Bicentennial 41-, The McWilliams look back on 160 years of farm experiences GRAYSVILLE Paul and Nellie McWilliams have a combined total of over 150 years of farm experiences to look back on. Both were born in the 19th Century and they live on a farm which was deeded to the McWilliams family in 1845. Their history in Spruce Creek Valley dates back to 1790. A remarkable sense of humor very much a part of both their personalities, the Huntingdon County couple humorously describe the days when hunting and fishing were the only easy things about life on the farm. McWilliams will be 82 in July, his wife turns 80 later this month. They’ve been married for 57 years and are still fighting over who has the better baseball team Pittsburgh or Philadelphia. Active in farming ever since he was 10 years old, Mc- Williams says there was no such thing as “the good old days” in farming. But his wife says with a laugh: “If he ever quit, he’d be the most contrary man to live with you’d ever want to see. He’s out every morning clearing fence rows and cleaning things up... he can’t sit still for five minutes.” Indeed, the witty and wiry McWilliams doesn’t hesitate to tackle a field of bay all by himself. Working with an old baler and tractor which have seen seyeral decades of use, he has been making hay on his 305-acre farm year after year. He hopes to be back out again this year, although he admits he’s slowing down just a bit, and a double hernia bothers him. He loads, unloads, and stacks the crop by himself on many oc casions and even takes it to central Pennsylvania auctions on an old pickup truck throughout the Winter and Sprihg months. While trying to give the impression that things were too hard in fanning daring the first half of this century, Mc- Williams hasn’t made things as easy for himself as he could. Planning to Dig 780 EAST MAIN ST., NEW HOLLAND, PA 17557 717-354-4241 -FREE ESTIMATES feature By DIETER KRIEG I Continued o.i Page 67] Owners of a farm which has been in the same family since 1845, Paul and Nellie McWilliams have a combined total' of 160 years of farm life ex periences to look back on. Their verdict is that there was no such GiplbN PERFORMANCE TiT SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WOR DIPLOMAT Proven on thousands of dairy farms the world over. 200 to 1500 gallon sizes PATENTED, FULLY FLOODED GIRTON COLD PLATE —STAINLESS STEEL CON STRUCTION —LOW PRESSURE FREON 12, THE SAFE REFRIGERANT —URETHANE (FOAMED I PLACE) INSULATION AMBASSADOR The ultimate tank for the large, quality conscious dairy farmer 500 to 3000 gallon sizes. IN STOCK Lister Diesel LT - LR - SR - HR - VA Deutz Diesel F 2L 912 Heavy duty Gas & Kerosene water heaters. Your milk cooling equipment Dealer for 13 years. BYLER’S STAR ROUTE 655 BELLEVILLE, PA 17004 S.S. GIRTON MILK COOLERS • P.T.O. OR DIESEL DRIVE ALTERNATORS AUTOMATIC DIESEL ENGINE OR ELECTRIC OPERATION EQUIPMENT Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 10,1976 Contact Byler Before you buy COMPLETE SALES - SERVICE DIESEL & REFRIG. SHOP DISTRIBUTOR PENNSYLVANIA MOTOR OIL thing as “the good old days’’ in far ming. Both are still active and lively, and this year, as in past years, Mc- Williams will be bringing thousands of hay bales in by himself. He'll be 82 in July; she turns 80 later this month. ••••••••••• I STIHL CHAIN SAWS I LISTER & OEUTZ 55
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers