N Tractor Club Obituaries

Palmer Fossum

Palmer Alvin Fossum was born November 17, 1927 , at his mother’s home place in Wheatland Township , Rice County , Minnesota , to Bennie and Bertha (Paulsen) Fossum. He was baptized and confirmed at Trondhjem Lutheran Church in Lonsdale and was raised on a farm West of Trondhjem Church in Forest Township . He attended District 107 county school near Trondhjem Church and graduated from Northfield High School in 1946.

After his education he worked on the farm until he was drafted into the US Army in May 1954. Following basic training he returned on furlough and married Harriet Jorgensen on July 31, 1954 at Farmington Lutheran Church . Shortly after marriage he left for Korea where he worked as a mechanic supervisor in the motor pool. Following his discharge they lived a year in Farmington . Harriet’s family then sold their farm and Palmer and Harriet took over the Fossum Farm at Lonsdale.

In 1964 they bought their current farm just east of Northfield . Together they farmed and milked cows, and in 1980, Palmer started his career with small Ford tractors, something he is well know for and has made him friends around the world. The Ford tractors became more than just a career - he loved what he did and was always willing to share his knowledge with anyone who asked or called. Although somewhat retired, he was still working until his health failed just a few weeks ago.

Palmer was a longtime member of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church , the Rice County Steam and Gas Club, Rice County Shipper’s Association, the Farmers Union, and as director emeritus for the National Ford Tractor Collectors Club. Palmer enjoyed animals and his Lutefisk. He was honest, fair, and had a good sense of humor. His family and friends were of greatest importance to him, and he took great pride in his children and grandchildren.

Survivors include his wife of 53 years, Harriet; 5 children: Carmen and husband Norman Sevcik, Loren and wife Anne, Layton and wife Lynn, Lowell and wife Loretta, Charlene Hamblin, all of Northfield; 8 grandchildren: Jeremy and Scott Sevcik, Lisa Skluzacek, Ben, Ashley, Justine and Miranda Fossum, Ethan Hamblin; 6 great-grandchildren: Tyler, Brookelyn, and Tanner Skluzacek, Courtney, Jacob and Madyson Sevcik; and other relatives and friends.

Palmer passed away Friday Morning, December 14, 2007 , at the Methodist Hospital in Rochester following a brief illness, at the age of 80.

Funeral services will be 11AM Wednesday, December 19, 2007 , at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Northfield with Rev. Craig Ellingboe officiating. Music will be provided by Donna Paulsen & Barb Moore. Interment with Military Honors will be in Oaklawn Cemetery . Casket bearers will be Dan Coffman, Kevin Fossum, Robert Ohmann, Erling Halverson, Chris Peterson and Richard Volkert. Honorary casket bearers will be Doug Fossum, Keith Kvistad, Roger Paulsen, Milo Quinnell, Richard Reller and Frank Skluzacek. Visitation will be 4-8PM Tuesday, December 18, 2007at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church and will continue on Wednesday one hour prior to the funeral.

Memorials are preferred to the Trondjhem Community Preservation Society, the Rice County Gas & Steam Club, or St. Peter’s Lutheran Church .

Arrangements are with the Benson & Langehough Funeral Home.

John Mark Bower

John Bower, age 56, died suddenly on Monday, March 17th. Survived by his wife of 26 years, Jerelyn, daughter Katie, son Mark of Sarasota, Florida, parents Erwin & Evelyn Bower, sister Dena (Keith), brother Kirk, all of Flushing, Michigan; also many friends and family. Preceded in death by his daughter, Alisa. John was a hard worker, devoted father, and loving husband. Memorial service, Tuesday 1:30 pm , St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church, Chatfield and Pierce, Littleton . Memorial contributions can be made to a worthy cause of donor's choice.

Ross Fillmore Pugh Jr.

