ATCA – Antique Truck Show – My Journey

June 27, 2017

Friday, June 16

Cerwin had taken the chapel to Macungie Memorial Park the day before, so we left home about 7 am.

In this picture: Alvin Wise (Chaplain Jake’s Dad), Chaplain Jake and his wife, Jane, Betty and Bob Russell (Bob is a volunteer chaplain), Cerwin, and Volunteer Chaplain Steve Neiswender.

We have a nice area to set up our canopy and several chairs next to the chapel so drivers feel welcome to come by and visit us.

We have a great place in the park where we can watch trucks arriving.

We enjoyed a nice variety of visitors – some who were familiar with the ministry of TFC and others were not.

We each took turns walking around the park – looking at trucks and visiting people.

This year I decided to feature trucks that were built prior to 1930.

This “hillbilly” truck got lots of attention.

There was so much “stuff” that it was difficult to see the truck. 🙂

The longer you looked – the more you notiece.

I remember having these watering containers for our cows when I was a girl.

We also used these buckets with nipples to feed calves.

The owner (blue shirt) talking to some onlookers.

I sat next to the owner of this fire truck during our evening meal and learned about his interest in Buffalo Fire equipment. When he asked where we live, and I said Manheim. He said, “They have a Buffalo Fire truck.”

He emailed me this picture of his truck.

We immediately recognized this paint job as a tractor that used to be attached to one of our chapels.

When I got up close, I could see the outline of our old logo. The lettering had been removed, but the markings remained.

The name “Life-Saver” means it was with the chapel at the TA in Elkton, Maryland.

We used to have the tractors attached to chapels for a heating fuel supply. Since we now hook up to truck stop electricity, we rarely use tractors – unless one is donated for a specific chapel.

After being at this truck show for two days, I began to understand why little boys grow up to like trucks. 🙂

There were a lot of fathers and grandpas with young boys.

When I got back to the chapel, Cerwin was visiting with a driver.

We had two sizes of bottled water for anyone who was thirsty.

Dick Weaver (Center) and Don Hollinger (right) TFC friends, were at the chapel visiting with this driver. Don takes lots of pictures and writes interesting stories for the Highway News.

We always like to say we are in the “power row” – the military and a chapel. We also like to remind them that God is the higher power. 🙂

During the afternoon I walked through the “flea market” area.

These three looked like they were having fun.

As I walked by these three the lady called, “Doris”. I was surprised that she knew my name. It turned out that Tom (the man on the left). Thought he knew me and asked her to call my name. He is a neighbor who lives across the field from us.

We saw all kinds of motorized golf carts and vehicles, but this one was unusual.

You could find almost anything truck and vehicle related in the flea market.

There is also a row of trucks that are for sale.

Back to the rows and row of antique trucks. There were 672 by Saturday noon. I did not hear a number after that, and not many arrive after noon.

Back at the chapel – Chaplain Jake’s wife, Jane, was sketching one of the trucks by using a picture on her cell phone.

She was using a picture she took of this dump truck.

She is incredibly good.

It was fun to meet Elam Martin, Jr. who was featured in the May issue of TFC’s Highway News http://www.transportforchrist.org/pdf/HighwayNewsOnline%2005-17.pdf, when his family organized a convoy of trucks to go by his house – following a serious injury.

Toward supper time we took our lawn chairs to the picnic area where Doug Maney was welcoming everyone and giving instructions for the auction and door prizes.

I was impressed with this auctioneer. She had a great voice and way of selling things.

I quickly noticed that this man was a Mack lover – with a Mack belt, ring and cane.

He quickly showed them to me.

Supper was being prepared.

Chaplain Jake was asked to pray for the meal.

On the way back to the chapel we found a 1941 truck – Cerwin’s birth year.

Last year I featured trucks built in his birth year and mine – and found quite a few. At this point I still hadn’t found any that were built in 1944 and this was the first we found a 1941.