Boxwell Greats: Farmer Bush

Boxwell’s history is full of fascinating characters. Some are great leaders who left indelible impressions upon us. Others are those figures who weren’t “official” leaders in title, but were such charismatic figures, you were better for having known them. And then there were some, some who were so unique, so irascible, they almost defy description. Farmer Bush was one of these people.

Farmer Bush–and that was his real name, “Farmer”–joined the ranger staff in or about 1967. Bush had previously been a tenant farmer in Laguardo, working the farm of a Mr. Odom. Odom’s farm was the large field on the left on the big hill just before arriving at Tyree Access area. His son was killed in Vietnam around 1966 and Bush received compensation from the government for the loss. The bridge at Laguardo is named for his son. Bush and his wife used this money to buy and build a small ranch style home over on Purnell Road. His house was the home right at the mythical “back entrance” to Boxwell, today on the backside of CubWorld. He was an old school, country farmer. He couldn’t read or write, and he didn’t like signing things or the government.

Because of his background at Odom’s farm, Bush was initially hired to help with the farm. Repairing fences, doing work on the various crop experiments, and looking after the cattle was his primary responsibility, but of course, the farm went away at the end of 1975. Farmer’s responsibilities changed.

The back entrance was important for Farmer because he used it to enter the Reservation to come to work. With the farm shuttered, during summer camp at least, most people saw Farmer in his pick up truck when he came to the dining halls after the meals to pick up the slop cans. His truck was instantly recognizable as it had a siren and Bush was not hesitant to use it. Regardless, he would pick up the slop and take it back to his small farm where he would feed his pigs with it. Thus, it was important that no paper trash or silverware ended up the slop cans!

When he started Farmer Bush was also a big beer drinker and a smoker. If you find an old rusted Pabst Blue Ribbon beer can off in the woods at Boxwell, it was probably Farmer Bush’s. He rolled his own cigarettes too, likely from tobacco grown on the reservation. In the early 1970s, once after a car accident and again later after a regular doctor’s visit, the physician told Farmer he had to quit drinking and then that he had to quit smoking. He quit both cold turkey. He gave away all of his beer and his beer refrigerator; he threw out all his cigarettes. Just like that. He was still irascible, but he was a kind hearted son-of-a-gun once he got to know you and trust you.

Farmer loved collecting guns and knives. He would periodically fire his gun off around camp. Kerry Parker tells this story of one day when Reservation Director Bruce Atkins drove into compound and found Farmer sitting at the shop, waiting for his afternoon marching orders. Atkins yelled, “‘Farmer! I’m going to fire the hell out of you if you don’t get up and get to work!’ Farmer hollers back at him, says, ‘Hell, I was looking for a job when I found this one.’ And he took his gun out of his pocket and he shot it up in the air four or five times! Just straight up in the air!” Atkins took it as a joke and drove off.

Farmer stayed on the Boxwell Ranger staff for almost 30 years. He worked for Bobby Smith, Norman Patterson, and Willie Claud. He retired in the early 1990s, about 1993 or 1994. He passed away Monday, March 20, 1995 of a heart attack at age 84. For those who knew him, Farmer Bush was someone you would never, ever forget.

Seen here is Farmer Bush with his cow Susie and several piglets. Note the 1973 red staff hat introduced by Ed Human.