In November of 1994 I was telling a friend of mine about my search and asked him if he knew of any 44's for sale thinking I was going to have to settle for  a different 44.  He told me of one that was located about 30 miles from our home.  I called this person and after talking a while and backtracking, I learned that this was the "gal" I had been looking for.
I asked if he would sell and he said he would.  I did not sleep much that night.

The next morning I struck out to see for the first time a part of  my fathers past that I had heard so much about , but had never seen. When I arrived, I found a 44 that was in dire need of alot of TLC and I knew just the place that it could get it!

We put a battery in it, a splash of gas, and what do you know.... I drove it on its own power on the trailer.  At this time I asked that man what he wanted for it.  We settled and I brought her home.  I hid it in our shop and asked my dad to go and see the surprise I had for him for an early Christmas present. When he saw it he said " why'd you go and buy that thing, I used to have one just like it".  I replied "I know you did and this is it".

At that time neither he nor I could hardly talk we were so emotional.  He pointed out different things that he had done to the tractor trying to convince himself that I had infact not brought  home his old tractor.  But he and I both knew the truth.  We started at the front tires and went out the end of the drawbar.

My father died in July of 1996.  I am 31 years old and will always have a memory of the joy that I brought to him on that day and how proud he was to show and drive what he made the start of a successful farming career on.

Thank you for listening.  I hope that others  have the chance to reward their fathers and forefathers the way that I was allowed to.