If you were up early on Veterans Day on Nov. 11, you may have seen Johnabilt a restored 1948 John Deere Tractor with a Peterbilt cab putting along Rt. 10 in Honey Brook on his way to the Village Library in Morgantown. Honey Brook author C. Ivan Stoltzfus was on his way to his book signing of his book “A Dream to Reality.”
“This is what libraries are here for,” said President of the Library Board Lisa Betz, “local people connecting to local people. Local authors are welcome here.”
Stoltszus is a retired farmer and auctioneer, born in Morgantown, who has become a national legend while he traveled across country on his tractor Johnabilt for Across America for Wounded Heroes. He returned home in August after his second cross-country trip with Johnabilt and his road crew Rooster, Mr. Camper, Teddy and Smiley.
At the book signing event at Village Library, it wasn’t long before people started showing up for the event including cousin Stephen Stoltzfus. Also in attendance were Morgantown’s Americans 4 Heroes officers Paul Morrison, Candy Burkhart and John Sorber. They, along with their road members’ motorcycles, escorted Stoltszus on his tractor pulling the 24-foot trailer with Smiley the scooter on its back both coming and going for this odyssey for 14 miles.
Burkhart laughed, “We were in 1st gear all the way, we managed to go slow without stalling out, we looked behind as Johnabilt was trying to keep up at 15 miles an hour.”
“Our organization’s mission is to help wounded warriors. Ivan’s mission is to honor them and raise funds and awareness, especially for those suffering with PTSD. It doesn’t get any better than that,” said Road Captain Morrison.
On Veterans Day, some fans had traveled from miles around to meet the man they had followed on his blog across country. They were eager to finally buy the book that told his story.
Prompted by his father’s boyhood urging to pursue his dreams, Stoltzfus listened to his heart and did just that. With God as his guide he dreamed the impossible dream. Some people know the words but not the music. Stoltzfus knows the song… sing along with him and Willie in this book that changed lives one mile at a time. From Atlantic to Pacific and dipping his tires in the Atlantic then again in the Pacific it took 105 days to travel 3,500 miles. Read his ritual how he tried to raise the water level of the Pacific in the book.
He spun his tales for the group, “In the Rockies while sitting on the edge of my seat trying to hold bucking Johnabilt back going down the steep mountain pass, the satellite radio started playing, “When the Roll is Called up Yonder I’ll be there!” No Lord not now!” He grinned.
Frances Hess greeted Stoltzfus with a big hug. A fan from Honey Brook she drove 2,200 miles in 2014 to hold up a sign in Wyoming, “We are from Honey Brook PA”, stopping Stoltzfus in his tracks. Jumping out of the cab along the road he was presented with a green John Deere sweater that her 92-year-old mother Frances Riley had knitted for him. She dearly wanted this book signed by him and the reunion continued with Stoltzfus signing her book.
Stoltzfus shared stories of a Purple Heart gift, mechanical repairs, accidents, parades, flying underwear, stow-a-way puppies, shoo fly pies, followed by newspaper reporters, Fox news filming, radio shows, and the tears and heart-wrenching stories of the veterans along the way.
Korean War veteran Fred McGee from Dover, Pa, a tractor lover who still farms raising steers and hogs, showed up along with Sarah and Dale Chronester. They said, “This is great, tired of reading about dreadful things.”
Michelle Mast with her son Levi from Morgantown were excited to meet the man they had followed on his blog for two cross-country trips. Levi was enticed by Johnabilt after seeing him in the New Holland Parade. On Veterans Day, he not only got the book he got to sit in the driver’s seat!
The next-door neighbor from Grace and Truth Fellowship Church, Pastor Lance Eisele and wife Karen, said a final blessing, “We have supported him from the start financially and with prayers. More people should be able to step up. It’s a noble cause. “
Morgantown Village Library Director Natasha Donaldson, who hosted the book signing event, was pleased to accept a copy of the book for the library from Stoltzfus.
Find the book at https://www.amazon.com/Dream-Reality-C-Ivan-Stoltzfus/dp/0997309814.
Follow him on Facebook. There are more travels and a new book coming so stay tuned. Stoltzfus wished everyone a Happy Veteran’s Day and God Bless America.
