Parade Marshal Atteberry isn't running out of steam any time soon.

Blackwell’s Fourth of July parade marshal was W.C. “Chady” Atteberry, and the longtime steam tractor enthusiast isn’t running out of steam anytime soon.

Atteberry, 93, was born in January 1930 near Jefferson in Grant County on the farm owned by his grandparents, George and Eugenia McMullen. His parents were Audra and Arkie (McMullen) Atteberry. His father had to hitch up a team of horses to pick up the doctor because the snow was too deep for the doctor’s car to get down the road to the house.

In 1936, Chady Atteberry and his parents moved to Blackwell. He had his first paying job at the age of 6 working for a local farmer.

He attended a country elementary school east of the river and attended middle and high school in Blackwell. His sister, Eugenia, was born in 1937.

When Atteberry was 12, his father convinced one of the local tractor dealerships to let Atteberry purchase an International 22-36 tractor on a payment plan.

When Atteberry was 17, he spent the summer plowing 527 acres with a two-bottom plow to raise the money to buy his first steam traction engine. He purchased a J.I. Case 65-horsepower engine.

Atteberry has had a lifelong love of antique steam engines, tractors and cars. He has served as an officer and board member in many clubs, including the Wichita Steam Show. He served as president of the Oklahoma Steam Threshers & Gas Engine Association in Pawnee. At the group’s annual May show, he reenacted the incline with his J.I. Case 40-horsepower steam engine for many years. He was president of the International J.I. Case Heritage Foundation.

He has traveled across the U.S. and Canada to visit steam engine shows. In 2018, he was able to check off one of his bucket list items by getting to see the J.I. Case 150-horespower steam engine, the only one of its kind still in existence. He got to ride on it in 2021.

He has written articles for several hobby magazines, including the Iron Men Album, the Heritage Eagle and Engineers & Engines.

Atteberry preferred steam engines to dances. Instead of going to his junior prom, he went with a friend, Lyman Knapp, to pick up a steam engine that was located out of state. Knapp purchased the engine.

Atteberry has driven his Ford Model T touring car and Model A on several trips across the United States. He has driven in several states, including Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska.

He has been a member of several of the antique car clubs in Oklahoma. His longtime friend Irene (Rose) Oliver traveled with him on these adventures.

He only broke down once in his Model T and had to be towed. He got his vehicle running by that evening to be on the tour again the next day.

Atteberry played football while attending Blackwell High School. He was one of the tri-captains during his senior year. The team beat Ponca City 7-0. He graduated in 1949.

Atteberry attended Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College in Miami. He played on the football team and graduated in 1951 with an associate’s degree.

Atteberry attended Oklahoma State University A&M and graduated in 1955 with a bachelor’s degree in agronomy.

Atteberry entered the United States Marine Corps in 1955 and served until 1958. He graduated from officer candidate school in 1955 at Quantico, Virginia.

He was a part of the 3rd Tank Battalion. He was a 1st Lt. He served at Camp McGill in Japan as well as on the U.S.S. General A. E. Anderson ship. He was also stationed at Camp Pendleton in California. While on the U.S.S. Anderson, the sailors stopped in several countries, including Pakistan, India and other ports.

The only two Japanese words he still remembers are “water” and “bathroom.”

Atteberry returned to Oklahoma to care for his widowed mother. He started driving a Mack semi-truck across the country.

He had a custom harvesting business, combining wheat from Muleshoe, Texas, to Moosomin, Saskatchewan, Canada, for 18 years. The crew made stops in northern Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska and North Dakota. The crew would then return to Texas for the corn harvest.

For several of those years, Atteberry was in business with John Reuter.

Anytime the crew had a break while on harvest, they would find a nearby spot to go visit, including Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, Cheyenne Frontier Days in Wyoming, Mount Rushmore in South Dakota and many other stops along the way.

Atteberry married Pat Voegele, and they had two daughters: Beverly and Barbara. Pat and Chady traveled across the country. Pat died in 1992.

Atteberry has two grandchildren: Amber and Blake. He taught them how to drive the Model T as soon as their feet could reach the brake pedal.

Model Ts don’t have a gas pedal. The gas and speed are controlled by hand switches.

Atteberry worked for Dale Wooderson at Diamond Dot Farms for more than 25 years. He also worked for Dora Goodson at the Goodson Ranch, and he worked for Bill Simer at Simer Equipment, a local Allis Chalmers dealership.

Atteberry has been involved in several organizations in Blackwell, including Camp Fire Girls, where he served as president. He was active in the Kay Electric Cooperative, and he has attended Blackwell football games at home and away. He attended homecoming every chance he got.

Atteberry is a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Blackwell.