Alvin Boone Straight (October 17, 1920 – November 9, 1996) was an American man who travelled on a riding lawn mower from Laurens, Iowa to Blue River, Wisconsin to visit his ailing brother in 1994. His journey inspired the 1999 film '' The Straight Story''.

Early life

Alvin Straight was born in

Scobey, Montana Scobey is a city in and the county seat of Daniels County, Montana, Daniels County, Montana, United States. The population was 999 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Scobey is known for its bird and big game hunting. The nearby Man ...

. He married Frances Beek on October 17, 1946, in Scobey. In 1973, Alvin, Frances, and their family moved to Lake View, Iowa, where he worked as a general laborer. He was the father of five sons and two daughters. Straight was a veteran of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

, serving as private first class in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

Lawn mower trip

In June 1994, Straight's 80-year-old brother Henry Straight (Palisade, January 4, 1914 – Iowa, June 15, 1998) had suffered a

stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...

.Longden, Tom.
Alvin Straight
. ''

The Des Moines Register ''The Des Moines Register'' is the daily morning newspaper of Des Moines, Iowa, United States. History Early period The first newspaper in Des Moines was the ''Iowa Star''. In July 1849, Barlow Granger began the paper in an abandoned log cab ...

''. October 7, 2013. At the age of 73 and in poor health from

diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...

emphysema Emphysema is any air-filled enlargement in the body's tissues. Most commonly emphysema refers to the permanent enlargement of air spaces (alveoli) in the lungs, and is also known as pulmonary emphysema. Emphysema is a lower respiratory tract di ...

and other ailments, Straight could not see well enough for a driver's license, so he decided his only option was to travel on his 1966

John Deere Deere & Company, Trade name, doing business as John Deere (), is an American corporation that manufactures agricultural machinery, heavy equipment, forestry machinery, diesel engines, drivetrains (axles, Transmission (mechanical device), transmi ...

riding lawn mower. Setting off in early July 1994, Straight drove the mower along highway shoulders, towing a trailer loaded with gasoline, camping gear, clothes, and food from his home in Laurens, Iowa to his brother in Blue River, Wisconsin. About four days and 21 miles into the trip, the lawn mower broke down in

West Bend, Iowa West Bend is a village in Kossuth and Palo Alto (originally) counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 791 at the time of the 2020 census. History West Bend got its start in the early 1880s, following the construction of the Burl ...

.Who Needs a License? Man Hits Road on Mower
. ''Associated Press''.

The Wichita Eagle ''The Wichita Eagle'' is a daily newspaper published in Wichita, Kansas, United States. Originating in the early 1870s, shortly after the city's founding, it is owned by The McClatchy Company and is the largest newspaper in Wichita and the surr ...

(

Wichita, Kansas Wichita ( ) is the List of cities in Kansas, most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 397, ...

). August 24, 1994. p. 8A. Straight spent $250 on replacement parts, including a condenser, plugs, a generator, and a starter. After traveling another 90 miles, Straight ran out of money while in

Charles City, Iowa Charles City is a city in and the county seat of Floyd County, Iowa, United States. Charles City is a significant commercial and transportation center for the area. U.S. Route 18 in Iowa, U.S. Routes 18 and U.S. Route 218, 218, Iowa Highway 14, ...

. He camped there for a few days until his next Social Security checks arrived in August. He was interviewed by local newspapers. On August 15, Straight's lawn mower broke down again when he was two miles from his brother's house near Blue River. A farmer stopped and helped him push it the rest of the way. At a top speed of , the trip took six weeks in all. After the visit, his nephew, Dayne Straight, drove him back to Iowa in his pickup truck.Truck, Not Mower, Takes Man Home
. ''The Capital Times'' (Madison, Wisconsin). September 22, 1994. p. 10A Henry Straight recovered from his stroke and moved back to Iowa to be closer to Alvin and the rest of his family. Paul Condit, president and general manager of Texas Equipment Company, Inc., in

Seminole, Texas Seminole is a city in and the county seat of Gaines County, Texas, United States. Its population was 6,430 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. Seminole and Gaines County are home to a large population of Russian Mennonites, Low German ...

