Each Fall, for decades, the Fox Valley Model A Restorers Club (FVMARC) members have visited the Fox Valley Career Center (FVCC) at Kaneland High School to familiarize the Auto Repair Class students with an early history of the automobile and a first-hand look at Henry Ford’s miracle of producing millions of dependable cars for all Americans.
This year Larry Imel, head of the FVCC, ordered a large birthday sheet cake to honor our FVMARC Member, Duane Stevenson, who turns 100 years old on Veterans’ Day, Nov 11, 2023. Duane was inducted into the Army in 1943 and fought in three major Pacific Theater battles: Guam, Okinawa and Leyte, Philippines. The first car that Duane bought was a Ford Model A and last year he donated his last Model A truck to the Bellar Antique Car Museum in Romeoville, IL.
Word must have gotten out to the other classes at FVCC that this was going to be a special day in the Auto Repair Class because the Electrician Class, Welding Class and Construction Class joined the party. Each of three-90-minute class periods started out with 20-minute PowerPoint presentation by 30-year-old, Model A owner, Nic Sargis on automobile history and Henry Ford’s miracle. A video showed the class how the Model T and Model A car assembly line revolutionized the industry to produce millions of cars over two decades.
After this classroom presentation, the students entered the four high bay auto shop to greet FVMARC members, five Model A’s cars and a dozen exhibits showing the inner workings of the cars. The students asked dozens of questions and the owners worked hard to keep up with answers. These young men and women impressed all of us club members with their attentiveness and respect.
