Tractors, family and tears.
Funny how they often come together. I was reminded of the fact last Wednesday at the 2018 Farm Progress Show in Boone, IA. The on site auction for Van Wall Equipment was about to start when a guy approached me, "Pete, I'm Monte Boevers. You wrote a story about my dad's Oliver 2255 tractor."
I remember...very well.
Monte's father Jerry Boevers farm estate auction in Readlyn, IA was on March 17, 2012. Jerry Boevers was known locally as "Mr. Oliver". He had worked at the White Farm Equipment plant in Charles City, IA from October 1962 until August 1993. He was employee No. 1609. Jerry Boevers had a number of immaculate Oliver tractors on his estate auction.
Pristine.
His 1973 Oliver 2255 front-wheel assist with 4,844 hours sold for $28,500, then a record high auction sale price on a 2255. Here's a picture of it:
The day after the auction I blogged about the Jerry Boevers farm estate auction and highlighted the record sale price of $28,500 on Jerry's 1973 model 2255. The next day, March 19, 2012, I received an email from Monte Boevers:
"I am Monte Boevers, the youngest son of Jerry Boevers. His farm estate sale was March 17, 2012. I appreciate you mentioning his farm estate sale in your article today. I watched everything sell on Saturday with no problem. I honestly did not drop a tear until reading your article. My father passed away from pancreatic cancer on October 2, 2011. He was an Oliver man through and through."
"Thanks again for your article. You made me very proud of my father."
Monte and I had corresponded by email over the years, but had never met. Until last Wednesday at the Farm Progress Show. We chatted a bit and he mentioned his father's 1973 Oliver 2255 was actually on display on Antique Row at the farm show. It is now owned by Mark Happel of Vinton, IA. Here's a picture of Monte Boevers with his dad's old '73 Oliver 2255:
That $28,500 record high sale price was tied on a March 27, 2014 farm auction in Fremont, Neb. where the Oliver 2255 front-wheel assist pictured below, with 3,718 hours also went for $28,500:
$28,500 stood as the record high auction price until the October 7, 2017 Dumont collector auction in Sigourney, IA by my friends at Aumann Auctions where another 1973 model front-wheel assist, this one with 4,109 hours, sold for $40,950. Here's a picture:
Highest Auction Prices on Oliver 2255 Tractors
* Data by http://www.MachineryPete.com
Was great to finally meet you last week Monte and great to see your dad's 1973 Oliver 2255 up close. Still a thing of beauty. Know that your father was smiling down on you. Proud indeed.