Myersdale FFA Presents Scholarships, Awards
GAY BROWNLEE
Somerset Co. Correspondent
MEYERSDALE (Somerset
Co.) - "Our objective is to recog
nize academics in our chapter,"
Meyersdale FFA adviser Jim
Stutzman told 200 members and
guests, after announcing that
about $l,OOO would be divided
among the scholarship awards
and plaques his students were
about to receive.
County Record Book results
were Bill Sines, first, off farm 0-
400 hours; Jason Knotts, first,
beef production and a state
bronze medal; Kristi Michael,
second, on-farm 0-400 hours;
David Crissinger, first, on-farm
800-1200 hours and state silver
medal; Philip Petenbrink, sec
ond, on-farm 1600 hours and
state bronze medal; and Matt
Emerick, second, entrepreneur
ship.
Beef production awards were
presented to Don Miller,
Gretchen Vought, and Jason
Knotts.
Dairy production awards
were received by Eric Murray,
Philip Petenbrink, Kristi
Michael, and Keith Walker.
Eric Murray and Philip
Antique Collectors Keep Farm History Alive
(Continued from Page B 2)
also has several John Deere
marbles from the 1960'5.
The McMath milk bottle col
lection includes favorites from
local dairies such as
Singingbrook Farm in Imler,
Kanagy's Superior in Big Valley,
Lewistown Pure Milk Company,
Royal Dairy in Lewistown, Kay-
Vee in Belleville, Morrison's
Cove Dairy embossed with a
cow's head, and Shirley-Ayr
Farms, a dairy that bottled milk
from the early 1930 s until the
1980 s. Shirley-Ayr stores were
located in Huntingdon,
Lewistown, and Altoona. His
Purity (Lewistown) bottle with a
baby face had been delivered to
families with a newborn.
McMath said new milk bottles,
made to look old, have no lip in
which to fit a cap.
A glass case helps to protect
Jim and Barb's collection of
antique farm toys. Their oldest
toy is a steel-wheel Fordson with
a man sitting in the seat, made
in the early 1900 s. Their collec
tion includes three or four of the
first toys made; a Ferguson, a
Minneapolis-Moline, a John
Deere with rubber wheels, and
Petenbrink received the dairy
show awards.
David Crissinger, in the Fall
Skills Contest was second in
tractor driving.
In the county FFA Public
Speaking Contest, Gretchen
Vought was first in prepared;
Josh Slifco, second in creed
speaking; and Matt Emerick,
first in conversation.
Citrus sale awards went to
David Crissinger, Justin
Shawley, Bill Deal, Crystal
Bittner, Bill Sines, Kristina
Platter, Matt Emerick, Tom
Sanner, Louis Neimiller, Danny
Artice, Charlie Teets, and Brett
Boyce.
Flower Bulb sale award
recipients were David
Crissinger, Bill Deal, Neil
Blank, Crystal Bittner, Mandy
Decker, Eric Murray, Dan
Miller, Matt Gauntz, Tom
Sanner, Danny Artice, Travis
Smith, and Josh Silfko.
Rick Boder, David Crissinger,
and Bill Deal each received the
Keytone Degree.
Receiving the Chapter
Degree were Dara Arnold;
Valerie Bender, Matt Emerick,
Matt Gauntz, Jason Knotts,
The McMath's built more shelves to accommodate their line of farm toys.
an old salesman sampler walk
ing plow.
Jim collects signs and sale
bills too. One posted dated 1940
lists items for sale at his grand
father's public auction W. L.
McMath and Sons. A Hartzler
sale poster is dated in the early
19205.
Jim McMath purchased his
first new 1962 tractor, a 4-cylin
der John Deere 2010, on his first
wedding anniversary, almost
causing a divorce in the process!
He's restored 10 John Deere one
Oliver three Ferguson tractors,
and a 1950 Ford truck.
"I'm partial to John Deere
because they don't lose their
value. They actually increase.
Some of these old tractors have
doubled, even tripled, in worth. I
just like to hear that old putt
putt sound!”
He's also collected John
Deere 2-way horse plows, a
horse cultivator, a rope hay
loader, single-row potato
planter, a ground-driven corn
binder, and lots more. He
received a letter in 1987 from
Robert Hanson, chairman of the
John Deere Company, for restor
ing his first tractor.
"When I'm working on a trac
Recipients of the first ice awards at the Meyersdale FFA Parent-Member Banquet, front
from left, are Dan Miller, Crytal Bittner, Gretchen Vought, and Tonya Banner, Chapter
Sweetheart. In back are David Crissinger, Dan Artice, and Matt Emerick.
were Danny Artice, Sean Brady, Swindell, Charlie Teets, and
David Harvey, Jeremy Jeremy Troutman.
Knieriem, Brett Boyce, Joshua Dara Arnold, Valerie Bender,
Slifco, Travis Smith, Tim
Brian McKenzie, Dan Miller.
Philip Petenbrink, Tom Sanner,
Earl Shaffer, and Kristi Michael-
Greenhand Degree recipients
tor, I forget about everything
else. It's relaxing," states Jim.
His former hired man of 32
years, Gary Love, helped restore
six of the tractors.
"It keeps Jim out of trouble,"
Barb laughs. "The boys help too.
There's a lot of togetherness. I
just ring the dinner bell if I need
them."
The McMath's have raised six
children; Pam, Stephanie, Jim
11, Bessie, Bill and Dustin. The
youngest still hives at home Jim
and Barb. Their son Jim 11, lives
nearby, milks mornings and
evenings, helps manage the
herd, and raises more than 400
bred heifers a year. Jim and
Barb own three farms for a total
of 780 acres (300 tillable). They
milk 150 head with the help of
full-time hired man George
Secrest.
Jim and Barb were instru
mental in starting the
Huntingdon County Farm
Museum, at the fairgrounds
near Huntingdon. Only open fair
week in August, the McMath's
and helpers start to prepare the
displays of more than 1,500
items early in July. He takes dis
play cases filled with antique
farm implements, many were
~ ;* vx
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* * 4
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used in an East Broadtop . ers (three brothers) married
Railroad documentary movie in three sisterBi We aU Uved
October of 1994. one-half mile of each other, and
Collecting antiques and par- all had large families. But in the
ticipating in a documentaiy are 19305) we had only one car
two of the many ways of pre- between all of us. Whoever got
serving history. Retelling old to the car first on Sunday morn
stories in another. ing went to church!"
"My dad and two of his broth-
Barb holds a sale bill for her great-uncle Israel Shapiro
who had a store in Orbisonia. Her grandfather came from
Russia.
(Turn to Pago B 15)