Purchase“In the Willis Jeep, every road is the scenic route.” – unknown
Some objects hold generations of stories. One of those in our family is Grandad’s Willis Jeep. I have referred to it before in passing and have plans to document its restoration. At the moment it occupies a place in our driveway as those restoration plans are solidified.
The Willis Jeep was the focal point of the farm for decades. It was Grandad’s pride and joy. He purchased it new and had a custom dump bed installed. There are grain rails and two sizes of cattle rails, It was a multi-use vehicle in harvest and his daily driver to town.
The Willis Jeep Stories
It was also used to go to the area farm auctions. This latter use has been documented in a second children’s book written and illustrated by my cousins.
I wrote about the first book, A New Day At The Farm when it came out. This second book: Farm Stories: The Farm Auction is just as fun and wonderful as the first.
Both books transported me back to
- a familiar place,
- a safe place,
- a place of adventure and freedom: The Farm.
I am delighted that my cousins are preserving these precious farm stories. I am especially excited to
have this special account of The Willis Jeep. The detail of the illustrations is amazing. To have these memories so sweetly preserved is priceless.
As for the Willis Jeep, it still smells like Grandad’s tobacco, as mentioned in the book, despite the cleaning we have given it. I don’t want that smell to go away, nor do I want the springy seats to be “fixed”.
Rescuing lost stories is even more fun when they converge within the family clan. As you capture your stories, encourage others to do the same.
Purchase both books from Amazon by clicking on the images. They are in English and Spanish.
Are there others in your family interested in rescuing lost stories? What can you do this week to support their work? nhcullen@cfaith.com
I am making a point to write this BLOG, share it, and then write a review of my cousins’ book on Amazon!