Jeeps were the little four-wheeled soldiers of WW II and played a vital role in the Allied war effort during that period.
The Jeep has always held a special place of honor for the soldiers who relied upon them to take them into hostile territory and deliver them back to safety after the heat of battle.
They became legends for their versatility during the war and many people found the Jeeps could be used for many purposes after the war ended in 1945.
It was hard to miss the display around this 1946 Jeep at a summer car show.
The Jeep had plenty of history with one family since its purchase in 1946 and the current owners, Joyce Vopni and Lawrence Campbell, are the son and daughter of the original owners Earl and Phyllis Campbell.
The Campbell family actually did not take ownership of the Jeep until the spring of 1947 because a long cold winter bought heavy snowfall to their northern Manitoba Canada farming region.
The dealership asked to keep the Jeep so they could handle emergencies during the tough winter conditions that year.
The little Jeep was equipped with a PTO unit and was used for many duties on the Campbell farm.
The large circular saw was used for one of the Jeep’s tasks as part of a small lumber operation on the farm. It was also used for tractor purposes that included a threshing machine.
Joyce grew up with the Jeep and became very attached to it over the course of its history with her family.
The Jeep had been a tireless worker both on and off the farm during her lifetime; in fact it was also the family car until 1959 for Joyce and her family.
There were few days off for the versatile little Jeep because its job description included family trips to town in the little workhorse.
All of the memories wrapped up in the Jeep were the main reason Joyce and her brother Lawrence decided they wanted to ensure it stayed with them in the family.
Joyce and Lawrence have brought the Jeep right back to its original look from its first days on their farm when it began its long career of hard work for the Campbell family.
This Willys gets a lot of attention at car shows because of its condition and the amount of photographic history Joyce brings along to each event.
The sight of that large circular timber saw that can be run off the Jeep’s PTO is also something that draws considerable attention to her display.
It was pretty obvious Joyce loves to share her family history with the Jeep and it is also an education about the versatility of the Jeep.
In fact, Joyce and her Jeep was one of those feel-good stories for us at MSCC.
She and her brother own the Jeep for all of the right reasons and we like the fact it seems like a part of their family.
The reality is clear-this ’46 Jeep is a part of their family ever since its arrival on their farm in the spring of ’47 after a long and tough Canadian winter.
Jim Sutherland
