An 8-foot bed on this 1970 Ford 250 makes it stand out. Elaine Byer of Wapakoneta says the truck reminds her of her parents and life on the farm.
Jim Krumel | For The Lima News
WAPAKONETA — Elaine Byer knew her search was over when she came across a 1970 Ford 250 camper special pickup truck.
“I am a farm girl, and when my parents passed away, I wanted something that reminded me of them and my life on the farm,” the Wapakoneta woman said.
She found it in a truck that was “Built Ford Tough.”
Those three words are much more than a 1970s advertising slogan, Ford Motor Company says. They represent the decades of hard work and determination that is the backbone of the American spirit.
Byer saw that in her parents, Ardeen and Odella Braun.
“My parents were hard-working and stood for a lot of core values: faith, family and country,” Byer said. “My Pop was a godly man and taught us to respect the flag and the country for which it stood, and to love your family because through thick and thin, they will always be there for you.”
She came across the truck in Spokane, Washington, while searching the Internet. It had a few dents and a little rust, but not enough to scare her.
Elaine and her husband, Greg, did a frame-off restoration. “We rebuilt the motor ourselves. There wasn’t a part that we didn’t grind, scrape or sand on it,” she said.
What they were unable to do, such as the painting, was turned over to Gary Coon, of ICE automotive in Lima.
“This truck has been, and is, a part of our heritage,” Byer said. “My parents were a great example of the love for family, country and for the Lord, who has been a source of strength in many struggles of my life. Their love for family and country grew deep within me.”
“This is why I love this truck so much.”
