CLAY TOWNSHIP – For the fourth year, the Kurt Miller Memorial Tractor Drive was held to honor Kurt Miller and to raise funds for the memorial fund in his name.
Saturday’s event was the fourth year for the drive.
Melinda Miller, mother of Kurt Miller, said she and Kyle Miller wanted to do something to honor their son after he died April 17, 2015, at the age of 17 due to a garden tractor accident.
In 2020, they decided to do a tractor drive because Kurt was part of FFA, Echoes of the Past and he loved tractors, Melinda said. Kurt was also a junior fireman on the Burket Fire Department.
Kurt was a “spunky little guy,” Melinda said. He loved to smile. He had a few nicknames, including “Snake” from an incident from a fire.
He was loyal to whatever he liked, including Notre Dame. Melinda said Kurt would “always razz you if you didn’t like what he liked.”
This year’s event “kind of tagged” with the Echoes of the Past SummerFest, Melinda said. In previous years, the tractor drive was held in September with a dinner when the tractors came back for lunch.
The drive Saturday was 18 miles and started on CR 700S and members and nonmembers of Echoes of the Past could participate. Tractors were required to go at least 10 miles an hour or be at the end of the line during the ride.
Before the drive, a free-will donation breakfast was held with eggs, sausage links and biscuits and gravy.
Donations were collected for the Kurt Miller Memorial Fund through the Kosciusko County Community Foundation. Last year, about $1,458 was collected from the event.
Melinda said the fund provides funds for Echoes of the Past, FFA, 4-H and the Burket Fire Department, which is all things Kurt loved.
Melinda said she hoped people had fun during the tractor drive Saturday.