The Citizen, 2013-09-05, Page 11THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013. PAGE 11.
A tractor that Auburn’s Bill
Andrews gave to his son Todd in the
1990s will play a key role in this
year’s reunion of the Huron Pioneer
Thresher and Hobby Association.
This year’s featured tractor is a
1950 Oliver 77 Standard, which is
owned by Adam Henderson of
Brucefield. With Olivers being
celebrated at the reunion this year,
Andrews’ 1942 Oliver 80 Standard
should fit right in.
“Going to the reunion every year
is a must for me,” Todd said in an
interview with The Citizen. “It’s
truly a family tradition for me,
so not going is not an option
for me.”
Todd clarifies his statement,
saying that it’s not because he feels
he has to go to the reunion that he
goes, but that year after year,
because of the tradition of his family
and the reunion, he feels
“compelled” to go every year.
He says two tractors, the other a
1945 John Deere D given to his
brother Michael, and Bill’s 1911
Case steam engine, are three pieces
of antique farm equipment that Todd
just knows will be passed down
through the generations of his
family.
“There has never been any chatter
of selling them,” Todd said. “It’s not
a monetary thing, it’s a family pride
thing.”
The tractor first came into the
family in the mid-1970s, Todd says,
when his grandfather, Warner
Andrews, purchased it for $25
during a trip to western Canada.
Bill, alongside Todd’s uncle Bruce
Thomson, brought the tractor back
to Auburn where Bill would restore
it over the years.When Warner passed away in1990, the tractor was then gifted to
Todd. The tractor still stays with Bill
in Auburn, as Todd lives and works
in Whitby, which is not the most
tractor-friendly community in the
Durham Region.
The annual reunion has been a
tradition in the Andrews family for
over 50 years. Warner had been
involved with the group since the
reunion began over 50 years ago.
Bill has been involved for nearly 45
years, which is evident when
viewing his collection of Thresher
memorabilia and antique farm
equipment.
He proudly displays his vast
collection of material. One
indication of the time Bill has spent
volunteering with the association is
his display case of Threshers
member ribbons, which has a
steady string of ribbons dating back
to the 1970s and is current up to
2012.
Bill is looked at by the Threshers
as one of the organization’s true
historians, collecting everything he
could get his hands on for the over
40 years he has been involved.
In 2011, when the reunion
celebrated its 50th year, Andrews’
work shed was the site of several
tours to help recognize the
milestone. It also marked the 100th
birthday of his 1911 Case steam
engine, which made its first
appearance at the annual Thresher
reunion in 1974.
First purchased by Warner in
1968, again on his annual trip to
western Canada, Warner and Bill
spent several years restoring the
steam engine before its firstappearance in Blyth in 1974.Bill has been modest about his
collection, saying in past interviews
that he’s simply collecting as much
as he can so his children have more
to clean up when he “croaks”, but it
has been clear in recent years that his
collection is a true gem that is
something to cherish to the
association and its members. It
serves as the closest thing the
association has to a museum.
Bill’s collection began when his
father left some steam engine parts
in the shop one day and Bill hung
them up to display. The collection
has been foolishly, according to Bill,
growing ever since.
It was easy for Bill to collect,
through his extensive involvement
with the Threshers association and
his decades of working at
Champion. He insists, however, that
his collection isn’t growing – rather
his workshop is somehow getting
smaller.
His workshop is also home to
many memories, including several
pictures of a project he undertook
for a cousin. His cousin owned a
steam engine for years, but had
never restored it to a point where it
would run.
That’s where Bill came in. He
worked on the engine when his
cousin became sick and was given
just months to live. He was able to
get it running just over a week
before his cousin would eventually
pass away.
Being able to get the engine
running so his cousin could see it
before he died gives him a
tremendous sense of pride, Bill says.
Andrews’ gift to son on display this weekend
Jewitt welcomes
all to jam sessions
From father to son
Bill Andrews, pictured above with his son Todd’s 1942 Oliver 80 Standard, has been actively
involved with the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association for decades. Andrews gifted
the above tractor to his son Todd in 1990, gifting a 1945 John Deere D to his other son Michael
at the same time. Todd, Bill and the Oliver, which is the featured tractor brand at this year’s
reunion, will be attending the festivities this weekend. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
Back through the years
Auburn’s Bill Andrews is seen here in his work shed, which serves as the closest thing the
Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association has to a museum. He proudly displays his
years of ribbons from being involved with the association and its annual reunion. He has
ribbons displayed from last year all the way back to the mid-1970s. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
Continued from page 10
book with their contact information.
“Later on, I was watching the
funeral of Stompin’ Tom [Connors]
and there was Al playing,” he said.
“He was one of the guys who
stayed with Stompin’ Tom the whole
time.”
He said that Widmeyer’s presence,
alongside his own, at the Threshers
open mic and scheduled musical
entertainment events is a perfect
example of the level of
entertainment available there.
“You never know how much talent
is there until you show up and
listen,” he said.
The one thing that has always
surprised Jewitt about the events is
that people don’t realize, especially
with the music at the sheds
throughout the week before the other
events begin, they’re open to
everyone.
“Anyone can come, whether they
are from the campgrounds or not,”
he said. “Everyone can come and
enjoy the music in the sheds.”
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Threadville Mysteries
Stitches with a Twist
519-523-9449
Blyth, Ont.
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen