JASPER COUNTY, Iowa — Tractors lined Highway 14 to honor a longtime Jasper County farmer who died in early March.

Charles ‘Chuck’ Wayne Osborn died on March 16 at the age of 90. According to his obituary, he was born on February 8, 1935 in Marshalltown, where his family lived until they eventually moved to what became their family farm just north of Newton in 1940.

Chuck was drafted into the US Army and stationed in Germany where he served as a water treatment specialist from 1957 to 1959. When he returned home, he and his late wife, Rachael Rollstin, got married.

According to his obituary, he had a love for building things; including making toys that ranged from farm equipment to Jeeps. He also made jewelry out of silver and loved restoring old tractors.

On Monday, the community came together to honor Chuck by lining up tractors along Highway 14 into Baxter, the same route the procession took to the cemetery where Chuck was laid to rest.

“He was 90 years old and very highly respected in the neighborhood, all of the surroundings, and when you have a tractor show out like it has, there’s a lot of respect for the family and so forth of Chuck and Rachael,” said Richard Hageborn, a Jasper County farmer who knew Chuck.

Chuck is survived by his three children, multiple grandchildren and great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and siblings.

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