By James Bartle
I often like to reflect on my life each and every day; however, there are those days brought by events in my life that bring me to look back even more and reflect on what I’ve learned.
This past week, I had another one of those days with the passing of Sullivan resident, Clark Springer.
You see, I grew up on the Harrison Farm, off Highway N along the Meramec River, with my grandparents’ farmhouse across the river in an area known as Campbell Hill.
Growing up in a farming community, I got the pleasure to meet several great people and, to be honest, there were several “grandfather-like” men in my life that I have looked up to for years and learned a great number of values in life.
This past week, the last of the “Great Three,” or the “Campbell Hill gang,” passed away as we lost Clark Springer.
Let me take you back to when I was age 10. Every summer I observed local farmer and family friend, the late James T. Harrison, and his crew putting up square hay bales. I dreamed of being able to work with these strong men each and every summer and, I believe at age 10, I was finally allowed to help haul hay with Jim Harrison and his crew. What a thrill for me. The years started to pass and, by age 13, I was a full member of the hay hauling crew.
I quickly earned the right to work with Harrison and neighboring farmers, the late Glenn Isgrig and son, Stanley, and now the late Clark Springer and daughter, Carol.
The “Great Three” taught me a lot in my life and, to be honest, helped instill in me a hard work ethic, a way to treat people not only as friends but family, to help others whenever you can, and do the right thing.
I have stories that I remember about each one of these men that I will briefly share with you.
James T. Harrison gave me my first shot in the hayfield. From the time I was able to work with him, I often found myself working with him both in the summer and winter months. When I was 15, Jim, his grandson, Kevin Kimker, and I worked cattle on a winter’s day. The temperature was very, very cold, but we had to get these cattle sorted on that winter’s day. I had a pair of work boots that were not the best insulated. The first couple of hours I hung taut, but as the day went on, I couldn’t feel my toes. But I was not about to tell this hardworking man that I couldn’t stay out in the cold and finish the job. I did, and on that day I learned a number of things in life that included overcoming adversity and being disciplined to get a job done. I did, however, get home that evening and put my feet in front of our wood stove.
Glenn Isgrig was a character. One fall afternoon after I returned home from school, Glenn called me and stated he had a job for me to do after school. Glenn had a hillside full of cedar sprouts. I walked two miles to his house where he asked me to cut these cedar sprouts down. I figured there would be a chain saw and I could get this done quickly. Wrong! Glenn handed me an axe and a hand saw and away I went for the next several days. Blisters and all, I got the job done. Again, learning that hard work payed off as I got the hillside cleared and overcame adversity to get the job done. Years later, I was told that Glenn did want those sprouts cut down, but he also liked to sit in his lawn chair in his front yard and watch me work.
My memories of Clark Springer were all about hay hauling. I remember pulling up to Clark’s farm near Sappington Bridge and seeing hundreds of hay bales on the ground, Clark on his tractor, stopping to come greet me and then stating, “We ready to have fun,” as temperatures were in the 90s and humidity thicker than peanut butter. Clark would give his classic grandfather-type laugh and away he’d go to finish the hay. Clark would return to help us finish and his wife would have lunch ready for us for a quick break before returning to the hayfield to finish. I, again, learned a number of things working for Clark and his daughter, Carol. You can have fun while you work, make it something you enjoy, hard work does pay off and there was always a sense of pride to look at a hayfield that was completely empty of hay bales. Clark, like Glenn and Jim, made you feel like family whenever you were around him.
My thoughts of these memories brought me to write this editorial. I feel and know we’re losing a generation of “Great” men. I hope that these men know what they had taught so many people in their lives. Their work ethic, their attitude towards life, the way they conducted themselves every day, the way you could make a mistake and learn from it - just don’t do it again and, above all, their ability to make friends and treat them as family.
To me, these three individuals were great men and a generation that I hope is never lost in our lives. As I see young people growing up in this world, my only wish is that individuals use their knowledge from great people in their lives to help the next generation. I also wish that every young person could have spent one day with these men on the farm. I think they would have learned a lot and obtained memories that do last a lifetime.