Just for fun tell us about your mentors

The machinery post got me to thinking plus I?m bored in a truck waiting to unload lol. For those who care to partake tell us about some one or several someone?s who?ve taught and encouraged you besides your parents and expecting nothing in return. A neighbor who worked for us for years was a huge help to me,Vance MacMillian. He is a terrific cow man and all around good fella. Even after he moved on he still took an interest in how we were doing and offered to help when he could. Athol Craswell was a great mentor with selecting and breeding cattle along with his son Brian. Let?s hear about some of yours.

A man named Howard that did many things for me that he didn't have to do. We worked together for a while then he moved 2000 miles away. We talked a lot on the phone and I did make a trip to see him when his health started to fail, he was a heavy smoker. I had the sense that I would never see him again and I am sure he thought the same thing when I left to return home. I did thank him for everything he did for me of which I am glad.

Another person was named Jim who owned a vehicle repair service that I worked at part time in my younger years. Jim was so very good to me and helped me with repairs on my vehicle when I was struggling financially. I spose one reason he liked me was because I was honest about everything I did for him and his business.<b

Jim ran his business until he was in his early 80's.

My 5th and 6th grade teacher Mrs, Poland. She recognized in me a higher value than I placed on my self. It stuck. I was able to send her a "thank you" message as she was failing in health. Her son read it to her. He wrote back indicating it cheered her for several days.
Another was a university graduate professor Named Richard Kruppa at Bowling Green State. He was tough but realistic about my development toward my potential. I took him seriously and it was good for me. Jim

In school I had a wood shop teacher who busted on you but also did what you needed to be shown and how things worked. Mr. Warsinsky. Another was my fifth grade english teacher Mrs. Bell. She was a little old white haired ready to retire, several teeth missing from age, tough old bird. She dragged me out into the hallway one day and told me to look up the meaning of the word "Perseverance " Sixty years latter I still know what that word means. There are quite a few people who did good....the trouble is that this world is full of too many people who are bastar...that mess others lives up.

The evening I graduated from high school; my English/typing instructor, asked me what I was going to do,and I said; I don't know. She said; Monday morning you're going to work for my husband, in the tractor shop. She had always encouraged me, even when I didn't deserve it. Her husband imported Fordson Majors, then 5000s from Great Britain, put Howard Rotovator gearboxes in them, and sold, and leased them for pulling green pea combines. Served my apprenticeship there, did my time with Uncle Sam, returned there for a couple more years. He was the type that believed that; If a human built it, he could fix it. Old school, and hardcore. They started me on a 50 year career as a mechanic,that took pride in being able diagnose and fix things, without the manuals, and sometimes without the right parts.

My grandpa he taught me everything not a day goes by I don?t think of him

I never had to much for mentors. I came along late in my dads life. I was a month old when my Grandpa died and 10 when my dad died. I had my uncle when he had time. I've tried picking up as much as I can as I go.

A man in my church sold me a JD 55 combine for 1000 bucks in 1979. Told me to give him 5 bucks for every acre I cut til its paid off. I cut his grain, my own, and custom work around town. Paid it off the second season. He once told the guy at the PCA (without me knowing) to give me whatever money I asked for. Always an encourager, teacher and friend.

Mr. Ewanchuk (George behind his back), my grade nine science, physed and math teacher. Crazier than a hoot owl but full of life and vigor, you never knew from which direction he was coming. Always laughing and poking fun at somebody (kindly fun) but he knew his math and science, I'll tell you that. He coached all the school teams, didn't know much about any of them but he was there after school till 6 PM showing us how to do some skill that he couldn't demonstrate so he got the most talented kid to do it for the rest of us. He used to say, "I say what I mean and I mean what I say" ...... and he did. Nobody stepped out of line with him, I think he's still around. There was an article in the paper about him a few years back and he was in his early 90's.

Bob Anderson of Atlantic, Iowa! About 11 or 12 years ago at a gardening seminar, Bob was one of the presenters. At 84, he raised 324 tomato plants and marketed the tomatoes all over Cass County. He, also, challenged everyone there to stay active, read more and make your mind work through a number of things as he believed it added to ones health. I ran into him about 6 weeks ago and at 95, he admits to slowing down. He cut the tomatoes from 315 in 2018 to 12 and eliminated the potatoes all together! But he walks morning and evening and still lives in his home. Every time I want to settle back and raise my feet, I think of him and do something else!

Joe, my neighbor from a few miles away taught me vet work, preg checks, how to better milk cows. He had quality awards every year and was a great teacher. He needed some round baling done so I did it for him, he asked how much and I said you already paid me. We did things for each other after that just to help each other out.

During my growing-up days my father worked together with his brother and a neighbor who name was Ben Holm. Neither my dad or uncle cared much for working with tools, but Ben was a whiz at almost anything. He knew that I was interested in mechanics, electricity, welding, etc., so he taught me at every chance he had. He only had one daughter who was not into farming, so I kind of became his right hand person. He died in 1981 and I wished he could have lived many more years, but by that time I could weld, braze, wire houses, figure out hydraulics, and tune up cars. To this day I cherish the time he took to explain and teach me.

Music instructor in high school "walk like you are going somewhere!" and the the Mennonite family where I worked for my room and board during first year of college. Family showed by their actions what life could be. Pretty lucky to have had those experiences!

