An older adult woman riding a lawn mower near water with greenery and trees in the background, wearing a red and white striped shirt. 2:29
WSLS 10 channel icon WSLS 10Original creator 781 views Save

A John Deere of her own, paid in cash at 97

Ask Marie Erickson what she does for fun at 97, and the answer is her tractor. more

"Oh, I'm very independent," she says, and her days back it up. She is on that tractor every day, whether the grass needs cutting or not. "I go around and check, and when I see it, I cut it."

Marie Erickson, an elderly woman with white hair, smiles outdoors in a red and white striped shirt. A headline runs in white letters across the lower third.Save
Marie Erickson, 97, calls herself very independent, and her tractor is how she proves it.

Her home in Massachusetts sits on two and a half acres, which keeps her busy, and that suits her. "I don't like to do housework," she says. The 4-foot-8 firecracker has always loved landscaping, even before her husband passed away.

She used to do it with a push mower. "I was a younger girl, I could push that," she says. "But now, forget it." These days she sits up on a top-of-the-line John Deere with power steering, the brand she always wanted.

An elderly person drives a green riding mower across a grassy field with trees behind. A headline runs in white letters across the lower third.Save
Her push mower days are over, and now Marie rides a John Deere with power steering.

Getting that seat took patience. For more than a year, Marie saved her money and kept count. "Every month, every month," she says. "I finally got to five thousand dollars. I said, oh, great."

Her 97th birthday was the time to spend it. "I think I'm worth it," she says. "I'm not going to take the money with me." She went to a dealership with the money, and in her words, "I bought the tractor for cash."

An older adult woman riding a lawn mower near water with greenery and trees in the background, wearing a red and white striped shirt. The headline runs in white letters across the lower third.Save
Ask Marie Erickson what she does for fun at 97, and the answer is her tractor.

Some of the salespeople were a little curious about what a woman her age wanted with a John Deere. Marie had her answer ready. She doesn't drive a car anymore, and this was the next best thing.

Now the tractor comes out for a daily dose of relaxation. Her children help keep the gas cans filled.

An elderly person with short gray hair drives a green riding mower through a grassy area near bushes and fencing. A headline runs in white letters across the lower third.Save
Marie takes the tractor out daily, whether the grass needs cutting or not.

As she gets closer to 100, Marie says it has been quite the ride. Her advice, from the seat of a green tractor, is that you're never too old to take out your toys.