TRACTORS ON PARADE

Caravan of 70 tractors honors memory of ‘Farmer Bob’ Landis

More than 70 tractors and a few trucks participated in a tractor parade on Sunday, July 19, as a memorial to Robert “Farmer Bob” Landis and his family. Landis, 64, died June 29.

He and his wife Marianne operated Sunrise Sunflower Farms in Harleysville, which is a bicentennial farm that has been in the Landis family name since 1734, according to Landis’ obituary.

Bob’s “Saturday Morning Farmers Breakfast” group organized the event welcoming everyone that knew Bob to bring a tractor or two or five and meet at the neighboring Souder Family Farm to line up. By early afternoon tractors began descending on the Souder Farm from every direction.

“They just kept coming!” said Blaine Souder.

The tractor parade plan was shared on Facebook by Andrew Frankenfield the day before and circulated throughout the community. All along the twomile parade route to Sunrise Sunflower Farm were people gathered with friends and family waving, taking pictures and video, and crying.

The parade slowed as it passed the farm where Marianne Landis and daughter Jayne Longacre and family were hosting a Celebration of Life get-together and continued to a local church where more people had gathered to watch the end of the parade. Halfway into the parade, David Yoder driving Bob’s tractor, led the group into a brief downpour of rain. Some said that was Bob’s way of sending down some relief from the heat from the heavens.

Nearly all the tractors came from a 10-mile radius of the Lower Salford/ Franconia Township area.

COURTESY OF ANDREW FRANKENFIELD David Yoder leads the tractor parade driving Bob’s tractor and coworkers drive his oil trucks.

COURTESY OF ANDREW FRANKENFIELD Marianne Landis and daughter Jayne Longacre and family watch the tractor parade.

SCREENSHOT OF ONLINE MEETING North Penn Superintendent Curt Dietrich, inset, shows survey data from district schools indicating how many parents say their students would take a bus, drive, or walk to schools if they return in person, during the school board’s July 30 meeting.

COURTESY OF ANDREW FRANKENFIELD More tractors in the parade.

COURTESY OF ANDREW FRANKENFIELD Tractors in the parade.

COURTESY OF ANDREW FRANKENFIELD Tractors staging before the parade.