Bud Patch: Welder, Rock Picker, and Farmer

I arrived at Bud patches home after not being able to contact him by telephone for about a week. When I arrived there was a sign on a tree that read “Retired…no phone…no work…no worries”. I then realized exactly why I had not been able to get in contact with him. I then knocked on the door, with no response from him but got a warm greeting from the farm dog Max. I continued to search for Bud and soon found him in a shed where he was working. The quest to my story was over.

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Bud Patch resides on a farm that he had owned since 1950 and lives in a house that he built himself. He described himself saying, “I’m an antique man, I mean everything I gots antique and I’m antique. I’m 92”. Despite his age Bud Patch works everyday to take care for and feed many animals that live on his farm, including 30 peacocks, 11 swans, 3 deer, 5 goats, 10 rabbits, 1 Zebalo (A mix between an African Zebu bull and a Buffalo), 1 Black Angus cow and many other animals. Bud Patch Says that the animals are his companions and even says “them deer they’ll warsh my face for me”.

The farm, upon arrival, is almost overwhelming. At the entrance of the driveway a monument, with a sign reading “The Patch’s”, greets you. Welded figures of dinosaurs and Giraffes that Bud made himself also greet you as you enter. As you continue down the driveway you come upon a land bridge between two ponds, and the small stone house lies just on the other side. Bud’s property is covered with various barns, sheds, and other buildings that seem to overflow with intriguing objects that spark the interest of anyone visiting. In the early morning the resounding call of the exotic peacock breaks the morning silence. When I asked Bud what his vision of the American Dream was, he responded saying, “My dream is here”.

As we delved deeper into our conversation Bud told me about what kept him occupied before he was retired. “I was a rock picker and an iron worker. I’d pick out rock for houses like that, sidewalks and patios and everything… When I couldn’t pick rocks I was a trouble shooter. I as a welder for Jefferies, mostly in the winter.” Because of the skills in rockwork and welding he gained from his work experience, Bud built three houses throughout his lifetime, one of which he lives in and two others who he gave to his children. Bud Patch told me “I was worth a million dollars at one point”. I then asked him who influenced him as a young man, and he responded quickly saying “Me! I was all by myself!” As the conversation continued on Bud said something that truly stuck in my mind. He told me “ Money aint worth a good god damn after you get some…it really aint, there aint nothing I wanna buy. There aint nowhere I wanna go. “ After hearing him say this I began to understand. It is not about the money, it is not about the fancy things. Here we were sitting on a dusty old farm just talking and nothing in the whole world could have been more perfect.

Bud Patch puts his skills to use and continues to weld as a hobby. Bud makes many little creative things from scraps lying around the farm. He told me some of the best selling decorations he makes are a black cat, an owl and of course his most elaborate works the several dinosaurs, which he took most pride in. He told me Vickie Fifer bought the designs and they were published in a book all about dinosaurs. Bud Patch didn’t consider his pieces art, but told me this, “I think it is junk. I made it out of junk”.

Bud told me many stories of how he welded 500 feet up in the air, how he shot a 500 pound Elk, but above everything Bud has accomplished and everything that he does he wanted me to understand one thing. When I asked him what he wanted to be most remembered for he responded saying, “For having a good wife…we was married 63 years.” He didn’t want to be remembered for being a millionaire, he didn’t want to be remembered as a welder or a rock picker but declared that the love he had for his wife was worth more than anything in the entire world.

At the age of 92 Bud Patch continues to work everyday. I asked him what kept him going and motivated and he responded, “Just this. Workin.” It is this work ethic that has created the world that Bud lives in. Bud lives to work and stay busy and his farm provides just what he needs. The same work ethic that he has now lead him through his life to many different places and helped him accomplish many things. I asked him is he ever had any regrets about what he had done during his life. He told me, “I’ve had fun all my life…don’t have the first regret. I wouldn’t change for anything’s here.”