Jeff, I had a Mrs. Bell in 9th grade.

She was a geometry teacher. I had been fore warned by my cousins that were a couple grades ahead, she was the meanest ol' bat you'll ever meet!

Well, I don't know where they got that idea, she was the nicest teacher I ever had! Very sharp teacher, knew her subject and taught it well. Filled in the extra time with stories from her younger days, some quite interesting stuff to hear coming from a senior lady to a bunch of youngsters!

Maybe she saw something in me. Going in I didn't know what a geometry was. But suddenly I came to realize, this is something I can actually use! I devoured the information, asked a lot of questions, which I came to realize that I was figuring out stuff that was still to come later in the year.

It didn't matter what was happening in the class, if someone had a legitimate question, she would stop what she was doing and explain it, even if it was mid term/final exam, you got an explanation instead of a failing grade!

One of the few teachers I had that seemed to really care about the students.

I am who I am because I was the oldest grandson on both sides. I spent most of my time with both of my Grandpas learning multiple trades. They both had to make a living and raise a family during the Great Depression. As a result both could make anything out of nothing and they passed those skills onto me. Then in High School I had an excellent math and science teacher who encouraged me to excel in those areas which put me in an electronics engineering college. Once again I was given a chance to work on several specials projects by the man who taught me my electronics in college. And last but not lest Mom & Dad. Mom taught me business and Dad the discipline needed to accomplish my goals.

My father was a good, honest man and a farmer. I learned soo much from him. And my maternal grandfather was a basket maker. I spent a lot of time with him also. Today, I could make/weave a basket, starting with a 12-14 inch black ash... or even redo an old style chair bottom.

Unfortunately today the school teachers are so hampered by lib and socialist thinking they are slapped down if they show any initiative. I know three teachers who quit because of this pc garbage. If a teacher ffty years ago was hit by a kid that kid got creamed. Now a kid hits a teacher the kids grab their phones and cheer him on!

Theres a saying, Ive heard a couple of times - My Dad taught me what to do, my Mom taught me who to be. They were/are my biggest influences in my life. Others that come to mind - my grandparents on my mothers side. (Dads mom and dad had died when he was very young, so I never knew them.)They taught me the value of family. A guy I use to work with, Pop, taught me the value of friendship no matter what color they are. My old neighbor Rick, who passed a few years ago, taught me some of the history of IH, since he worked for them, and taught me patience in life. Lastly, my wife. She still teaches me that life goes on, even after tragedy.

My Uncle Charlie was the man who I admired and trusted the most in my life. He was like a father to me, had a dairy farm and taught me what it meant to work hard, be responsible, be a man, and most of all -- how to have fun and enjoy life. His wife Mildred was equally outstanding, she could not have children so they had foster children come and stay and work on the farm and eventually adopted one of them. I cherished every moment I spent with them and miss them, they passed away a few years ago. They were a Godsend to me, because I grew up in a family with constant trouble caused by mental illness in both my father and brother. Tried so hard to love them and tolerate the chaos but had to disconnect because they began to destroy the relationship with my own wife and kids. Now, my wife and girls are 'mentoring' me on how to how love and trust again at 61.

There was a dirty old hermit that lived about 3 miles up on a back dirt road from us. Us boys and a neighbor boy would sneak off and ride up to his place. He farmed a little with a hand start JD D and a JD B. We thought he was a great man because he would let us swear and smoke cigarettes and he would give us hard cider to drink and he would tell us the most wild lies you ever heard but we believed every thing he said. We found out later when we finally grew up that he was just a lonesome old hermit and we were not to believe him. And none of us boys ever took to drinking or smoking. Some of us may cuss sometimes but at the time we sure liked him. He is dead and gone now. I think they had to hire pallbearers to carry him out. . The Old Scovy.

I guess Ron Gover would be the teacher for me. His farm was across from my mothers family farm so I knew him and his dad. Ron ran a dairy farm on a shoestring budget for years then got out and raised holstein bull calves and worked in a factory. For years I did his chores when he took a day off. He was an excellent manager and cowman but never had the capital or borrowing capacity to really succeed.Later he helped me get into the factory where he worked where I became his leadhand for awhile.We both worked steady nights and rode together for years.He was generous with his advise learned the hard way.

Ron's family moved to the farm during the depression from the city.Ron's grandfather worked for the railroad and Ron's dad learned to farm from my great grandfather who was considered a skilled farmer and dairyman.

He qualified for a review of his operation through some sort of program and implemented most of the recommendations and passed on the findings to me. The review said he could buy his corn as cheap as growing it 7 years out of 10 and he rented out the farm and found the advise to be true.

Sadly he died of pancreatic cancer much too young.Incidentally the same year I lost my father and maternal grandfather. Through Ron I learned something about farming and life every night on the drive to work including some of my great grandfathers wisdom I would not have otherwise known. His son became on electrician and moved out west to the oilsands. I have left a flower on Ron.s grave on fathers day the same as for my father and grandfathers.

My uncle Ken. He always had time for me and my brothers. My Dads time was spent in the bar. Ken would take us swimming and let us work on the farm at our own pace. He pushed if needed be at getting the crops in or the cows milked on time. He had time to explain things how they worked. He is in his 80's now and I thanked him last year for every thing he taught me. It made his day as well as mind.