97-year-old woman buys herself John Deere riding mower to celebrate birthday

SWANSEA, Mass. — Nothing runs like a Deere. But a 97-year-old Massachusetts woman is running a close second.

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Marie Erickson, of Swansea, celebrated her birthday on May 22 and bought herself a new John Deere riding mower, WJAR-TV reported.

Her home sits on 2.5 acres of land, and Erickson said she prefers landscaping to housekeeping.

“The yard keeps me busy. I don’t like to do housework,” Erickson told the television station. “I’ve always mowed my lawn. I had the push mower, but I was a younger girl and I could push that. But now, forget it.”

And her mower of choice has always been a John Deere.

“I’ve always owned a John Deere,” Erickson told WJAR. “I like the John Deeres.”

Erickson said she has had to make adjustments in the past when using riding mowers. Because she stands 4 feet, 8 inches tall, she said she sometimes had to tie bricks to the pedals so she could reach them and operate the mower.

Several years ago Erickson saw a John Deere tractor with power steering that also was a perfect fit for her height.

“I said, ‘I want that.’ So, I saved my money until I had what I needed to pay for that tractor,” Erickson told WJAR. “You get what you pay for, right?”

Erickson, a mother of five who lives on a fixed income, saved her money until she was able to buy the tractor -- for cash.

“I kept counting it every month, every month I finally got to $5,000. I said,’ Oh great,’” Erickson told WJAR. “I got the amount and I bought the tractor for cash.

“Of course, no one is going to give me a gift for that price of money. I (said) I think I’m worth it for all these years and I’m not going to take the money with me. I’m going to save it, I’m going to spend it.”

The employees at the tractor dealership were surprised when Erickson plunked down the cash, but she said she is independent and stubborn.”

“I said, ‘I still got all my marbles, here’s the money I saved, and I’m going to buy this tractor.’ And I did,” Erickson told WJAR. “I felt great.”

While she no longer drives an automobile, Erickson can be seen tooling around on her property on her tractor. She told the television station that she finds it relaxing.

“It’s very relaxing for me, riding my tractor,” she told WJAR. “I take a ride down the river, I sit down there a little while then I ride up here. I love it.”

According to the television station, John Deere team members have reached out to try and give Erickson something special.