SUMMERDALE, Ala. — George Underwood may be officially retired now that he’s in his late 80s, but don’t tell his tractors.

They would not believe it.

Along with his son-in-law, Andy Williams, Underwood is busy sanding and refinishing his beloved farm gear in his large Summerdale garage.

“I was raised on a farm here,” said Underwood. “I liked tractors, especially some of the older ones. They worked hard.”

Now retired from the pulpit, Underwood says he has 14 tractors, the oldest a 1936 WC Allis-Chalmers tractor.

“I have been collecting for three or four years,” Underwood said. “I was raised on a farm near here, and I like tractors.”

While he has and likes other tractors, he’s especially fond of the bright orange Allis-Chalmers line of tractors. When an Allis-Chalmers tractor is finally ready to be painted, Williams has to send off to a special paint company, the only one that makes the right color, so the tractor can look factory new.

“I drove a WC (tractor) for a number of years, and I really liked it,” said Underwood.

While Underwood first drove a 30s vintage tractor, his favorite is a 1970 XT 190 Allis-Chalmers.

“The hydraulics were good,” said Underwood of the 1970 model, “You had good implements. The 1936 had an uncomfortable seat, and it was harder to steer.”

Underwood got the collecting bug later in life.

“I just liked them,” Underwood said “I went to some tractor shows, and I was aware that others collected them.”

While 14 tractors seems like a lot, Underwood says he’d get more “if my wife will finance them.”

His wife, Marie Underwood, chuckled at that comment.

“He enjoys it,” said Marie Underwood, “and I enjoy seeing him. He’s like a little boy with a new toy.”

And while the Underwoods and Williams restore the old tractors mainly for shows and from a love of the old gear, some of the tractors still help out around the Underwood home.

“I have 30 pecan trees on about 35 acres,” said Underwood. He added that some of the tractors go out to help collect fallen limbs and other small jobs on his acreage.

But, Underwood did not plan to be only a farmer. He graduated from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and had churches in Melvin, Ala., for three years, and in Stapleton for 30 years. He retired in 1990.

“I enjoyed being with the people,” said Underwood.

And while the ministry was enjoyable, Underwood likes working his land.

“I bought a tractor (an Allis-Chalmers WD) in 1950 because we needed it here. We were farming here, growing Irish potatoes, early corn, wheat and soybeans.”

All this driving around on tractors does not sit well with the couple’s year-old Collie, Fluffy.

“He sees a lawnmower or a tractor, and he has a fit,” said Marie Underwood.

But, going to shows has turned into an enjoyable hobby for the couple.

“She goes to the shows with me,” said Underwood. “She has been most encouraging.”

While the couple has been to just a few shows so far, each of them has been fun for the pair, and Underwood has learned something to improve his tractors at every show.

“I found out how to put the crank on,” said Underwood, referring to the starter crank that early models came with. Farmers quickly learned how to start their tractors with more modern batteries and alternators. Underwood, on the other hand, is interested in restoring the crank to his tractors.

“I’m always glad to learn something new,” said Underwood.

Underwood isn’t the only one to fall under the spell of vintage tractors.

Jason Stewart of Bon Secour is the president of the South Alabama Antique Tractor and Engine club which meets on the first Thursday of the month at the Baldwin Heritage Museum in Elberta.

“It’s a way of showing off the past,” said Stewart. “These tractors run and sound different from the ones coming out today. They bring back memories for the older folks.”

Stanley Brewer, the SAATE treasurer, makes his home in Pensacola. He grew up in Foley, and spend a number of years as an aircraft mechanic for the Air Force. Those skills help when he’s working on an older tractor. He has also succumbed to the lure of older tractors. He has an explanation as to why you see a lot of middle-sized tractors around here.

“You find a lot of mid-sized tractors because farmers tended to buy what they needed, not what they wanted,” said Brewer.

For many farmers, the tractors were “like children,” Brewer added.

“But these were children who could provide food,” said Brewer. “They were the life support for the farmer and his family.”