In Memory of . . .
Gene M. McGill, Harvester,
Flying Farmer, NW
Some
called him “Gene,” “Merle,” “The Flying Farmer,” and others knew as The
Democrat from NW Oklahoma. AND… his four
daughters called him “Dad!”
Gene M.
McGill was born 27 December 1914, Alva,
Gene met Vada Eileen Paris in the Summer of ’38, -- they married March 24, 1940, Anthony, Kansas. They began the creation of their family the Summer of ’42 -- continuing into the Summer of ’43, Winter of ’48 and Spring of ’49.
Gene died the weekend of Father’s day, June
16, 1986, 
This photograph on the right is a
picture of young Gene’s early school
classmates in
During Gene
McGill’s Harvesting/Flying Farmer days, no one could ever forget the luxurious
crop of whiskers that McGill grew. It
was during his bearded harvesting days -- his love of flying that McGill became
known as “The Flying Farmer” from NW Oklahoma.
McGill was also president of the National
Association of Flying Farmers before 1946.
McGill would start growing his
beard about the time it came to wheat harvest.
As he would head northward with three combine outfits and his airplane,
his beard would grow more luxurious.
McGill
used his airplane to spot wheat fields which needed cutting far off the beaten
roads followed by other outfits. The practical reason that McGill wore his crop
of whiskers was because... “Everyone knew that … the man with the whiskers got
the job.”
Others might remember McGill
during his tenure as the Democratic State Chairman of Oklahoma during the
1960’s. Who could forget those
“devil-like” eyebrows that he trained as his trademark?
McGill’s political career started in NW
Oklahoma during the 1950’s when he ran for State Senator on the Democratic
ticket in
Gene’s Legacy - http://okielegacy.org/gene.
Courtesy of… Descendants of
Gene M. McGill – McGill Sisters L & C Corp.
The OkieLegacy ~
http://okielegacy.org - Linda McGill Wagner -
Email: