I would like to nominate Jeff Fenske for the Early Day Gas Engine & Tractor Association Hall of Fame award. Jeff grew up on a ranch near Dinuba, California where he started driving tractor at the tender age of 8. He helped his dad on the ranch by helping with the hay and cotton production. He also “hired out” to neighbors for driving tractor in their fields especially during hay and watermelon harvesting. His dad had a few one-cylinder engines that they worked on in their spare time. That is where he developed an interest in all mechanical things.
He joined Branch 8 of EDGE&TA in the late 1990s where he displayed his one-cylinder engines at area shows. This led to a growing collection of engines and pump jacks. Later he added a 1936 John Deere and a 1929 Cat Fifteen which he drove in parades after making wooden pads so he could drive on pavement. He enjoys running pump jacks pumping water, grinding corn, and running air compressors. This usually leads to
spectators asking questions and him explaining how these old machines were used in farming in “The Olden Days”. He was active in Branch 8 by firstly becoming a director then Vice President and finally President. He has held that office since 2010. In 2018 he became the National Director at Large. In 2019 at the National Show in Red Bluff, California the board voted him in as National President. He has retained that position with a vote by the board each year since then.
Jeff is usually the first person to get to a show and the last person to leave making sure hat anyone that needs help has a helping hand whether it is pounding stakes, stringing rope or working on a stubborn engine that doesn’t want to run right but ran perfectly at home !
As National President Jeff has worked tirelessly phoning members all over the country and answering questions. He has been very involved in the workings of EDGE&TA and is trying to get the best liability insurance available for our members at the best price. He has also made many updates to the EDGE&TA website after discussing this with the Board of Directors. He has tried to bring EDGE&TA into the 21 st century by getting email lists of branch contacts and sending the National newsletter to each branch via email with instructions to pass it along to all the members possible.
Jeff has displayed at shows in several states including California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, New Mexico, and Montana. He has a traveling show of small hot air engines that he is able to take in the motor home when he can’t show his large engines and tractors. As National President he has enjoyed attending the National Shows all over the country. These shows were in California, Tennessee, Missouri,
Oregon, and Ohio. The National show will be in Oklahoma in June 2025, and he is already planning the trip back there.
Thank you for considering Jeff for this award.
Sharon Olson, Treasurer & Membership Chairperson Branch 8 EDGE&TA