HOF Members

Helen & Emery Schulze

Emery and Helen Schulze were the driving force in making the South Central Regional Antique Farm Equipment Show held at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Brenham, Texas in mid July, 2005 a huge success. The Sharecropper\’s Antique Farm Equipment Club, EDGE&TA Branch #96, hosted the show. This was the club\’s first major show and the Schulze\’s assumed the leadership responsibility. They coordinated site rental, advertising, ad sales, insurance, vendors, exhibitor registration, ticket sales, demonstrations, tractor pull, RV site rentals, site layout, materials, trophies, worker\’s schedules, and show handouts when the Club President was involved with graduation work at Texas A&M University.

Branch #96 has hosted the annual rural heritage festival, the Cotton Gin Festival, in Burton, Texas for many years. Included are a working cotton gin, a rural heritage parade, and an antique tractor pull. The Schulze\’s have been registering exhibitors and tractor pull entries there for many years and have also worked at the tractor pull.

Emery and Helen have been helpmates since they were married in 1958. They grew up together in the same area north of Brenham, Texas and now reside on the farm where Emery has lived since he was 4 years old. Emery has been in farming since he was 10 years of age when his father died and he and an older brother became the providers.

They are members of the Sharecropper\’s Antique Farm Equipment Club, EDGE&TA Branch #96, where Helen is serving her 4th year as Treasurer with Emery assisting with the membership and insurance tasks. They are also members of the Central Texas Old Iron Collectors Club, EDGE&TA Branch #156.

Emery grew up with Farmall tractors and his collection reflects his love for the red. Farmalls were used during the early years when he was farming cotton and corn and doing custom hay baling and plowing. He has 19 tractors, mostly letter series, ranging from the Farmall F -12 to the Farmall 460. Most are original, some still have factory paint, and others have been beautifully restored. This includes a John Deere \”H\” which was owned by Helen\’s father.

Old tractors and farm equipment have been a special love of the Schulze\’s. Practically all of their equipment is in good working order. Horse drawn era equipment includes an \”M\” horse drawn hay baler, McCormick mowing machine, JD dump hay rake, McCormick 2-row corn and cotton planter, McCormick short vertical corn binder, iron wheeled corn wagon, 2-row section harrow, 1-row garden section harrow, 1-row garden walking planter, a garden push cultivator, 1 horse whirlwind seeder, MH 10 foot grain drill, JD walking moldboard plow, walking middle breaker, sub soiler and black land plows, steel and wooden eveners for 2,3, and 4 horse teams. Tractor era equipment includes an IH Cub power unit, McCormick manure spreader 200, JD 2-bottom gang plows, JD PTO portable hammer mill with sacker, Letz hammer mill with sacker, NH corn sheller with sacker, and JD hand corn sheller along with the conventional plows, planters, etc. The Schulze\’s exhibited and demonstrated 17 tractors and pieces of equipment during the South Central Show in July. The Washington County Farm Bureau, in conjunction with the County Extension Office, has an annual Ag Day for school children. There are as many as 18 demonstrations presented to the children such as planting, corn shelling, baling hay, milking, honey bees, plowing, etc. The Schulze\’s bring tractors and equipment for these demonstrations and answer questions the children may have. These demonstrations are repeated again at the annual Washington County Fair, the oldest County Fair in Texas.

Emery and Helen have been very active in organizations related to agriculture. They are members of the Bluebonnet Beef Breeders Association in which Emery was a Director and Treasurer for 6 years. Emery is a member of the Washington County Beef and Forage Committee which provides a suggested agenda for the County Agent programs. They have been active members of the Gulf Coast Simmental Association since 1975. Helen is a member of the Washington County Cattle Women\’s group. They are long time members of St John\’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (prairie Hill), both being very active in all phases of church work. Emery has served as Sunday School Treasurer since 1967. Helen taught Sunday school, served on the Church Council, and has been a choir member for 20 years.

The Schulze\’s are now retired but stay very busy with their four children, seven grandchildren, church work, county agriculture activities, cattle breeding, and community events. However, they are never too busy to participate when an opportunity arises to pass their knowledge of earlier days to our young people of today.

Howard D. Hodson

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.

John Boehm

John Boehm distinguished himself by-serving Branch 13 as the newsletter editor and a Director for the last 18 years. As Editor of the largest EDGE&TA branch, John not only kept the members up to date on branch and EDGE&TA activities, he also shared his views and news articles with many other branch editors throughout the nation. He was one of the first editors to publish a branch newsletter online as a service to all members. For many years \”The Chugger\” reached more engine and tractor enthusiasts than any other similar publication. John\’s dedication to publishing informative EDGE&TA articles, photos, show reports, accurate technical information, and classified ads made the arrival of \”The Chugger\” an exciting event throughout the engine and tractor community.

