Paying It Forward

ROUND ROCK, Texas – In 1952, Elmer Bob Kroeker attended Tabor for his freshman year. He grew up in Enid, Okla., and Dr. George Franz—a member of the Mennonite Brethren Church Kroeker attended growing up—paid for his first year at Tabor.

Kroeker never forgot that gesture of generosity and has been donating to Tabor’s Endowed Scholarship Fund every year since 1991. His willingness to give back to other Tabor students is because of his faith.

“To be raised Mennonite Brethren, you don’t forget it,” Kroeker said. “I didn’t forget Tabor.”

In May, Kroeker made his annual donation for the scholarship fund, but his generosity in 2015 did not stop there.

Kroeker loves old tractors. He bought a Holt tractor in 2005. On and off for the next five years, he would spend time restoring it.

“It was quite unique to some extent,” he said. “It’s not real rare. There were 337 made of the one that I had. I’ve restored eight. It’s just something to do.”

The restoration project was one he did not complete for a very good reason.

“I really didn’t want to finish it because, to finish it, you have to start it with a crank,” he said. “Well, that leaves me out. I’m not going to mess with that.

Bob and Connie Kroeker sell a Holt tractor and give the proceeds to Tabor College
Bob & Connie Kroeker sell the tractor

“I finished as far as I wanted to go,” he added. “I wouldn’t take it to the show because I wouldn’t be able to start it. Then I had the idea that I’d rather have it in the museum where the machine kind of belongs.”

With the tractor not completely restored, Kroeker and his wife, Connie—who currently live in Round Rock, Texas, a suburb of Austin—decided the tractor needed to be sold to someone who would finish the restoration.

Peter Holt is the CEO of Holt Cat—the largest Caterpillar dealership in the United States— and chairman, CEO and owner of the National Basketball Association’s San Antonio Spurs. Holt is also the great-grandson of Benjamin Holt, founder of Holt Manufacturing Co. In the mid-1880s, the company produced the first horse-drawn “link-belt combined harvesters.” Holt went on to manufacture steam traction engines. With his great-grandfather’s tractor manufacturing history, Peter became a collector of Holt tractors. Today he buys, refurbishes and displays Holt tractors in a museum in San Antonio.

Kroeker decided he wanted to sell his tractor to Peter Holt and then donate the money from the sale to Tabor.

Kroeker worked with Kim Wiens—a Tabor advancement officer working in Texas—to organize the sale of the tractor.

Kim Wiens, Tabor Advancement officer in Texas
Kim Wiens

“I started making calls to get to Mr. Holt,” Wiens said. “This was a challenge. Mr. Holt also owns the San Antonio Spurs and it’s impossible to get to him. After several calls and emails, I was able to reach Bill Boyle.”

Boyle is the sales manager for Holt Cat in San Antonio. He immediately expressed interest in the purchase of Kroeker’s tractor. Within a week, Wiens met with Boyle. A week later, Holt made an offer to buy the tractor and Kroeker accepted. Within a month, the deal was done.

“We met and they brought a check and a truck to haul the tractor,” Wiens said. “The tractor went to Dallas where it will be completely restored to running condition.”

Holt knows exactly the right people who will finish what Kroeker started and restore it to its original condition.

“Between his (Holt’s) technical/mechanical school, the class and the teacher will restore it to look like new,” Kroeker said.

In a few years, Kroeker’s wish of having his tractor displayed in a museum will become a reality.

“In 2018, Holt Cat is having an antique tractor show in San Antonio,” Wiens said. “The event will feature 12 Holt tractors that will be working and running at the show. Bob and I plan to attend and hopefully meet Mr. Holt. The tractor will then be located in the showroom of their corporate headquarters.”

Kroeker graciously donated the proceeds to Tabor and designated the gift for the Center for the Arts. Retired from IBM, Kroeker has been using its matching gift donation since 1991. Tabor submitted an application to IBM for a matching gift and is awaiting approval from the company.

“This was what we wanted,” Kroeker said, “to give to Tabor and to get the tractor to the Holt Family.”