Gary Mitchell
Well-known Member
Arlen Mitchell 10 05 29---- 06 27 2025 Pleasant Hill, MO.
Pop bought a new Super H Farmall in 54 and pulled it locally. The first pulls were "stone boat " wooden sleds loaded with cinder blocks to add percentage. In 69 he bought an 88 Oliver at an auction. His first efforts to get better included a Corvair turbo and single side draft carb. He won his class at the Mo. State Fair in 69. He won there again on his 560 in 73. Eventually pulling evolved to the point that it was took too much money and trouble for a mail carrier with kids still at home to compete so he stopped pulling in 76. In 96 or 97 I had saved an old 44 Massey from a scrapper. He'd retired from the post office and just for grins he, along with mom, took that old 44 to the stock pull at the state fair and placed 4th out of 30 or so tractors in the class he pulled in. The antique/classic pulling bug bit him. He eventually pulled an 88 and C Farmall for the next several years. He had failing eyesight for a long time and finally in 2010, or 2011 I hauled him and his C to Sedalia for one last hurrah. He pulled in two classes and low and behold he placed in one and won the other one. How he managed to hook I couldn't tell you because he had lost enough vision that I had to load and unload for him. Anyway, he finished up a winner at 81 or 82 and darn near blind. Mom had gone on ahead 2021. He died yesterday at 95. The ones of us that are left were all there with him at home. It's still sinking in. I can't believe how much I miss him. gm
Pop bought a new Super H Farmall in 54 and pulled it locally. The first pulls were "stone boat " wooden sleds loaded with cinder blocks to add percentage. In 69 he bought an 88 Oliver at an auction. His first efforts to get better included a Corvair turbo and single side draft carb. He won his class at the Mo. State Fair in 69. He won there again on his 560 in 73. Eventually pulling evolved to the point that it was took too much money and trouble for a mail carrier with kids still at home to compete so he stopped pulling in 76. In 96 or 97 I had saved an old 44 Massey from a scrapper. He'd retired from the post office and just for grins he, along with mom, took that old 44 to the stock pull at the state fair and placed 4th out of 30 or so tractors in the class he pulled in. The antique/classic pulling bug bit him. He eventually pulled an 88 and C Farmall for the next several years. He had failing eyesight for a long time and finally in 2010, or 2011 I hauled him and his C to Sedalia for one last hurrah. He pulled in two classes and low and behold he placed in one and won the other one. How he managed to hook I couldn't tell you because he had lost enough vision that I had to load and unload for him. Anyway, he finished up a winner at 81 or 82 and darn near blind. Mom had gone on ahead 2021. He died yesterday at 95. The ones of us that are left were all there with him at home. It's still sinking in. I can't believe how much I miss him. gm
