1964 ALLIS-CHALMERS D17

1964

Used

600A

Farmer Retirement Spotlight: John Aden John Aden�s farming career started when he was just 11 years old. Junior Retcher gave him a chance to work around the farm, and before long, he was hooked. Junior didn't just give John a job. He gave him a start in farming. Those early years taught him how to work, introduced him to lifelong friends, and eventually paid for something he had dreamed about. His first car. A 1964 Chevy. John laughs that he had 1,400 hours in it. He made $1 an hour, and the car cost $1,400. Not long after, he and his brother started farming his mother's 80 acres. In 1966, John bought his first tractor, an Allis-Chalmers D17. It wasn't just another tractor. That same D17 had belonged to the Retcher family. It's even the tractor pictured in one of Dave Retcher's earliest childhood photos, sitting proudly in the seat as a young boy. The two families' stories have been connected ever since. Long before they farmed together, John used to babysit Dave while Dave's mom went to card night and his dad, Junior, worked third shift. Most evenings were spent playing basketball in the loft of the pig barn. Before John left for the night, he'd draw the hands on a clock so five-year-old Dave would know when it was time to wake his dad. Basketball was a big part of John's life, too. He played on one of the best Oakwood Bobcat teams in school history, finishing 23-3 before their tournament run ended against Crestview. John was quick to point out that his job wasn't to score. His role was to play defense and get the ball to teammates like Marv Retcher, Jim Mowery, and Doug Klinger. After graduation, John worked at Dinner Bell before hiring into General Motors in 1972. Like so many Northwest Ohio farmers, the �day job� and the farm went hand in hand. The steady paycheck helped buy equipment, helped buy farmland, and gave him the opportunity to keep building the farming operation he loved. One of the first farms he purchased came while he wasn't even at the auction. Instead, he was at an Oakwood baseball game watching his son play while his father-in-law did the bidding. Looking back, John says his biggest regret was not buying Elmer Lane's 80 acres with Dave. But when asked what he's most proud of, he doesn't talk about the farms he bought or the machinery he owned. He talks about the people. Junior Retcher, who gave him an opportunity and helped him get started. Dave Retcher and Don Johnson, neighbors who were always willing to lend a hand. John said the struggles of farming became a lot easier because he wasn't going through them alone. Having neighbors and friends you could count on made all the difference. One of the photos John shared shows him harvesting wheat with the combine he purchased from Dave. Another shows him standing beside a grain drill that he and Don co-owned. Those photos are a reminder that farming has never just been about the equipment. It's also about the people who share the work, help each other through the difficult seasons, and celebrate the good ones together. John retired from General Motors in 2008, but farming remained a part of life. Today, golf fills a little more of his time, though there are still a few tractors in the shed that are hard to part with. After spending a morning with John, it's easy to understand why. Every piece of equipment has a story. And behind so many of those stories are the people who helped write them. At Limber Auctioneers, we don't just want your auction to be successful. We want your last day farming to be remembered. Thank you, John, for allowing us to share yours.