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"Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice" 4 - PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, September 21, 1999 At 91 years of age : er By Heather McCrae Port Perry Star All his life Roy Robertson has worked on the farm. And age certainly hasn't stopped him. At 91, Roy is still often found doing tractor work on the homestead on Shirley Road. The son of Sinclair and Mary Robertson, Mr. Robertson was born on July 18, 1908 and raised in the house his son, Sinclair Jr., now lives in. "All Dad ever did was farm and I guess I have taken after him," Mr. Robertson says. Raising beef cattle, he also did custom work on the side. The first tractor he bought was a Farmall H model, an implement that was ordered at the Port Perry Fair, "the day the war broke out in 1939." Paying $696 for it, the tractor was a first in a new series, "the first of its kind anyone here had ever seen", he says. "We used it until 1949, then sold it, but now own this vin- tage tractor again - and it still runs good." ~ Mr. Robertson made heads turn again in 1949 when he was the first farmer in the area to purchase a forage harvester. "One year that harvester worked through from June 6 to November 4." Another piece of new machinery came on board in 1956 when Mr. Robertson bought his first bulldozer, used to clear the road and all the neigh- bours' driveways. That bulldozer eventu- ally led to two more and a backhoe. Although he eventually got into the con- struction business in 1960 he never quit farming. "I never stopped coming back to the farm and now they can't get rid of me," he says. Several changes have taken place since Mr. Robertson and his wife, Ethel, left the farm and moved to Port Perry 22 years ago. "I'm the oldest person left around here," he says, referring to the friends and neighbours have either died or moved away." While Mr. Robertson's son, Sinclair, now lives on the farm, he is a regular vis- there aren't crops to tend to, manure always needs spreading "or there's some other darned thing to do", like working in NEVER TOO OLD TO FARM - Farming has been a way of life for Roy Robertson. the shed. "I was always kind of a grease Now living in Port Perry, the 91-year-old still goes to work every day at the fami- monkey. Since I was a little guy I've ly farm on Shirley Road, now owned by his son, Sinclair. "Farming's in my blood, always been fixing things." ust like it was in my father's blood. ; it," ! Anyone who farms will tell you the i y father's blood. | can't stay away from it," he says long, hard hours make you wears. But homestead on Shirley Road. "A lot of itor, eager to get to work on the tractor. If L Roy still loves it lie down on the farm Mr. Robertson found a way to remedy this. For years he's been in the habit of taking a short snooze, anywhere and anytime. Sinclair likes to tell the story about his dad when he was disking a year ago in the spring. When his father got weary one day he stepped down from the trac- tor, crawled underneath to get some shade and fell asleep. "A couple of riders from the Dreamcrest Equestrian Centre were out for a ride, and when they spot- ted dad under the tractor they thought he was dead", he says. "While one stayed with dad the other tore back to the barn to get help. Were they ever surprised when he woke up and wondered what all the commotion was about." "Ever since I was a little guy my dad has been able to take a short nap, to get charged up again", says Sinclair. Many years of experience work on the farm today. While the elder Mr. Robertson is 91 years old his son is 63, making a total of 154 years working the land today. "Dad's help and perseverance 1s definitely appreciated around the farm", the younger Robertson says. While Mr. Robertson does most of the tractor work on the farm, he has given up on the baler. "I don't run the baler anymore, just because it's time someone else took over", he says. "I play second fiddle now." Farming isn't the only thing he's proficient in. Thirty years ago he suc- cessfully learned the art of witching for water. "I've found a lot of water for peo- ple over the years and most of those wells are currently running strong", he says. Today, he still gets calls from people to witch for water. When Mr. Robertson isn't working the land, you may find him up in the air. For over 50 years he had his pilot's licence. And for years he was flown Sunday mornings with a group of friends to the Lindsay airport where they all enjoy a delicious breakfast together. But farming has been, and forever will be, his first love. "When the Farmall H was the only tractor on the farm the work was always done on time. Now that there are 3 tractors the work is never done", he says. "I often wonder if I dropped dead, who will be around to do this stuff. I think lots of times Sinclair would like it if I stayed away but I like to come." "Even though it isn't my home anymore, it's still home to me." ident returned to Upon returning to the front of the Durham Police were called after a - Plymouth Breeze after rummaging o find a strange home, the victim saw the white vehi- 72-year-old Old Simcoe Rd. man sold through a garage in Blackstock, say cle being driven away east on Coates = a computer to an 18-year-old male, police. boone | Rd, Bo - who gave the victim a number of = Sometime between 11 fi on Aft ~ post-dated cheques as payment for Sept. 17 and 7 am. on ept. 18 the $1,300 computer. , thieves broke a lock on a garage on When the first cheque for $100 Donelda Court in 'Blackstock and d NSF on Aug. 31, the rummaged through it. Several suspicious, said police, things were moved but nothing was 'contacted, and are taken. ~~ 0 cting an investigation ~~ However, a 1996 Plymouth Breeze d but his loca- valued at $10,000 was taken from Y Dolice. cl the driveway of the home. ~~ ff with vehicle he doors were locked and' no th a 1996 keys were in the vehic lice say,