Tools of My Father: by Sheena Lara My dad was a small town guy who worked at the local post office, but his passion was inventing. As a side job back in the 1970’s, he would mow the town cemetery and this is where the idea for The Wheelie Trimmer was born. Frustrated with having to carry a weed whacker around every tombstone, the idea of putting it on wheels came to him. He designed and built every Wheelie Trimmer by hand in his workshop up the hill from our house. There, he had every tool needed to manufacture them: drill presses, welding equipment, etc. To sell the trimmers, he took it cross county to various conventions and peddled them to churches with adjoining cemeteries. It was at one such church in San Diego, California, that he met my mother. They kept in touch via phone and mail and dad visited her several times. Eventually they married and had two girls, I am the younger. Over time, Green Manufacturing, Inc (the name of his business) couldn’t keep up with production and my dad moved on. It’s been four years since my dad passed and we’ve left the workshop exactly as it was. A recent peek through a window revealed a United States map with pins in every town with a Wheelie Trimmer and an article titled, “Are You Destined to Make Millions?” on the office wall. Even though the Wheelie Trimmer was his main invention, he had at least four other products he manufactured: the “Mr. Wood Lifter,” the “EZ Slide Probe,” the “Miller’s Memorial Lifter” and “Rotory-Bar-Mowers.” One of my favorite memories is of him constantly sketching ideas for inventions at the kitchen table. He would call me over and show me schematics scrawled out on napkins and scratch pieces of paper. He would ask if I thought it would work and expecting some sort of response, I gave him the most thoughtful suggestions a child could. Those conversations usually ended with a shake of the head and, “I don’t know Sheena Bean, I think it could make some money.” Well, dad never made millions, but following his dream led him to my mom and of course my sister and myself. My first invention will be dedicated to him. Sheena Lara works for her alma mater, Iowa State University, as a graphic designer. The creative apple did not fall far from the tree. As a child she built a tree house and go-kart with her friends using tools and supplies from her dad’s shop. As an adult she has built prototypes of her own inventions. She has an affinity for the outdoors and social media. Sheena is a regular contributor to the world  of Best Made.
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Tools of My Father: by Sheena Lara

My dad was a small town guy who worked at the local post office, but his passion was inventing. As a side job back in the 1970’s, he would mow the town cemetery and this is where the idea for The Wheelie Trimmer was born. Frustrated with having to carry a weed whacker around every tombstone, the idea of putting it on wheels came to him. He designed and built every Wheelie Trimmer by hand in his workshop up the hill from our house. There, he had every tool needed to manufacture them: drill presses, welding equipment, etc. To sell the trimmers, he took it cross county to various conventions and peddled them to churches with adjoining cemeteries. It was at one such church in San Diego, California, that he met my mother. They kept in touch via phone and mail and dad visited her several times. Eventually they married and had two girls, I am the younger.

Over time, Green Manufacturing, Inc (the name of his business) couldn’t keep up with production and my dad moved on. It’s been four years since my dad passed and we’ve left the workshop exactly as it was. A recent peek through a window revealed a United States map with pins in every town with a Wheelie Trimmer and an article titled, “Are You Destined to Make Millions?” on the office wall.

Even though the Wheelie Trimmer was his main invention, he had at least four other products he manufactured: the “Mr. Wood Lifter,” the “EZ Slide Probe,” the “Miller’s Memorial Lifter” and “Rotory-Bar-Mowers.” One of my favorite memories is of him constantly sketching ideas for inventions at the kitchen table. He would call me over and show me schematics scrawled out on napkins and scratch pieces of paper. He would ask if I thought it would work and expecting some sort of response, I gave him the most thoughtful suggestions a child could. Those conversations usually ended with a shake of the head and, “I don’t know Sheena Bean, I think it could make some money.”

Well, dad never made millions, but following his dream led him to my mom and of course my sister and myself. My first invention will be dedicated to him.

Sheena Lara works for her alma mater, Iowa State University, as a graphic designer. The creative apple did not fall far from the tree. As a child she built a tree house and go-kart with her friends using tools and supplies from her dad’s shop. As an adult she has built prototypes of her own inventions. She has an affinity for the outdoors and social media. Sheena is a regular contributor to the world  of Best Made.