As a Branch Director he is always aboveboard, with the branch charter and goals as his guide. His highly valued opinions and logical discussions have shaped the branch more than any other member. His dedication to the membership and his leadership style has molded many new branch directors over the years. He maintains excellent records, membership rosters, historical documents, and is the branch authority on the bylaws.

As an EDGE&TA member for over 25 years, John has distinguished himself greatly by actively promoting our hobby, promoting participation, and being a strong advocate and role model for all youth activities. He is one of the founding members of EDGE&TA Branch 158. In addition to the local branch activities he faithfully participates in the annual Colusa County Farm Days, an educational event for elementary school students, the California state fair and several local county fairs. He was instrumental in organizing the first cross country tractor ride in northern California. The 2005 Red Bluff Endurance Run consisted of 19 EDGE&TA participants, driving their tractors on an exciting two day event covering more than 115 miles.

He is widely known as a \”John Deere\” expert and \”B\” series collector but his interest in Oliver and anything unusual are just as strong. His favorite tractors have been featured in Randy Leffingwell\’s books and calendars. John\’s willingness to help others find the parts and data needed to restore a tractor or other farm equipment has connected him to many people throughout the country.- His willingness to share his expertise and knowledge, to loan parts across the country, and assist anyone in completing a project has gained him many mends in EDGE&TA.

Born in Dickinson, North Dakota on September 8, 1949, his family moved to CA when he was 6 months old. His father was a school teacher and his mother a homemaker. He remained close to his uncle, Paul Meyer, who had a dairy farm in Gladstone, North Dakota where John spent summers as a teenager working on his uncle\’s farm. His uncle Paul sparked his interest in tractors and also gave him his first real job as a fourteen year old farm hand. This introduction to tractors and farming stayed with him and has been a major influence in his life.

John attended schools in the Sacramento, CA area and the University of California at Davis, graduating in 1976 with a Ph.D. in Chemistry.

John and his wife Kathy, a Registered Nurse, live on the Rusty Acres Ranch in Woodland, CA, with son Matt and daughter Julia. John, a General Contractor and walnut farmer, instilled the love of tractors in both his wife and son who are often seen participating with him in shows and parades as a family.

His contributions and dedication are worthy of special recognition and he deserves to be honored among those who have dedicated so much of themselves to EDGE&TA.

Mace Archer

Mace Archer is a Charter Member of the K&O Steam and Gas Engine Association. He is also a member of the Oklahoma Steam Threshers and Gas Engine Association.

Mace has served in many capacities for the K&O Club, in the early days of the club he was the Editor of the quarterly newsletter. For many years he has served on the club\’s Board of Directors holding the position of Executive Director up until just the last few years.

He has served on numerous committees, for many years he was the head of the Clean-Up committee for our annual show, showing, his servant\’s heart by making sure the grounds were all cleaned up as the show ended. As health has declined he has passed this position on to his son. He has also been very active on the Steam Engine Committee. In 1991 the club purchased a 1911 Altman-Taylor 16HP Steam engine. Mace and his son spent a great deal of time re-plumbing the entire steamer as well as building a new canopy for it. There is no doubt Mace has spent more time helping other people with their things than he has spent on his own. Nevertheless he has personally restored a 1020 International as well as 1020 International Mogul and displayed them at our show for many years.

A Jeweler and expert watch/clock repairman by trade, Mace is one of those rare individuals who have a knack for the meticulous. It is probably this trait that got him interested in the function and restoration of old steam gauges. Up until the last year Mace has taught classes on this subject at the Pawnee Steam School, in Pawnee, Oklahoma as well as several other sites that the school has traveled to, including schools in Missouri and Indiana. He is well known for his talent. If you go to YAHOO! on your computer and type in the words Mace Archer and Steam you will find that there arc people out there passing his name around and discussing his good work!

I am sure we have missed many things that Mace has done throughout the years. There are so many more little things that go unnoticed by most, not the least of which would be how he always makes sure to bring the donuts to each monthly club meeting!

Mace is just a special guy who, as his son would say has \”Never found anything that was too impossible for him.\” He is always willing to help you out, no matter what it is you are working on. He is just a wonderful human being with a delightful personality. He has been a great ambassador for our club.

Ralph Ramsey

Born 4/23/1921

A long time member of Branch 16 that we all know as the man with the cigar is Ralph Ramsey. Ralph has been a member of Branch 16 since 1970 and was President of Branch 16 from 1980-1985. Ralph recalls when he got started with EDGE there were only about 15 members in Branch 16 and most of those members had gas engines and only a few members showed tractors.