1945 - 2008
Age: 62
Address: 723 Morgan Ave. , Asheboro, NC
Date, Place of Death: Died Saturday, August 23, 2008 at his residence
Funeral Time & Day: 11 am , Tuesday
Place: Loflin Funeral Home Chapel
Concucted By: Rev. A. J. Kendrick
Burial: Sunset Knoll Cemetery
Background Information: Native of Randolph County and was retired from NC
Department of Transportation

Survivors Are:
Wife: Frances Via Pugh
Daughters: Donna Elaine Pugh Luther, of Ramseur
Step-Daughter: Tina Gilmore, of Asheboro
Grandchildren: 4

Gary E. Chiz

Chiz - Gary E. January 28, 2010; husband of Rebecca (Dirschberger); father of Aaron Chiz and Jason Rowley; brother of Mark Chiz. The family will be present Sunday 11:00 AM-12:00 Noon at the JOHN E. ROBERTS FUNERAL HOME (Amherst Chapel) 280 Grover Cleveland Hwy. at N. Bailey (same location as Harry A. Wedekindt Funeral Home) immediately followed by a Memorial Service at 12:00 Noon. Friends invited.

Carl J. Davis

Carl J. Davis, 68, of Berrien Center, died Monday, September 27, 2010, at Lakeland Regional Medical Center in St. Joseph.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, October 1, at the Berrien Center Bible Church, with Pastor Mark Smith officiating. Burial will follow in Caldwell Cemetery, Eau Claire. Friends are invited to visit with the family from 4-8 p.m. Thursday, September 30, at the Bowerman Funeral Home in Eau Claire. Online messages for the family may be left at www.allredfuneralhome.com. Memorial donations in Carl’s name may be made to the Central County Center for Senior Citizens in Berrien Springs.

Carl was born August 6, 1942, in Traverse City, Mich., the son of Stewart and Delia (Bancroft) Davis. He married Janet Rodell on April 4, 1964, in Eau Claire. He worked for Berrien County Farm Bureau Oil for 33 years as an agricultural technician. During part of that time, from 1977 to 1992, he also worked with his brother Max at Max’s garage, where he became known as the Diesel Doctor. Carl was a Ford tractor enthusiast; he was director of the Ford Tractor Association of Michigan, was a member of the Tin Lizzy Club, and a member of the Hartford Antique Tractor Club.

He is survived by his wife, Janet; daughter, Kimberly (David) Armstrong of Berrien Center; son, Gregory (Leslie) Davis of Bridgman; grandchildren—Bryan Lee and Eric Jay Armstrong, and Michael, Carlie and Paige Davis; great-grandson, Ivan Webberling; twin sister, Carol (Roy) Thorne of Morrice, Michigan; brother, Max (Marge) Davis of Berrien Center; and his mother-in-law, Marian Rodell; as well as many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Harold L. Brock

Harold L. Brock of Waterloo, Iowa died at his home January 2, 2011 at age 96. He was born November 23, 1914 to Edgar and Ada Grace Snedegar Brock in Clarksburg, WV, but spent his formative years in the Detroit, MI area.

On June 19, 1937 in Detroit, he married Juliette “Judy” S. Brower, who died February 27, 1990 in Waterloo. He married Kathleen Sheehan in Waterloo on July 1, 1991, and she died April 14, 2010.

Harold was also preceded in death by his sister Mildred Bruce and brother Lynwood Brock. He is survived by his son Robert (Pat) Brock of Waterloo; daughter Barbara Brock, roommate Judy Franzen of New Lenox, IL; daughter Kathleen (Jerry) Wilharm of Maryville, TN; 4 granddaughters: Kathryn “Katie” Olenek, Sara (Matt) Doede, Kari (Bobbi Streeter) Brock-Streeter, and Erin Brock; four great-grandsons: Ryan and Kyle Olenek, Alec and Eric Doede.

As a child, Harold Brock’s family moved to the Washington DC area, then to the Detroit region. In 1929 at age 15, Harold left traditional schooling to enter the Ford Trade and Apprentice School in Dearborn, MI. There he met founder Henry Ford, who became his mentor and introduced him to the great thinkers and inventors of the day. Harold met or worked with men such as Thomas Edison, George Washington Carver, Harvey Firestone, Luther Burbank, Harry Ferguson, Lee Iacocca, Edsel Ford and Henry Ford II.

