Jesse and Grandpa’s Tractor Time

When my Grandson, Jesse, was less than a year old he began to ride with me on our tractors, and you could see the smile show his joy in anything tractor. He was born with a heart issue and spent a lot of time in and out of the hospital, but when he came home he was ready for a tractor ride.

We had a Kubota cab tractor, John Deere skid steer, Farmall H, and I bought a Farmall Cub just for him. He loved to work on the tractors, fix flat tires, and bush hog the pastures. Every Friday at the end of a long work week, I would get a cold beer, Jesse would get a Root Beer and we would ride the tractors, he called it Tractor Beer Friday. This became a tradition that I will always cherish because Jesse passed away recently at 4 ½ years old from a ruptured artery.

He may not physically be with me but he is always riding with me on the Farmall Cub, observing Tractor Beer Friday.

Thomas R. Shirley
Pendleton, South Carolina

If you would like to send in a story with photo(s) about an experience with your tractor, interesting facts about its history, or a restoration project,  please go to Tractor Story Submissions. If your story is picked to appear on the blog you will receive a FREE Steiner hat. Some stories will also go on to be published in our quarterly magazine. We look forward to hearing your story!