helping develop the Steam Certification program; writing the E&E articles in 1999 thru 2002; and serving as chairperson of the Accident Investigating Committee from 2002 to 2004 and as a member of the committee to date. Howard has attended the national meetings all across the U.S. since he became a part of the national board.
Finally, and very importantly, Howard has an impressive collection of tractors, engines, equipment, tools, and toys. His tractors include a 1944 JD LA, a 1963 JD 3010, a Gibson A, a Gibson D, and a 1948 Ford 8N. He has a 1 1/2 hp IH engine, a Little Joe military DC generator, and an early Sears AC generator. His several farm implements include two Planet Junior garden plows. He has many antique tools, which include some unusual blacksmithing items. His toy collection features 2-cylinder collector series tractors, JD collector series tractors, Matchbox cars, Ertl Foxfire Farm Collectables, and many other rare toys. Howard enhances all shows he attends by displaying many of his articles. He interests many young people in early farm life by tirelessly making ropes for them with his early 1900s rope maker. In short, in respect to all the aforementioned aspects concerning Howard Hodson, he is the epitome of all that EDGE&TA represents.