Ralph remembers the days when club meetings were held at some of the member’s homes and there might be a member bring an engine to the meeting to show or to get help to make it run. After the club had out grown most member’s homes Ralph found a room at the Savings & Loan in Republic, where we could all get into for our monthly meetings.

For many years Ralph has shown his display of engines at many shows, he was one of the first members to show engines at the Springfield Farm Fest and continues to show engines to the present day. Ralph enjoys talking to people at these events.

Every year a week or so before the show you will see Ralph making and putting up signs around the show grounds trying to keep the spectators as well as the exhibitors safe.

Ralph was asked, \”How many cigars he went through in a week.\” He replied, \”Not many, maybe a box a week. \”Ralph started chewing on cigars back in the 1940s. I don\’t think we would recognize Ralph if we didn\’t see him with a cigar in his mouth. When he starts chewing on his cigar that indicates that the wheels are turning in his head. I have never seen one lit.

Ralph also spent many years on the old Route 66. He owned a service station for many years and then worked for Central Dodge as a parts man for several years. Both of the businesses were on the old Route 66 that went through down town Springfield, MO. Ralph deserves the honor of being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Dax Kimmelshue

Dax is one of those rare individuals that no matter what he is doing he always has time to talk to you about the club or about your vintage equipment.

Some of his many accomplishments are: a founding member of \”Vintage Iron\” EDGE&TA Branch 136. He was President of that club for 2 years, a local 4H leader for farm tractor group, a FFA advisor, a member of his church council, President of North Valley AG Services (a company that sells agriculture field products) he is on the California State Dry Bean Advisory Board, a board member of the Far West Heritage ,Assn, (they are a stewardship in charge of Chico Museum and Patrick Ranch based in Chico Calif.) a key member of the Patrick Ranch Threshing Bee, an active member of Cal-Poly Alumni Assn, Durham Exchange Club, an active alumni in Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity, and he also farms 150 acres of walnuts and almonds, 100 acres of open field crops, does custom harvesting and some tractor field work for some of his neighbors, raises 60 to 65 lambs a year for the local kids 4H and FFA projects, has 1 ram and 45 ewes that he has all year, he likes to restore JOHN DEERE tractors he has 11 completely restored tractors he also has the tractor that his Grandfather bought new. He owns all of the harvest equipment that the club uses in the threshing bee every June.

He lives with his wife Karen and daughter Candace and son Dustin.

Vance West

Vance West receiving plaque from EDGETA President Larry Voris.
Born 11/16/1919

When you hear the name Vance West, most of us know him as the man with the bubble machine.

Vance placed the order for his bubble machine back in the 1970\’s from Theatrical Supply Company in Springfield, MO and he has displayed it for years at many local shows. Vance is a showman. His engines and equipment are always shown in their work clothes. He once said that paint ruined the appearance of an antique piece of equipment. You can watch Vance work the crowd and he will be grinding com and sifting the grindings through several sieves showing the different products taken from the ground com. The fine material is com meal, then next the grits and then chicken chops. The dust is cornstarch. Talk to Vance sometime and he can tell you many stories about the club and the organizers of the club.

Vance has a collection of around 60 old gas engines and his favorite engine is a 1924, 1-1/2 HP International. .

The oldest engine in his collection is a 3 HP Olds dating between 1892 and 1906. The Olds name is the same as the Oldsmobile automobile. Vance also has a large Fairbanks Morse Diesel Engine mounted on a 2-axle trailer.

We recently recognized Vance for his many years of serving on the Board of Directors of \”The Southwest Missouri Early Day Gas Engine and Tractor Association\”, Branch 16. Vance was one of the first directors and has served in that position for the last 25 years. Vance also liked to have fun. He would be walking with someone and he would trip himself making look like the other person had tripped him, he would take a roll on the ground and back to his feet and keep on walking like nothing ever happened. Vance is 84 years old now and he doesn\’t do this anymore.

Vance has attended several National Shows through out the years. He always has time to help someone having a problem with their engine.

Vance West is a person that deserves the honor of being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Cliff Northcote

Hall of Fame Chairman Howard Hodson presenting plaque to Cliff Northcote.
Born 7-2-1947

Cliff was raised on his family’s dairy farm in Santee, California. His love of tractors and farm equipment came at an early age. He married Mary Louise (Lou) Bauer in 1968. They have 3 sons, Randy, Rick and Rob, and two granddaughters, Jenna and Annabella.

