BENTON AG | SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2018PAGE | Page1B 1B
BENTON AG Serving rural Benton County, Morrison, Mille Lacs & Kanabec Counties.
Plus
Sauk Rapids Herald
SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2018
Pigeon pastime An extraordinary collection Thielman raises birds for pleasure, production BY NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
SAUK RAPIDS — If you follow the sidewalk up to Len Thielman’s residence in Sauk Rapids and then make your way to his backyard, you will find a small addition on the backside of his garage. Neither dogs, nor cats make their home in the enclosed shelter. Rather a kit of pigeons is housed in a coop and flying cage. Thielman, a former custodian for the St. Cloud School District, grew up in the Pantown neighborhood of St. Cloud between Veterans Drive and Third Street North. He became interested in
Thielman page 6B
PHOTO BY ELIZABETH HOAG
Ken and Charlotte (Char) Monroe stand in front of Char’s 1952 John Deere Model A tractor July 2 at their Foley residence. The couple collects and restores many kinds of tractors.
Monroes compile, restore tractors BY ELIZABETH HOAG STAFF WRITER
PHOTO BY NATASHA BARBER
BIG SAVINGS
Monroes page 2B
CALL FOR WARRANTY! Over 30 Rakes & Tedders in Stock
3 Demo Rental Spreaders PS 150 vert., 500 bu.
$28,900
FLUEGGE’S AG
PS 242 vert.
$25,900
Model 1140 horiz.
$18,999
BA27-1B-JW
Rubes Sponsored by Fluegge’s Ag
Len Thielman, of Sauk Rapids, holds a Runt pigeon outside his pigeon coop and flying cage July 2. Thielman raises Runt pigeons, a meat-producing non-flying breed.
FOLEY — Sand blasting 50 to 60 years of dirt and grime off antique tractors is exactly what Ken and Charlotte (Char) Monroe find fun. The couple started collecting toy tractors in the early 1970s after they were married, and their hobby has evolved throughout the years. The Monroes have collected toy, pedal and life-size tractors for nearly 50 years, repairing old frames into working machines. They drive and display during
their collection at parades, sharing their hard work with others. “Some people go hunting or fishing,” Char said. “We go Deere hunting.” After the couple married in 1967, Ken stumbled upon a box from his childhood filled with toy tractors, which sparked the idea to begin his collection. Together Ken and Char began driving to John Deere dealerships to collect toy tractors, buying them at a reasonable price. “We put the kids in the car on Saturday mornings and would drive around to different
dealerships,” Char said. Before the collecting of tractors became popular, the Monroes found tractors at dealerships and flea markets. “Nowadays, there are few and far between,” Ken said. “Sometimes we will stubble on a good deal when someone who is selling online doesn’t know what they have, but that is rare.” In the basement and in their bedroom, toy tractors sit on display on shelves and dressers. Over the years the couple has collected a variety
ROD FLUEGGE “the boss” Farm Material Handling Specialist 2040 Mahogany St., Mora, MN WWW.FLUEGGESAG.COM 320-679-2981