Watching Ansel I. Toney of Farmland, Indiana at work and at play, you begin
to see something within him that soars like... well, like a kite.
Toney has become something of a hero to many of the children in this small
town of 1600 people. To them he's the man who will take time out to listen
to their problems or share a big hearty laugh with them.
Most anytime you could find Ansel out in his shop grinding away on his
lathe, making
spools or cutting out patterns for his unique kite string winders. He made
the same
type of string winders his father showed him how to make, now over 100 years
ago.
Ansel also made some 100 kites over the past few years. He hasn't sold any
yet but
he has given them away to the towns children and to his 11 grandchildren and
eight
great-grandchildren who live in East Coast and in Arizona.
Ansel's great love for kites began a few years ago when he took his wife to a
doctor's
office and had to wait about three hours in the waiting room. He casually
picked up
a magazine and thumbed through an article about kiting. He became
engrossed in the
subject. Later he found the name of a kite store in New York and he sent
away for a
catalogue. It was cluttered with nylon kite material, string, and wood
blocks for making
the string winders.
Finding that the manufactured kites had several aerodynamic flaws, Ansel began
to
improve on the material and design of his product. From there, he built
French
military, parafoil and delta kites, preferring to stick to the latter because of
the
aerodynamic stability and simplicity of design. Watching Ansel fly a kite
is like
watching a master in love with his art.
The whole sky is a playground for Ansel, who fastens his kite to a garden
tractor
with a 200-pound test line run through the string winder on the back of the
implement.
Gently coaxing the 14-foot kite into the air he waits for a healthy current of
air to pull
the nylon triangle from the earth. A tug of wind grabs the kit, as the
string begins to
play out of the winder. You get her up about 25 feet in the air and you
got it made,
Ansel's keeping his sharp eyes on the kite while a faint smile plays
across his face.
The orange triangle begins ascending in the air. "She's as pretty as a
bird," he would
say, while he was pulling on the kite line. Look at her hold-just as
steady as a clock.
The kite is really tugging into the air. Anything less than a 200 pound
test and cord
could possibly disintegrate and unravel, sending the kite miles into the
distance.
One summer, Ansel's son bought a parasail kite, capable of lifting a 200-pound
man
more than 150 feet into the air The parasail, resembling a parachute, is
attached to a
3,000 pound test line which is pulled by a jeep. Once the chute fills with
air, a man can
soar into the air at will. Ansel and his son have taken about 100 people,
mostly residents
of Farmland, up in the kite. Passing by on a quiet, balmy Sunday
afternoon, its was
not unusual to see Farmland's "free Spirits" soaring over the town.
With such action going on, you can bet Ansel will be there-he has gone up in the
kite
several times. Its quite an experience, its just about the most beautiful
thing you can
imagine-being up there free-just like a big beautiful bird.
Ansel in the process had plans to send up an eight-foot tissue balloon.
He always
has some type of project going , according to his wife of approximately 70
years.
Stella-Ansels wife was always surprised at what her husband was up to.
Ansel
retired from farming several years ago but he says you can't sit down or you
will learn fast how old you really are, then you might as well give it up.
Now , I pull fudge with the kids and lot of times we make cookies and candy, he
continues with a twinkle in his eye. We have the greatest of times around
here.
Ansel has been missed since his passing at the age of 99. He left his mark
on
the town as well as the world, and his kites will be flying all over the world.
He said A Kite line is a Highway to Heaven
In remembrance of Ansel you will see at the city limits of Farmland a sign that
say's
Farmland
Home of
Ansel Toney
The Kite Man
Photo's showing Ansel Toney at work.
