Memorial sculpture fundraiser ongoing to remember Detwiler
A well-known and inspirational farmer in the Logan and Champaign County communities and far beyond — Andy Detwiler— was a welcoming face at the West Liberty Labor Day Festival each year.
The “harmless farmer,” as he was known by his podcast followers, who lost both of his arms at age 2 after falling into a grain auger, enjoyed spreading joy to numerous attendees at the Labor Day Festival, showcasing his skillful maneuvering with his feet atop a tractor along the parade route and throughout the weekend at Lions Park.
The beloved community member was deeply missed at this year’s West Liberty Labor Day Festival, as he passed away at the age of 52 on Sept. 21, 2022, from complications with pneumonia.
However, his many fellow farmers, friends and family members still enjoyed saying “hello” to Andy at the festival through a special memorial tribute, an 8-foot statue that was on display near the White Lions barn on the south side of the park.
Andy’s mother, Pat, who resides near West Liberty, and sculptor Mike Major were on hand to fill in visitors on a memorial effort that is currently taking shape through a committee of his loved ones and acquaintances after his passing.
The sculpture, which is currently made of plasteline clay with a Styrofoam core, will be cast in bronze when completed. Major said it took him about three months to create the large-scale piece.
Once it’s cast in bronze, the sculpture will be installed on a 5-foot limestone base and placed in a fitting location to honor the humble and kindly farmer. His presence will be felt in a peaceful spot in a field just south of West Liberty on land owned by his aunt Sandy and uncle John Detwiler.
His mother noted that Andy became well known beyond just Ohio through his podcasts, which featured him doing all kinds of farm work, such as hooking up the power take off for a manure spreader, fueling tractors, putting nuts on bolts in hard to reach areas and driving large loaded grain trucks to market, all with his feet.
The YouTube Channel filmed in part by his daughter Kylie reached over 137,000 subscribers and had over 47 million views worldwide.
Andy’s resilience and skillful adaptations to the difficulties that life presented to him were evident at an early age, Pat noted.
“I saw him after the accident, surgery and a time of healing, grab a blanket with his foot and flip it perfectly to cover up and I knew he was going to be OK,” she said.
“One blessing was that he was so young when he needed to learn to use his feet. He developed amazing dexterity, balance and strength in his lower body. He eagerly engaged in all types of farm work as he matured.”
The rural Urbana resident was a lifelong farmer, farming alongside his father Tom and his uncle John, his family noted in his obituary last year.
In addition to his dedicated work ethic on the farm and collecting Oliver Tractors, he was able to travel and share his message to “Never Give Up” through motivational speaking.
One of Andy’s close friends on the memorial committee, Paul Kari, wanted to help spearhead this effort so that others could be uplifted by the “harmless farmer’s” amazing story.
The pair met and bonded in part because of they both loved farming. Kari also is an overcomer of great adversity — as he survived being taken as a prisoner of war on June 25, 1965, after his plane was shot down during the Vietnam War.
Capt. Kari flew 64 combat missions after being deployed with the U.S. Air Force’s 45 FTS to Ubon Royal Air Force Base, Thailand, before being forced to eject over North Vietnam.
His back was broken when he bailed out of his crippled fighter plane, and he would endure torture, partial loss of sight and many years without his family and friends.
After spending 2,795 days in captivity, Capt. Kari was released in 1973, and he later bought a large farm near West Liberty, and soon began his deep friendship with his armless comrade.
Funds continue to be raised by Kari and the committee through the Champaign County Arts Council and can be mailed to: Champaign County Arts Council, 119 Miami St., Urbana, Ohio, 43078. Donations are tax deductible and the names of donors $500 or more will be placed on a bronze plaque at the memorial site.
Online donations can be made at champaigncountyartscouncil.org.
Sculptor Mike Major, left, and Pat Detwiler stand with an 8-foot clay sculpture of Pat’s son, the late Andy Detwiler, during the 2023 West Liberty Labor Day Festival over the weekend. Fundraising is ongoing to memorialize the armless farmer with a permanent bronze statue. (EXAMINER PHOTO | Mandy Loehr)
Andy Detwiler