When I think about the twenty-six years that God has granted me life on this planet and consider the people that have shaped me; the people that made me who I am, there are a few that really stand out in my mind.
Well, one of these figures in my life was Lee Oswalt....and I daresay that there is a whole multitude who would say the same.
Lee E. Oswalt passed from this life on Sunday afternoon at the age of 87. He once quoted that, “there are a lot of people alive who aren’t really living”, but I don’t think he was ever in danger of this paradox.
I had the great opportunity to work side by side with Lee, in wet weather and dry weather. There are a few things about him that will always stick in my mind.
The way he regarded his fellow man:
Lee would strike up a conversation with anyone. As he said, he “never met a stranger, but [he] met a few strange ones.” To me, it always seemed that he would talk with the strangest people, like the day he talked with the scrap man at the dairy bar. He would never judge someone by their appearance alone, he was always friendly and he waved to anyone that he crossed paths with.
His character, quotes, quips and colloquialisms:
On the farm, you would rarely find him wearing anything other than his ‘prison stripped’ bib overalls. He always had handy a pocket knife, a combination nine-sixteenths, half inch wrench, pliers, and handkerchief. He always drove a dodge with ample amounts of candy and gum for the kids, and farm bureau paraphernalia for the adults. One of my earliest memories of Lee was running out to the road, as he drove by on a tractor, to catch a packet of gum that he tossed to us. Sometimes gum would turn up in our mailbox, and I even remember finding a pack in the lawn, long after he threw it there. Lee read a lot of books, and he always found a way of picking up quotes that cut to the chase.
His never-ending optimism and positive attitude:
Lee maintained a positive attitude, no matter what. And he encouraged those around him to do the same. He always looked for the good in everyone, and often made it shine through. I remember visiting him at University East Hospital in Columbus after his leg got amputated. I wondered how I would find him, but as soon as I got through the door, he said “Jess, now I only have one foot to get cold this winter!”
You know in all the years I worked with him, I never seen him get angry. Not one cross word...ever. I gave him plenty of reason, but he was always patient. He was the first to find a solution and last to criticize. Many times I would overlook something or forget some critical maintenance and I would have to call on him to bail me out.
Lee Oswalt was a mentor, a role model and a friend.
There is no equal in New Zealand, nor in Brazil, not in Europe; no, not in the world over. Lee was one-of-a-kind. I’ll never forget the time I got to share with him; whether underneath that old Gleaner, Model ‘K’ combine, or out in the field, or over a burger and fries at the dairy bar.
May you find your everlasting home where you can shed your physical ailments and rest from your trials; where bull thistles, giant ragweed and foxtail don’t exist; where the rain comes regularly....just enough, and never on your freshly mown hay; where the conditions are always perfect. Enjoy your heaven.
