By CINDY LADAGE
Illinois Correspondent

COULTERVILLE, Ill. — The morning of April 19 was cold and wet, but that didn’t stop the Southern Illinois International Harvester Collectors Club, Chapter 32, from gathering at Marian Greer’s Coulterville farm.
The chapter meeting also served as an impromptu tractor show. Visitors were greeted with a meal and even a cake decked out with an IH logo. The fun and tractors offset the mud and gloomy weather.
The show was also a chance to show off the workings of Greer’s sawmill (see related article). He turned over the farming operation to his son-in-law years ago and today, runs the mill on a full-time basis.
Greer, who is an IH enthusiast, pulled out tractors that spanned from 1921-58. Club members admiring his tractors were able to view 84 different IH or IH-related models.
“I don’t care what people collect,” Greer shared. “As long as they do something to preserve history.”
He originally had Farmalls, and didn’t anticipate buying them for a collection.
“Years ago, I used Farmalls because I couldn’t afford to buy new tractors,” Greer explained. “In winter I would use them for the sawmill. If one broke, I could just set it aside and use another. It was cheaper than fixing it.
“Over the years, I accumulated several. Many were just headed for rot at the junkyard when I got them.”
With investments plummeting and stocks hitting new lows, Greer and his wife, Barbara, are glad that they decided to collect tractors years ago as an investment.
“I don’t like banks and stocks; so, Barbara got involved, and these days she buys as much as I do,” he said.
There is no argument that the old hunks of iron have held their value better than many other investments. Greer said, “Even the old scrap items would be worth a lot alone.”
His collection came about when he decided he wanted to own as many IH models as he could.
“Not counting hi-crops, industrials and orchards, I am within six of having one of each model built,” Greer shared.
His collection includes some rather unique models. “We have some pretty scarce ones, but then we also have lots of Ms and Hs, too,” he added.
Greer’s WD40, which his youngest grandson, Lane Jones, refers to “as the big old diesel,” came from Canada. It had sat in the barn for years after he replaced it with a Super WD.
When he purchased the WD40, he was able to buy the Super WD at the same time.
Another favorite is his W14, which he said is a rare one, too.
“My OD6 is probably the rarest one I own,” Greer explained. “It was International Harvester’s first Orchard they ever made. It didn’t sell well. Then I have an I-14 industrial version that was used to pull boats in and out of the water at a marina in Wisconsin.”
Not all of Greer’s tractors are restored. He is big on usable, touchable tractors.
“My grandkids wouldn’t be into it if they couldn’t put fingerprints on them,” he added. “We have several originals that will never be painted, take my old 816. It sparks real easily and always amazes people because it looks worn-out.”
Family is important for the Greers. The couple has 13 grandkids, seven grandsons and six granddaughters.
“The kids enjoy driving the tractors in parades and participating in tractor shows,” he said.
At the Chapter 32 meeting, Lane, who is just shy of three years old, was on hand. Greer said Lane is absolutely obsessed with tractors and has an uncanny gift for them.
“He can identify models,” the proud grandfather bragged. “Out of the 84, lined up, there are only about four he gets confused on.”
Barbara babysits Lane and the Greers have a tractor tradition that the boy participates in each day. “The sawmill shift ends about 3 p.m. and we take a tractor ride every evening. He loves to sit on them,” Greer explained.