Gene and Elaine Martin were nominated by their children for the Hall of Fame. They were then inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003 at the Annual Convention in Topeka, KS, in March.

Gene comes from a long line of custom harvesters. His Grandpa’s background was in the threshing machine harvest. Gene started going on the harvest in 1947 at the age of thirteen. From that time forward it was an annual event.

In early 1958 Gene’s dad asked if he wanted to buy a truck and combine and join him on the harvest. Gene was able to borrow the money and Elaine quit her job to be the truck driver.

Gene and Elaine raised six kids on the harvest and all of them drove combines.

When Gene and his dad were together, they ran seven to eight combines. They split up in 1966 and Gene ran five combines. They always ran Gleaners starting with the A’s all the way up to the R72’s.

When their children no longer went on the harvest, Gene & Elaine downsized to two big machines. Gene drove one and Elaine drove the other. They knew neither could have operated without the help of the other. They then had to hire guys to go along.

In the fall of 1983, one of the Davey brothers called Gene and told him that several were forming the U.S. Custom Harvesters Association and asked if he would join. Of course he did join, being one of the first 20 harvesters to join.

Gene’s stroke in November of 2000 put an end to their harvesting career. The family reminisces about the harvest when they were all together. The summer of 2002 was the first year since 1958 that none of their combines did any harvesting.