To celebrate 100 years of agricultural education at Stilwell High School in Stilwell, Okla., Stilwell FFA completed a project that not only honored a beloved former advisor but also brought an important piece of the community’s agricultural history back to life.
Together, Stilwell FFA members restored a 1948 Farmall H tractor owned by the late Colbert Starr, who served as a chapter advisor for nearly 40 years and spearheaded the design of the classrooms and the animal science lab in the school’s agricultural education building.
“Mr. Starr’s family generously donated his tractor for us to restore, and the students were so excited,” says Thomas Parker, Stilwell FFA advisor. “They wanted to make his family proud.”
Although none of the current Stilwell FFA members had the opportunity to meet Mr. Starr, his legacy has lived on through shared stories that paint a vivid picture of the impact he made during his life.
“It’s impossible to accurately describe what Mr. Starr meant to our chapter and community,” says Chandler Trentham, Stilwell FFA secretary. “My dad knew Mr. Starr and has always spoken so highly of him, and that’s the case with everyone who knew him. When we found out we were getting to work on his tractor, we couldn’t wait to get started.”
In addition to completing cosmetic repairs and updates, chapter members put their ag mechanics skills to work, restoring the tractor’s transmission and ensuring the engine ran properly.
“We had about 50 students working on the tractor at different times throughout the project, and I can honestly say they did it all,” Parker says. “They had guidance and support, but the students put in the work.”
Their work paid off. Stilwell FFA members drove the restored tractor in the Stilwell Strawberry Festival parade May 14.
“We promised the Starr family we would have the tractor ready in time for the festival, and we made it happen,” Trentham says. “It ran beautifully with no technical difficulties and looked amazing. That was a proud moment for all of us.”
Mr. Starr’s tractor will soon have a new owner, with plans in the works to sell it as a fundraiser for the chapter’s next restoration project.
“This experience was unforgettable, and I’m so thankful for the opportunity,” Trentham says. “We came together as a chapter, worked hard and learned a lot in the process.”
