The U.S. Custom Harvesters Hall of Fame

INDUCTEES OF USCHI HALL OF FAME

Delmas Dobson, Morton, TX - (2005)

Delmas Dobson has been involved in harvesting since the age of 10. He is a second generation harvester. His dad, B. H. Dobson, started the business in 1947 from Grandfield, OK and later moved his family to Morton, TX. He also has two brothers, Darrell and Bobbie. Bobbie is still in the business. We lost Darrell in March of 2007. He worked for his dad for several years. After he married, he then became part owner of the business. He purchased, with the help of his dad, two Massey Harris combines in 1956. Then, in 1957, two more Massey Harris combines. Harvest was not too good, so he drove a truck a lot at this time. In 1961, he purchased a Massey Ferguson combine and a Gleaner combine from Joe Ed Crawford. The Gleaner had been totally destroyed by a fire. He got parts and spent more than three months rebuilding it so it would be harvest ready. Harvest was lots better for a few years. In 1963, he purchased another Gleaner; 1966, two Gleaner CII’s; in 1968, two Gleaner G’s; in 1970, two more Gleaners and in 1972, one Gleaner. In 1972, he changed to John Deere. From 1972 to 2000, Delmas purchased 75 (maybe more, he can’t remember!) John Deere combines. Needless to say, those green machines did satisfy him. The harvest was good to his family. There were times when he would think about quitting, but that was just a thought.

We had three children - Teri, Sherrie and Danny. They were great assets to us and the business. Teri and Danny went from playing with toy combines and trucks to the real things. I think I was the only harvester’s wife that carried around a Clorox jug of wheat because they had to have the real stuff to play with. Our youngest daughter, Sherrie, was my helper. She didn’t care for the field work. Lucky for me! It was three meals a day for several hands. No sandwiches and no café food, however, that rule relaxed some after about 15 years.

Teri and Danny began their fieldwork at a very young age. Delmas first had them run the combines while our hands ate. After a couple of years, they were fulltime operators. Teri moved onto a truck. At first, hauling to bins on the farms. It was hard to keep Danny on a combine after that. So, a couple of years later, he got the honor of driving a truck. They both were hauling a combine at the age of 16. Most of our customers were families that had seen our kids grow up in the harvest, but there were times a new customer would, for a day or two, question their ability to handle their jobs. The customer was never disappointed in them or Delmas.

Delmas lost one of his prized workers when Teri graduated from school. She had other interests, but she did help us out some.

Our daughter, Sherrie, married in 1976 and I thought, “There goes my help in the kitchen”. But, to my surprise, her husband wanted to go along with us. The next year, we got us another great asset, a grandson, Buckie Lyn. Buckie learned the trade of harvesting at a young age, just like Danny. He started driving a combine at age 11 and a truck at 16. His big brother, Danny, taught him to load his first combine. He also later became a third generation harvester.

In 1976, Danny purchased his first combine and became a partner. It was hard for a few years because Delmas had never had anyone help him make decisions. After a few years, and diesel trucks, things were a lot better. They purchased their first three diesel trucks, a K.W. 80, and a Peterbilt in late 1981. They never looked back after that.

Danny married Susan in 1986, so we gained another harvester in our family. Susan was very new to all of this but learned fast and was a big help in the kitchen and the field.

In the years that followed, Delmas turned more of the business over to Danny. Of course, Buckie, a 4th generation harvester, was a partner by 1995. Delmas backed off and let Danny take over with training him. Things didn’t always go perfect but got better with time.

Buckie married Kristi Lyn in 1997. It was then her turn for all the fun. She did great!

Delmas, Danny, and Buckie were still in business at the time of Danny’s death on September 18, 2000.