I was about 13 years old, up underneath an old dump truck, single handedly putting in a new clutch.

We were allowed to use an old covered platform dock down at Pure Stone for the purpose of working on our trucks. It had originally be put there as a loading dock, to load rail cars, but was no longer needed for that purpose.

I could tell that a fellow had walked up and was standing beside the truck. I continued on working. About then this fellow squatted down so he could take in what was happening. We chatted as I kept on working. I finally came out and stood up. At that age I was barely 5 foot tall.

Bud reached out and we shook hands. He admitted that he wasn’t expecting such a scrawny and young kid to come out of down there. That was a start of a couple of decade long friendship.

Bud told me he bought and sold trucks and equipment. He said he had a shop up in Lampasas and gave me a business card so I could pass it along to my dad.

That encounter that day lead to many more. Cec and I went by his shop the next time we were up that way. My Dad and Bud did business off and on for years. After I started in the construction business I would stop in and try to make a trade when I needed a truck.

I only remember buying one truck from him. It was a late model Chevrolet single axle truck, that we could use for hauling lighter loads of machinery on. Bud really had that truck outfitted real well, with a Tulsa Winch to raise and lower oilfield type float trailer.

I took the truck driver up to Lampasas to get the new truck. I left out to head back through Marble Falls, while the driver took the newly purchased truck and headed down US 183, directly to Austin.

A pickup pulled out in front of him at Briggs and he took to the ditch to avoid having a collision with the pickup. He ended up hitting a culvert and totaled that truck, after owning it for 25 miles. Luckily the driver wasn’t hurt.

Some years later, in the late 1980s I was heading up Texas 71 at Bee Cave. I looked over and saw Bud leaning up against an old truck. I turned around went back to see if he needed anything. He sure didn’t look well. “He said he just needed to rest a little before he made his way on back home”

That was the last time I ever saw Bud Lockhart.