Remembering the Bovina Bicentennial Parade, Part 4

 

For the month of January, I’m going to do daily postings on the Town of Bovina Historian Facebook page on the Bovina Bicentennial parade held on July 30, 2022. This is the last of four postings in January sharing these entries with you. I thought it would be nice during the cold winter months to reminisce about that lovely day in July. It’ll also serve a second purpose – I may have missed some names and other information on the parade entries, so please contact me at bovinahistorian@gmail.com. I want to have an accurate record of the parade.

• January 24, 2023 - The Kortright Kritters 4-H Club from Bloomville: Jackie Gray; Jason, Addyson and Hayden Olsen; Traci and Emma Mason; Sami, Dennis, James and Elaina Deysenroth; Elisa, Gabi and Brayden Barnhart; Marisa Jasper; Justice Dibble; Indea, Jeff, Phoebe and Gideon Knapp; Makenna Wright and Natalie Brunner.

• January 25, 2023 - A.J. Foster drove his 1961 Mercedes Unimog 404 fire truck, with on-board water tank, PTO pump, and hoses. Traveling with him were Asher and Finn Manning.

• January 26, 2023 - The parade saw a number of horses. Delaware County Sheriff Craig Dumond, rode in the parade with 90 year old Roxbury Constable Steve Williamson. 87 year old Bovina native Marge Rockefeller rode, along with her niece, Donna Weber, and her friends Rachael and Sarah Fisher. A group also came from Broken Spoke Stables in Hobart: Kelsey Cole, Christy Cole and Lilly and Harley Murdie.

• January 27, 2023 Bovina United Presbyterian Church – Marie Tucker, Pastor Ernie Varga, Colton Schneider. Richard Tucker driving the truck. Marie Tucker noted on the church's Facebook page: "They say it takes a village to raise a child - it also takes a village to put together a lovely float. John Hilson renovated the church - Colleen Heavey painted it. Margaret Hilson put in HOURS painting the stained glass windows. Tim and Kristin Janke Schneider helped Richard Tucker put the church on the trailer.  Richard assembled all the framework for the railing and banner. Kayla Ann and her daughter, Natalie came to my house on Friday to help me put the final cosmetic touches on!! It was a very fun day!!"

The model of the UP Church appeared in a parade in Bovina in 1956.

• January 28, 2023 - Bovina Public Library, with Librarian Annette Corvelo in truck, driven by Michael Breidenbach.

• January 29, 2023 - LaFever Excavating celebrating the Bicentennial and its 75th anniversary, with Jonathan LaFever (driving), Susan LaFever, Karlie LaFever and Bodie Craver.

• January 30, 2023 - The Lake Delaware Boys Camp came out in force for the parade, with about 120 campers marching and playing drums and bugles. They provided a wonderful conclusion to the parade - and a drill demonstration right after.

Derek Smith got this shot from his truck of the Boys Camp getting ready to do their drill.

• January 31, 2023 - With all the wonderful entries in the parade, this is the one that stood out for me for very personal reasons. This John Deere 140 lawn tractor, restored by the Gabriel crew and driven by Braedon Rockefeller, was once owned by my dad, Charlie LaFever. I remembered back in 1974 I was using the tractor to haul some stuff out of the house. I parked it, went in the house for another load and came out just in time to see the tractor roll on its own across the front walk toward the stone wall that dropped onto the driveway. Fortunately, it came to a stop on a post and didn't make the trip over the wall. It got stuck on the wall and I couldn't get it moved until my dad came home to see his John Deere hung up on the wall and me in a total panic. He just burst out laughing and we rescued it in quick order. And in 1976, it was on this tractor that he won two tractor pulls during Bovina's celebration of the nation's Bicentennial. I still have the trophies he won.