Benny Kuster’s grandson, Bennett Sierens, 13, of Annawan, prepares to drive his grandfather’s John Deere 4020 in the Francis Park Fourth of July Tractor Drive. [Photo by Dave Clarke]

Benny Kuster would have been “bustin’ his buttons” with pride Thursday morning as his children and grandchildren lined up six of his cherished antique tractors in the Walmart parking lot for a tractor drive to Francis Park.

Each year organizers dedicate the drive to someone who died during the past year who was a longtime participant. This year’s event was dedicated to Bennett “Benny” Kuster who died in March at the age of 79.

Bennett “Benny” Kuster

He was born and raised and farmed all his life within a mile of Francis Park. A humble man who loved the land and his livestock and only bragged about two things…his grandchildren and his antique tractors, in that order.

Each year since it began, he drove one of his rebuilt and restored vintage Farmall tractors in the Fourth of July drive. He was also a big supporter of the Francis Park celebration with a special fondness for the pie auction, always bidding high for anything baked by his daughter, Beth Sierens, or granddaughter Paige of Annawan.

Thursday morning, under cloudy skies and the ominous threat of rain, the Kuster kids and grandkids lined up six of Benny’s old tractors and his prized 1963 Chevy Impala…bright red, of course, which he bought because it was the year, make, model and color of his first car. Son Chris Kuster, of Geneseo, took the steering wheel of a shiny 1967 Farmall Turbo 1260 while at the opposite end of the line, Kuster’s farm operator Dave McCall, fired up a shabby, unrestored 1963 Turbo 1260 setting up before and after “bookends” for the tractors in between.

Next in line were a pair of gleaming 1954 Farmall Super M-TAs driven by son Nik Kuster, of Kewanee and neighbor Kevin Charlet; a Farmall “H” driven by Beth, and a John Deere 4020 driven by his grandson, 13-year-old Bennett Sierens. Grandson Isaac Kuster drove the Impala with his cousin, Paige Sierens in the passenger seat. Benny’s oldest tractor, a Farmall F-30, had been trailered to the park earlier to be included in the tractor show.

The eyebrows of those who collect Farmall tractors are usually raised when they see a green John Deere in someone’s red collection, but Benny told people he bought the 4020 for his namesake grandson, Bennett “in a moment of weakness” and because the boy’s father, Gary Sierens, works for John Deere, and it was a way to keep peace in the family.
Kuster’s oldest son, Todd, Lives in Alaska and was not able to attend,

Fourth of July tractor drive keeps tradition alive

It started in 2007 when a group of “regulars” at a local coffee shop who loved to rebuild and restore old tractors were trying to think of a way to spark more interest in a struggling Fourth of July celebration at Francis Park. Antique tractor drives had become popular social events with owners traveling from one place to another so, why not have a drive from Kewanee to Francis Park on the Fourth?

Freddie Martin, Varn and Rich Dana, Anthony Strand and Dick Rose insisted they were not a “committee,” preferring to be called just “a group of guys.” Each summer they spread the word to “pull the pin and bring ‘er in,” indicating it didn’t matter if your tractor had a little rust or had just come in from the field, just come.

Each driver was asked to display an American flag on their tractor for the Fourth. The tractors started at War-mart around 8 a.m. and made the trip out to the park where they set up a show.

Children and grandchildren of the late Benny Kuster accepted a plaque presented in his memory by the organizers of the Francis Park Fourth of July Tractor Drive in appreciation for his many years of support. Shown with family members as they prepare to drive several of his tractors to the park, Thursday, are drive organizers Mark Rose, far left, and Brett Bennett, far right. [Photo by Dave Clarke]

For several years after the original car show dropped out of the celebration, the antique tractors and other farm machinery remained one of the main attractions at the park.

All of the original “group of guys” are gone and the reins of the drive have been turned over to “younger guys,” Mark Rose and Brett Bennett. The first drive drew 20 tractors but, over the years, as many as 80 rolled down the road to the park. This year the prospect of rain kept some of the tractors in the shed, yet there were 30 entries which included two tractors with mounted corn pickers, one pulling a wagonload of kids, another pulling a manure spreader, and Kenny Gutschlag’s antique fire truck.

Sadly, Benny Kuster didn’t make the drive this year but he was certainly not forgotten.