St. Stephen parish’s Plow Day in Indian Creek gives younger generation a glimpse of their farming roots

Prayers and plows run deep at St. Stephen parish at Indian Creek, a blink-of-the-eye village in Monroe County.

There is no population sign to mark the town’s dozen or so residents. The steepled church established in 1833 and the stone-walled graveyard anchor “Swinkey,” as the community is affectionately called by locals.

On Sunday, the faithful roll in for 8 a.m. Mass, and the population swells to 200 on good days. On the third Sunday of each July, the parish hosts the state’s oldest picnic.

Parish members recently held their first Plow Day on a small plot of ground owned by the parish.

Most of the members, like their Kentucky ancestors who moved to the Salt River Valley’s fertile farm ground, are rooted in agriculture.

Three generations of families, many of them descendants of the parish’s founding fathers, brought old tractors and two- and three-bottom plows to church to carry-on the tradition of fall plowing.

Pat Hays, the second-oldest male member of the church, drove a 1965 John Deere 620 tractor he bought himself for his 70th birthday.

“I always wanted a ‘Johnny Popper,’” he said. “You can hear them coming.”

His three-bottom plow was a birthday gift from brothers Tony, Dan and Nick and nephews Todd and Scott. It was like one he used in his younger years. They bought it from Earl Karr, and another parishioner, Eric Keller, sandblasted and painted it. Friends and family presented it to him at his surprise 70th birthday party held in the church gym.

Hays’ plow broke ground for the first time since its renovation on Plow Day. “I thought it was important for the younger people to see how we farmed,” he said.

The oldest of 13 children, Hays spent much of his life in a tractor seat. He helped his father farm with a team of horses as a child, and picked corn by hand side-by-side with him.

“I took Row 1 and Dad took Rows 2 and 3,” he remembers. “We were tearing out a lot of corn real quick.”

His father was a long-time Monroe County commissioner and left Pat in charge of the farm and siblings when he traveled to the courthouse. When Pat was 12, his father built a new house for the growing family, knowing that his 100-acre farm was in good hands with his son.

Hays passed on his farming skills to younger siblings and nephews. “Uncle Pat always kept Scott and me involved. He was patient and a good guy to learn from. We were blessed to have that opportunity,” nephew Todd said.

Todd said the day represented “part of our heritage in agriculture” and served as a good lesson to younger members that tractors weren’t always big, quiet or equipped with power steering and air conditioning.

He expressed gratitude to Steve DeLaporte, the moving force behind the Plow Day.

DeLaporte, who attends Holy Rosary Church in nearby Monroe City, is friends with Pat’s sons, David and Matt, and some of the other members.

He shares their love of farming, family and church. “I was overwhelmed by the turnout,” he said. About 50 people came to watch the tractors plow and enjoy watermelon under a shade tree.

“I think it’s important to embrace technology and move forward,” he said, “but it’s also important to know where you come from.”

DeLaporte drove an Oliver Super 88 that belonged to his grandfather, Don DeLaporte.

The tractor had been sold out of the family. He and his father spotted the tractor at an equipment auction in 1995 and bought it.

“Dad recognized it even though he hadn’t seen it for about 30 years,” DeLaporte remembers.

The Oliver pulled a two-bottom plow for the Plow Day event.

DeLaporte is restoring another Oliver 1650 that belonged to his grandfather.

Tradition, love of family, church and community matter, DeLaporte says. Add to that a love of old tractors that were driven by family members.

Todd Hays said he is already looking forward to next year’s Plow Day.

“We don’t take the time to slow down and do things like this anymore,” he said.

“We need to slow down and try to enjoy things like they used to. Grandpa Hays always said, ‘Smile when you can because there will be days when you can’t.’”

Plow Day is one of those days when you can.

Linda Geist, a member of Holy Rosary parish in Monroe City, wrote this article for Missouri Ruralist, which gave permission for it to be reprinted here.