Cliff served in the Navy and when he was stationed close to home he would get up early to help his dad feed and milk the cows before he went to his ship at the San Diego Naval Station.

Cliff first became involved with EDGE&TA when attending a branch 22 function in 1993 with his son Rick. Rick said he wanted to join Branch 22 and being the supporting father that he is, he and his wife joined along with Rick. Little did he know at that time what a valuable asset he was going to be to our organization.

Some key dates are as follows: From 1995 – 2000 Cliff served as president of Branch 22. In 2000 he became a director and vice president of our National organization. Cliff continued on as a director in 2001 and was then elected president. In 2002 he remained on the board as a director and in 2003 served as director at large. During this time Cliff worked very hard to resolve some of the National insurance issues. His term was completed in 2003 and (through the urging of his wife) he returned to serve as president of Branch 22 and currently remains in that position. WE IN BRANCH 22 ARE SO FORTUNATE!!

Cliff opens his ranch for Branch 22 events in May for a show called Friends & Family and again in December for the Branch 22 annual Christmas party. Even though these events are only scheduled for one or two days, many bring their motor homes and stay for a few days. There is always something of interest going on. ‘

As well as playing a key role with our Branch, Cliff is an elder of the Lake Morena Community Church and has been very instrumental with the building of their new facility. He helps with community events that are put on by the church and other organizations and makes sure that the kids, elderly and needy are taken care of.

Cliff was a board member of the local Mountain Empire Unified School District for 13 years and continues to serve on boards in the community.

He was a 4-H leader for many years and raised pigs for the kids to exhibit.

Cliff attends many Regional & National shows to help promote our Branch 22 and support our hobby.

Cliff has several tractors, engines, washing machines as well as other items of interest from our past. Some of them are pretty rare. He is eager to share his knowledge with others and to help promote our hobby every chance he gets. Several years ago he purchased Menno Kliewer’s trailer and has taken it to many shows.

He recently acquired The Funny Farm Display and The Silly Goose Display from an EDGE&TA member.

The Branch 22 board of directors feel Cliff’s contributions and dedication to EDGE&TA and to our hobby are worthy of special recognition.

Al Hauschildt

Director Member Monique Thomasovich presenting plaque to Al Hauschildt.
Born 10/31/29

Al Hauschildt along with several other individuals who was interested in the preservation and restoration of aging agriculture equipment founded EDGE&TA Branch 49 in 1991. He served as President of Branch 49 on three separate occasions. As President he encouraged others who were interested in this hobby to join the branch and worked with them on many of their restoration projects.

One of the projects he helped foster was the EDGE&TA Hall of Fame. He persuaded Menno Klewer that EDGE&TA needed the EDGE&TA Hall of Fame and helped establish the requirements for being nominated and selected to this Honor.

Al has served as the Editor of the branch newsletter ‘The Ignighter’ for (12) yrs. He always does a great job of publishing articles that are interesting and informative to those who read the news letter

He is presently working with the Schools to teach restoration and operation of the aging agriculture equipment. In this process he also teaches the history of this equipment and its use. Al has 13 acres devoted to old equipment and with some of this equipment he does live demonstrations to educate the younger folk in its use.

Al Hauschildt is a living example of folks who are dedicated to the restoration and preservation of old farm equipment from the ‘days gone by’.

Oren Sanders

Oren Sanders was born March 23, 1924. Oren showed up at Branch 28’s first show. With his hat and gloves in hand, he asked what he could do. Oren knew the area and knew a lot of the people and that weekend if something was needed he was there and went and got things to make the show work. Oren wasn’t a charter member, but worked as if he was a member. Oren joined at the second meeting shortly after the first show. Oren served as president of branch 28 for 2 or 3 years. Branch 28 was started in West Planes and migrated to Willow Springs and then on to the present location at Cabool, MO. Oren was at all the moves and is still a member.

Oren was raised on a farm at Thayer, MO. He went to St Louis after high school and studied to be a machinist and worked in that trade for a while and then joined the army. After he came back from the war he married and worked several jobs. In 1958 He and his wife Jesse purchased a John Deere dealership in Alton, MO and after about 6 years they purchased the John Deere dealership in West Planes in 1966 and operated both for another 9 years. Oren said he earned his Doctor’s Degree in John Deere equipment in the 15 years he was a dealer. He came in just as the 4 cylinder tractors were being introduced.

Oren has collected and restored several tractors through out the years. His collection is down to one John Deere LA now. Oren has helped many people starting out in the hobby of collecting and restoring tractors and equipment.

Oren is another man that has served his time in the farm community and deserves the honor of being inducted into the Hall of Fame.