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(Disclaimer: Photographs taken on this tribute page were NOT taken by MML Photography)

Biography

Max Louder a custom wheat harvester for over 5 decades was based first in North Central Kansas (Mankato) and later in the Columbia Basin region of Washington (Pasco).

He worked in custom harvesting for over 50 years total, among his numerous career highlights, being recognized several times in newspaper articles, including his 2 decades of starting his annual harvest run at the Baker family farm in Munday Texas.

Our family harvest operation was also published in National Geographic (August 1972 article "North With The Wheat Cutters"), which became the basis for the 1979-1980 television movie "Amber Waves" (starring, Dennis Weaver and Kurt Russell). Dennis Weaver's character (Mid-Western Custom Harvester) was loosely based on my dad.

In 1990 Max was holder of the (Guiness Book) world record for most wheat harvested in an hour (54 ton). A record set during our yearly harvest at Eastern Oregon Farms, near Irrigon, Oregon.

We harvested wheat, corn, barley...etc. for farmers in cities throughout the midwest & western United States including; Munday Texas, Hooker Oklahoma, Manter Kansas, Alliance Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Cut Bank/Fort Benton/Opheim Montana, Yuma/Mohave Valley/Parker Arizona, Blythe/Needles/Winterhaven California, Boardman/Irrigon/La Grande Oregon & Pasco/Basin City/Othello Washington.

"Your dad, at his best, was one of the cleverest, craftiest people I ever met. I learned a lot about getting along with people, telling what you knew and didn't know, and negotiating, by watching Max Louder operate. He didn't say much. You just had to look and listen." Jim Sugar National Geographic Contributing Photographer among his works, "North with the Wheat Cutters".

Your whole family was perfect for telling the story of the wheat cutters, and especially your dad, with his laconic, lean-waisted persona and his extreme professionalism. He made it possible for me to illustrate the urgency of the harvest with his concerns about efficiency and his careful planning, which we talked about when I accompanied him on a scouting trip into Colorado. He was extremely quotable: I'll never forget when I asked him if he had other interests such as baseball, and he answered, "My mind is kind of like a bucket, and if I get too much in it some of it runs over and a little bit of everything gets lost." I've quoted your dad many times through the years with that "mind is like a bucket" speech. And of course, there was that great closer when he was under a combine making repairs when I said goodbye for the last time. I expressed my regret that he was having some trouble and he answered with a grin that they would fix this combine and be ready for whatever lay ahead. It made the perfect end to my story about a working hero and was a fitting tribute to American optimism: we'll take whatever life dishes out and make the best of it.

That was your dad, and that was my story. It made such an impression at the Geographic that some staff members said it changed the way we wrote texts at the magazine. "You made those wheat cutters real people who get mad and discouraged, who get in fights, but who prevail in the end," said one old hand. "We have tended to create porcelain people, who are perfect in every way. Real people aren't like that." Noel Grove National Geographic Writer among his credits "North with the Wheat Cutters".

"I think the thing I remember most of my dad's "teachings" is when he told me "you learn alot more about people, if you look and listen, than if your runnin' your mouth about how much you know. I guess that's where the quiet persona comes from?

I am grateful that I learned his ability to recognize and distinguish between a good value and what's overpriced. I may not be perfect at it, but consider that to be one of my better attributes. Mikel M. Louder Photographer/Owner MML Photography.

I thought I would stop and try to write somethings about your Dad. Somebody will ask about my education and my response has almost always been "The Max Louder School of Hard Knox". I do think I learned alot from your Dad. There are things even today that when we harvest our crops that I refer to Max's wisdom. (Keep that combine in the wheat, If it's not we're not making money). Neil/Sam Becker, Harvest Crew 79-81, Farmer & Owner Becker Electric. His father Wilbur bought the Louder farm when we moved from Kansas to Washington.

Life is a constant learning curve of how to deal with things that come, the younger you are the more volatile, less ability to handle things. There's a big jump from Mama's apron strings to real life.

The jump is the true thing that Max Louder installed, in one season of 1978. He gave me, an 18 year old, a chance that other folk wouldn't. I arrived with the crew and spent, probably, 4 weeks asking myself why shouldn't I quit and go (to mama!) The reason was I truly didn't want to let the man who gave me a chance down and I didn't want to end a quitter. Life seemed hard, but it wasn't that way. I was merely on the first step of independence.

Max was a proper fair man, he never would entertain fools gladly but if you pulled and worked, gave the amount that you should he was the greatest man to work for. I remember getting a bonus maybe 3 or 4 weeks for being first serviced and out in the wheat, I was the proudest fella, properly, like a dog with 2 tails!

As the season of '78 drew on you knew you were working with a driven man, he expected what was required, got things done and never seemed beaten or beatable. Not a breakdown that he couldn't get repaired, resourceful maybe you could say. Always will remember ' Hmm Lets see' when he was considering! All the crew, after the selection program, how many got fired short term, had total respect for him.

Max Louder gave me chances that no other would, in that time he unwittingly taught me lessons in life, (more) respect, (more) discipline, strength of character, do what you say, fulfill your promises, don't look back and do the right thing on the day. He was, without question, one of the biggest influences of my younger life and the lessons I learned from Max were never wrong and serve me well now as an oldun as they did as a youngun! David Russel, Harvest Crew '78, Owner Russel Farms, Romford (Near London) UK.

I have many memories of him during the harvest, usually trying to fix a combine, tractor, trailer, truck or giving someone heck!! The first day I saw him putting propane in a truck I thought we were both heading for the pearly gates! I guess he got there in the end. It sure doesn’t seem like 30 years have passed since Eddy and I made our way to Pasco, we were both pretty green when we got there and thrown into the deep end. Pat Phillips, Harvest Crew 77-78, Owner: P Phillips Contractors LTD. Petworth (near London) UK.

(Disclaimer: Photographs taken on this tribute page were NOT taken by MML Photography)

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