Stacy Stimson got his Dolecek toy tractor when he was just an infant.
Stimson, a deputy for the Lapeer County Sheriff’s Department, received the tractor from his great uncle Otto Schwandt in 1952 as a birth gift.
In the early 1950s, Schwandt worked for John and Albert Dolecek at their tool and die/toy factory on Metamora Rd. in Oxford Township. This is where the wind-up tractors were manufactured.
Stimson’s mother saw the recent articles on the Dolecek tractor in The Oxford Leader and suggested he give us a call.
The deputy said his parents, Stanley and Leona, are long-time subscribers to the newspaper and still live on the Metamora Township farm along M-24 where he grew up.
Although it’s more than four decades old, Stimson’s tractor is in ‘mint condition.?
‘I always took good care of my stuff,? he said. ‘I learned that from my folks.?
Stimson said he hung on to the tractor not only for its ‘sentimental value? as a family gift, but because it was ‘so well made? and produced right here in Oxford. ‘I’ve never seen one like it,? he said. ‘It’s unique.?
Today, the little red Dolecek tractor sits on display in Stimson’s Attica home along with some other toy tractors.
Thanks for sharing Stacy and thanks for reading Stanley and Leona.