The U.S. Custom Harvesters Hall of Fame

INDUCTEES OF USCHI HALL OF FAME

Lee Pollert, Clarksdale, MO - (2004)

Lee Edmond Pollert was born August 24, 1920 at Clarksdale, Missouri. He still resides on the farm where he was born.

In 1946 he bought his first combine (a MH 21), which he purchased from his brother Ray Pollert who was a Massey-Harris machinery dealer. He would later buy more combines and had as many as three of his own in the field at one time, plus manage two machines for his brother Ray. The last combine he bought in 1954 was a MH 90 Special, which he ran until 1961 at which time he retired from the wheat tour to manage the family farm.

He married Alice Charlene Gabbert on May 9, 1953 in St. Joseph, MO. They had one son Glenn.

Lee harvested wheat, beans, milo, grass seeds, rape, flax, and just about anything else that had a head on it and was edible. He went from Texas to Canada in his adventures in the Great Plains. His brother Ray was instrumental and a guiding influence in his harvesting career as Ray was a Massey-Harris dealer and promoted the great Harvest Brigades in 1944.

The two brothers had a reputation as “authorities” about combines and thrashing. If their neighbors or fellow harvesters had a problem with the operation of a machine they would be called on to help out.

Lee’s influence on the tour was well known and widely missed when he quit in 1961. While it is not easy to find someone he thrashed for in Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Nebraska, Montana, North or South Dakota, or Missouri from 43 years ago-there was not one farmer in 15 years and 50,000 acres that he couldn’t cut for the next year. I think that influence and contribution to harvesting says it all.