Passion for tools more than a hobby

By Trisha Marczak (Contact) | The Daily Journal

Published Thursday, June 19, 2008

Bill Watkins loves collecting antique tools. He’s been at it for some 30 years, and has even donated some of his treasures to George Washington’s Mount Vernon Museum in Virginia, where they are currently on display.

And as long as he’s been collecting, the Fergus Falls man belonged to the Mid-West Tool Collectors Association, an international non-profit organization that focusses on the preservation and understanding of tools used throughout human history.

“I’ve always been interested in history, so this kind of ties into it,” Watkins said.

And although he considers his passion to be a little more than a hobby, he never expected his interest would help out with his granddaughters’ education.

When he encouraged his two granddaughters to apply for the Association’s annual scholarship, he didn’t expect that, out of the five nationally awarded scholarships, two of them would end up going towards both of the girls’ college funds.

“I knew they were good students, but this was throughout the nation,” Watkins said.

Rajean Witt-Thomas of Fargo and Ruth Watkins of Baltimore, Md., applied for the scholarships earlier this year. After submitting grades and essays explaining their connection with the Association, they were awarded letters granting them $1,500 for the 2008-09 school year.

Watkins and his wife, Helen, have traveled to nearly every national Mid-West Tool Collectors conference for the past 20 years. Although they were unable to attend this year’s event, they’ll never forget it. The Watkins’ friends traveled to the conference this year, where officials read the essay written by Watkins’ granddaughter.

“It was very special,” Watkins said.