Floyd Jaehnert – EFR Past President 2006-2007

Floyd passed this morning and was key in keeping many old Fords on the road. May he rest in peace as ours thoughts are with his family.

Floyd’s son Larry wrote the following on Facebook:

My father, Floyd Jaehnert, passed away this morning after a 12 year struggle with Parkinson’s disease.

My father loved antique cars ever since he read an article about restoring a a Model T in a 1953 Popular Science magazine, in the library at school, as a 13 year old. He had little money, and his father wondered why he would buy some old piece of junk like he brought home, after he received his first paycheck as an apprentice pattern maker, he purchased and restored a 1918 Model T touring from the ground up.which he completed in 1963. He was exceptional with following and implementing instructions. I asked him if he had help restoring the car, and he said, no, he restored it from the Ford manual . He was a gifted mold maker, machinest, wood worker , and had great mechanical skills. He would put all of those things to work in restoring and manufacturing parts for his cars and other’s cars as well. Many fellow car club members benefited from his skills, acumen , and assistance. He loved helping people get their car moving down the road, and also doing clinics and sharing his expertise and knowledge with other car enthusiasts. He was a driving force in manufacturing of integral parts for NRS Fords, and partnering with Peter Fausch, made molds, castings, had them machined . I was told that many cars were able to drive down the road that otherwise would not have because of the parts they manufactured. Bitten by the brass bug, he sold his 1915 Buick that was half restored , and in 1974, purchased an older restoration 1912 EMF. Perfection was his hallmark, and it took him 27 years to get the car done. He made numerous parts and made them all available to EMF owners : ring and pinion gears, timing gears, floor mats, rubber spring bumpers, and other parts for the EMF. His parts were sent all over the country and to other countries as well. He was a devoted car club member, active in numerous car clubs for 55 years. He volunteered often and held numerous positions in several car clubs, volunteering until he physically could no longer participate. My mother and he toured all over the country with their cars, and cherished the many friendships and memories made with those friends that they developed through the hobby.

His life was best exemplified by these words penned by the Methodist Minister , John Wesley:

“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can”