Harold began his career at Ford working on car and truck design. By 1938 Mr. Ford chose Harold to spearhead the design and production of the revolutionary Ford 9N tractor, which was accomplished in six months. Harold continued to provide innovations for Ford for over 28 years, except for the World War II years when he turned his focus to the design of the Jeep which was originally Ford’s design. He also redesigned the front armor and drive systems for the Sherman tanks.

He joined the design team at the John Deere Tractor Works in Waterloo in 1959. He became the Director of Tractor Research and later the first Worldwide Manager of Product Engineering. He headed the design group for the Deere 4020 tractor, which has influenced tractor design ever since. He retired in February 1980, but served as a global consultant and, in the 1980s, assisted in a joint effort between Deere and Yanmar.

Harold Brock was a past president of SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) and founder of the Mississippi Valley Section of SAE. He was also member and Fellow of the ASABE (American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers).

Remembering the training and education he received from Ford, in 1965 Harold was one of four community leaders who lobbied the Iowa legislature to establish the Hawkeye Institute of Technology. He was instrumental in building the campus south of Waterloo and later expanding its focus to become Hawkeye Community College. He was involved with the school for 45 years, serving as a member of the Board of Trustees and the Hawkeye Foundation, many of those years as Board Chairman.
He was a founding board member of Junior Achievement in Waterloo, and also was on the board of the Grout Museum, Cedar Valley Hospice and other community organizations. Harold served on numerous state and national committees and advisory boards, including Iowa Work Force Development.

In recent years, Harold focused his energies on sharing the history he had witnessed. He wrote the book “The Fords in My Past” and co-authored or contributed to several books and video projects on the history of tractors and agriculture. He was called on often as a guest speaker for wide-ranging audiences, from fellow engineers and business leaders, to antique collectors and school children.

Much has been written and spoken about Harold Brock’s accomplishments. He was well-recognized in the Waterloo region, state of Iowa, nationwide and internationally, receiving numerous awards and honors, including the Cyrus Hall McCormick Jerome Increase Case Gold Medal Award in 2008 and in 2010 an Honorary Doctor of Science Degree from Iowa State University.

Books, internet blogs, and publications about tractors, agriculture or automotive engineering are filled with references to Harold Brock, using terms like “legend” and “innovator.” Folks who actually spoke with Harold recall him as “amazingly accessible” and “humble,” while generous with his time and genuine in his interest for others. He lived the philosophies of Henry Ford about reaching out to youth, and continuing to learn to stay young in mind.

Harold’s family and friends will remember a quiet, spiritual man who was soft-spoken and gentle. He was a valued source of advice for many with his consistent, confident, and caring views on life’s challenges.

He was a man of diverse tastes. He enjoyed shopping on Chicago’s State Street but preferred his local K-Mart, which grew from the stores founded in Detroit by his Sunday school teacher, S.S. Kresge. He was at ease in the country club, but looked forward to his next fast-food burger, or the next taco with extra hot sauce. For many years his Christmas dinner table included a large bowl of pinto beans and raw onions to remind the family of their humble beginnings, but guests could also enjoy meat from the grill.

He had a quick wit and a sharp memory, and loved sharing stories of his days with the influential men most people only know from history books. He also enjoyed family fishing trips to Gull Lake in Minnesota, outings to Chicago, and his many trips to Japan.

Music was part of Harold’s life, whether it was attending concerts involving his children or grandchildren, symphony concerts, barbershop shows, or organ recitals. Throughout much of his life, he entertained himself and family members sitting at the Hammond organ in his home.

In December, he issued his first and only Christmas letter. It focused on his love for his extended family, and gave thanks for those caring for him. He closed his letter by saying “Historians now have a chance to judge my contributions to building a better world for others.” Those who knew him say a resounding “Job well done!”

Services: Saturday, January 15, 2011 at First Congregational United Church of Christ 608 West 4th St. Waterloo
Visitation: Friday, January 14, 2011 at Locke Funeral Home
Cemetery: Memorial Park Cemetery Waterloo
Memorials: Brock Family Scholarship; Hawkeye Community College, Junior Achievement of Waterloo, or to the church.

Articles:
Engineering Pioneer, Hawkeye Comm. College Founder Harold Brock Dies
Founding Father of Hawkeye Community Colleges Dies at the Age of 96
Harold Brock Lifetime of Community Involvement