My family has been in the real estate and auction business since 1964. I grew up going to auctions on the weekends as a kid. One of my favorite memories was talking tractors with one of our Auctioneers, Gary Wooten. He wore a John Deere watch and his collection included a John Deere 40 that his family purchased new, a John Deere 520 and a John Deere H. When Gary passed away from cancer his family decided to keep the 40 in the family and sell the other two tractors along with his farm equipment. The day of the auction several people tried to get the 1940 John Deere H hand start to run, but no luck. My wife and I were fortunate to buy the tractor that day. After the auction, I walked up to the tractor and it fired on the first turn.
We got the tractor home and it spent a long stretch in a shed not running. One day I met Gary Reece at the dealership buying parts. Someone told me he was the man who could get our H running. Sure enough, after spending some time with another Gary, the H ran again.
Today the tractor stays in our shop, has raked hay and is driven around the farm as often as possible by our soon to be 12 year old son, Hudson. He loves the tractor like I do and says it will never be for sale. I have to agree with him. We hope to do a full restoration on the tractor soon as the engine is approaching needing an overhaul. As Hudson gets older he wants to take the H to shows. We have Two Cylinder documentation on the tractor, photos of Gary driving it in parades, notes from his family about the tractor and many family pictures of our own with Gary’s H.
The John Deere H reminds me of our friend. This tractor has had two great men who I respect a lot turn wrenches and keep it running. I hope it never leaves our family, but it will always be “Gary’s H.”
Dustin Rogers
Mount Airy, North Carolina
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