Show T. T t. t s 1 r 4 4 1 f Ff 1 i w. w L. L GENE WEIST and Woodey B. B Searle inspect boxes of parts ready for shipping back to Valley Tractor the last farm implement dealership in Vernal has closed its doors There are still some things available says Gene and people can still order parts but its it's the end of an era in Vernal Valley Tractor is last of I farm fann dealers in Ashley Valley I The last farm machinery I shop in Vernal has closed its doors For 40 years Eugene Gene Weist of West South has served the people who live on the farms and ranches of the Uintah Basin not only as a dealer in farm parts and implements implements im im- im but as a mechanic Valley Tractor Sales adjoining adjoining ad ad- joining Searle Gas on the Maeser Highway has been the dealership for International Harvester for 20 years Now all the parts and farm equipment have been shipped back to International Harvester and for forthe forthe forthe the first time since the late Gene no longer holds the dealership for BORN IN Dry Fork Canyon in 1912 Gene became a school out drop at age 13 when his became seriously illI ill ill- I had no choice relates Gene Dad had made a contract contract con con- tract with the school board hauling coal to the Maeser Central and Glines Elemen Elemen- He couldn't do it so I 1 did The coal was hauled with team and wagon and nd took a good full day to get from the mines in Coal Mine Basin to the schools and unloaded The youngster would get up early enough to feed his team eat breakfast harness and hitch the horses to the wagon and be ready to leave by 5 am a.m. It was a along along along long days day's job Many times the teamsters walked to keep warm Gene couldn't remember for sure how much they were paid but he did remember that coal at the mine cost per ton He also recalled that there were three to four mines in operation in the valley then Over the years until he reached the age of 20 this enterprising enterprising enterprising en en- young man herded sheep for John L L. L Ken and Haler Whitbeck Then he learned to drive a truck working for Everett L. L AlexanderI Alexander I hauled coal scrap iron hides cattle anything to make a living reminisced Gene I also drove the school bus On Aug 31 1936 he married Elizabeth Hall also of DryFork Dry DryFork DryFork Fork and they've lived happily ever after Laughed Liz Uz When our son Don was little he liked to visit around the neighbors He Ue came home one morning and demanded of his parents How come you two never get mad at each other 2 All AU the neighbors this morning have been mad at each otherl Gene was out in the truck the night before the date set for the wedding and when he got into Duchesne the lights on the truck true k went out There w were re not many vehicles on the roads in those days so when one would show up Id I'd just pull over and aM let it go goby goby by I came all the way home by e. e V Ie 11 v V J V Billions of ba bacteria terla may be ba formed from a single tingle parent In 24 hours hourt moonlight grinned Gene TilE THE COUPLE have two sons Marion Marlon who is Isa a graduate in mechanical engineering andIon and Don Ion a computer data processor In 1938 I started working forT for T T. T G G. G Alexander in the old Farm building where Arman Arman Arman Ar- Ar man Eaton has his shop now We chopped grain for Ashley farmers and I began mechanising in earnest Id I'd had to do some to keep the old trucks on the road but the farmers were getting into the machinery act and that had tobe tobe to tobe be kept going too T. T G. G had the International Truck and land Farm dealership for this area and later Mrs Alexander turned it over to meL me L 1 till hauled coal 0 Defrosters for windshields were unheard of in those days and Inthe inthe in inthe the winters the windows had to tobe tobe tobe be kept rolled down with a head out to see the road It was about 35 degrees in Vernal that winter and the Staley CoalMine CoalMine Coal CoalMine Mine on White River in the Rangely area was even colder I think I Iwas was was a s 's warmer driving team AS TilE THE ONLY dealer in the Basin I did business with farmers all over the area and usually on a trade basis since cash was a commodity that was pretty short in those days Id I'd trade for cows or whatever and then go gather them upI upI upI up I never ended up with any bad debts with the farmers or ranchers not one It sometimes took awhile but I knew they'd pay and they always did From 1944 t to 48 he served asa as asa asa a Vernal City councilman and then still with International Gene went in partners with Bill at Motor When Bill sold to Perry Motor in 1956 Gene took his International International In In- dealership and moved to Searle Gas where he became partners with Woodey B. B Searle I started telling how I planned to run that part of the business and he said You dont don't have to answer to me Gene just run it the way you want to toils toil's to- to Its It's your business Hes He's the best kind of a partner and I really enjoyed the years I spent there Of Gene Woodey says Hes lies liesa a very honest loyal partner we never had a disagreement in 20 years more years more than willing to do dohis dohis dohis his share If anything he was a better partner than I was In January of this year Gene and Liz accompanied Woodey and Vonetta on a Farm Bureau tour of the Hawaiian Islands There tourists were chuckled Gene enough to sink the islands I I In March Gene had a stroke which left him with the job of learning to talk and perambulate perambulate perambulate peram peram- all over again and as Gene says Theres not enough business to start a young man out any more its it's an era ra that's come to an end in Vernal There are still some things available at the shop like broken cartons of baling twine Hy Uy Fran Tran Oil and people may still order parts and I will be begetting begetting begetting getting around again I hope that in a year or two Ill I'll be able to help the farmers in the Valley again no dealership here is a sad thing |