, heard about the trip and gave Straight a 17-horsepower

replacement riding mower worth $5,000. Straight disliked the media attention from the lawn mower trip. He turned down offers to appear on various TV talk shows including ''

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the fourth and sixth installment of ''The Tonight Show''. Hosted by Jay Leno, it aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009, replacing ''The Ton ...

'' and ''

Late Show with David Letterman ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production com ...

''.

Later years and death

In April 1995, Straight attempted to drive a riding lawn mower to

Sun Valley, Idaho Sun Valley is a resort city in the western United States, in Blaine County, Idaho, adjacent to the city of Ketchum in the Wood River valley. The population was 1,783 at the 2020 census. The elevation of Sun Valley (at the Lodge) is above se ...

, but he had to turn back because of cold weather. On November 9, 1996, he died of a heart ailment at a local hospital in

Pocahontas, Iowa Pocahontas is a city in and the county seat of Pocahontas County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,867 in the 2020 census, a decline from the 1,970 population in 2000. History Pocahontas was first settled and surveyed in 1870 by Warri ...

at age 76. A lawn mower similar to the one he had used on his journey accompanied his funeral procession to the Ida Grove Cemetery. He is buried in Ida Grove, Iowa.

Adaptations

Playwright and performer Dan Hurlin and composer and sound designer

Dan Moses Schreier Dan Moses Schreier is an American composer and sound designer. He is best known for his theatrical music work, on Broadway and elsewhere. Schreier is from Detroit, and lives in New York City. He studied music at the University of Michigan and ...

adapted Straight's trip into a theatrical production, ''The Shoulder'', that was billed as an opera.Lindwall, Rebecca.
Iowan's journey by tractor inspires offbeat opera
. '' The Gazette'' (

Cedar Rapids, Iowa Cedar Rapids is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. The population was 137,710 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Iowa, second-most populous city in Iowa. The city lies o ...

). October 12, 1997. ''The Shoulder'' premiered at CSPS Hall in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in October 1997, presented by Legion Arts. It was also performed in January 1998 at

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

Dance Theater Workshop Dance Theater Workshop, colloquially known as DTW, was a New York City performance space and service organization for dance companies that operated from 1965 to 2011. DTW merged with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company to form New York Live ...

and

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

Walker Art Center The Walker Art Center is a multidisciplinary contemporary art center in the Lowry Hill, Minneapolis, Lowry Hill neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The Walker is one of the most-visited modern and contemporary art museums in ...

. Straight's story was adapted into the film '' The Straight Story'', directed by

David Lynch David Keith Lynch (January 20, 1946 – January 16, 2025) was an American filmmaker, visual artist, musician, and actor. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Lynch was often called a "visionary" and received acclaim f ...

, which starred

Richard Farnsworth Richard William Farnsworth (September 1, 1920 – October 6, 2000) was an American actor and stuntman. He was twice nominated for an Academy Award: in 1978 for Best Supporting Actor for '' Comes a Horseman,'' and in 2000 for Best Actor in ' ...

(in an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

-nominated role) as Alvin Straight.Bunbury, Stephanie
Top 10 films about ageing
. ''The Sydney Morning Herald''. December 19, 2015. When plans for the film began in 1995, Straight signed a contract that ensured he would receive $10,000 plus 10% of the movie's profits, but he died before the film's completion. He said he did not make the trip to see his brother for the possibility of fame or money.Neubauer, Mary.
Lawn Mower Traveler, 74, Signs Hollywood Contract
. ''Associated Press''. St. Paul Pioneer Press (

St. Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (often abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 311,527, making it Minnesota's second-most populous city a ...

). June 7, 1995. p. 1B.

References

External links

Thecityofabsurdity.com
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Straight, Alvin 1920 births 1996 deaths People from Laurens, Iowa People from Scobey, Montana Military personnel from Montana People from Sac County, Iowa United States Army soldiers United States Army personnel of World War II United States Army personnel of the Korean War