Thursday, March 29, 2012

KOWZ Home and Recreation Show, Owatonna

KOWZ, a radio station based in Owatonna, sponsored a Home and Recreation Show at the Four Seasons Arena in Owatonna last weekend. The event ran Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and featured many displays for the home and recreational items, including boats.

A special feature in the show was Lee Sackett, who owns Lee. J. Sackett, Inc., assembling a 1949 8N Ford that he and his workers restored over the past few months. The tractor was purchased and donated by KOWZ to be given away  at a free registration drawing at Farmfest 2012 at the Gilfillan Estates near Redwood Falls this summer. Lee donated his time to the project and local vendors donated the parts.
The 1949 Ford 8N restored by Lee Sackett and awaiting assembly on Friday, March 23, 2012
Some of the parts that will be installed are laid out in an organized fashion. 
Many more parts are in containers and will be laid out as needed.
It was fun watching Lee and Gordy, who both worked restoring my 8N, attach the parts.

 I talk to a customer by my book display and my newly restored 8N as Lee and Gordy work on assembling the 1949 8N behind me. Note the camera on tripod which is on the table by the Allis-Chalmers tractor. Lee videotapes the assembly and plays fast at shows he attends.
The lineup of tractors Lee has restored and displayed at the show

Gary is one of Lee's men who worked on the restoration of my tractor and he posed with me for a photograph in front of the my 8N. 
Tammy Barnes, a teacher who had arranged for me to visit St. Mary's School at Owatonna last December, recognized us and stopped to chat. Pictured above from left to right are Tammy's husband John, Ian, Colin, Tammy, and me. It's always a thrill for Nancy and me to meet students and teachers who remember our visit.
Lee Sackett's wife Shannon and their three daughters came to visit and help Lee with the assembly.
Their eldest daughter, Karrin, immediately selected my book, A Farm Country Halloween, from our display and began to read.
Lee and Shannon's six-year-old daughter Karrin settling in to read a story.

Several of the vendors nearby commented on how great it was to see the whole Sackett family working together on the tractors, and a couple mentioned that the children were the best-behaved they'd ever seen.
Although I suppose I have to give most of the credit to the parents, I mentioned that maybe the books and tractors had a positive influence.

The tractor as we left it on Friday (above),
and the tractor when we returned on Sunday (below).

On Saturday we attended a show at Cold Spring, which will be in my next blog, but when we returned to the Owatonna show on Sunday, the assembly of the 8N was completed. All that remained was the final touch of painting the "Ford" script on the side. This is a project Lee usually does himself and he saves it for last.
Lee very carefully follows the embossed script with his brush. This is tricky business, especially when people stop to watch, but Lee seems to stay focused on the project regardless. In fact, he actually seemed to welcome conversation with people who stopped by to chat as he painted.
 I talk to a customer (above) while Lee works on the other side of the tractor (below).

The Sackett Family. From left to right, Kenna on Shannon's shoulders, Karrin, and Lee holding Kelly.


Nancy and I thank KOWZ radio for sponsoring the event and Lee Sackett for displaying our 8N and having us display our books at his booth. We also thank all the people who stopped by to talk tractors and books, especially those who purchased one or more of our keepsake Collector Series, which I hope helps them pass their Farm Heritage on to the next generation with pride and love.

Photographs by Nancy A. Fredrickson

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