Fifty Years of Togetherness

Happiness is found in many things throughout our lifetimes. It can come through little shows of kindness from our peers, or life changing decisions that were skeptical to begin with. My father didn’t know how his children would react to being moved out to little more than a simple county homestead after being mostly raised in the city but it turned out better than expected in regards to me. I thoroughly enjoyed living out in the fresh air with a cool breeze rustling through trees that had never been tainted with concrete or artificial fertilizer. Some of my best experiences from my younger years were spent atop the seats of the tractors rolling along the homemade trails that skirted out property. Being placed behind the wheel of our Ford N-series tractor was the highlight of many a day and to experience the pulverizing of brush and trees though the mower I was handling gave me a thrill of sheer power. These reactions helped me to see my true nature as a country loving person. To this day I still immensely enjoy taking trips out to our property and experiencing the one-of-a-kind euphoria that is an essential part of simple, unrestricted country living.

In 1961, the same year I was born, my father purchased a hundred and forty-nine acres of undeveloped, overgrown land nestled in the rolling hills of Franklin County, Missouri. Included in his purchase was an old N-series Ford tractor, a plow, cultivator, and disk. He sought to acquire a heavy duty mower to help tame his severely neglected property. After much research he came to the decision of purchasing a used Bush Hog Model 12 from Percy’s Auto Sales in St. Clair, Missouri. The salesman told him that whatever he could push over with the tractor the mower would easily devour it without a problem. Fifty years later the salesman’s promise still holds true.

This year marks my fiftieth birthday and also the fiftieth anniversary of owning our Model 12. For five decades this tractor and mower combination has become a fulfilling and cherished part of my life. I have spent countless hours, days, and even years it seems behind the wheel demolishing cedar trees, brush, and Multi-flora rose bushes. As far as I’m concerned nothing surpasses the quality, dependability, and sheer strength of this piece of machinery. Since I have had such a great history with our Model 12 I have purchased several other Bush Hog implements based on its proven value and durability.

Paul Shearman, Union, Missouri