Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Pinky was in Mott, North Dakota, where it was put out to pasture for more than five decades.
WAITSBURG - A Hansen family favorite has come home. Pinky was one of Jim Hansen's many International Harvesters, which included Travelettes, Scouts, and Loadstar wheat trucks. After a little modification, Hansen used the 1949 KB-1 half-ton pickup in the wheat fields as a roustabout.
Jim's daughter Cheryl knows about homecomings. She returned to the family home in 2017 to take care of her mother, Geraine, soon to turn 103.
Since moving back, Cheryl has created Stella's Homestead at Geraine and Jim's family farm, highlighting the Walla Walla Valley and her family's farming history.
Cheryl decided it was time to retrieve Pinky from its home at her cousin Dean Friedt's pasture in Mott, North Dakota, where it sat for over 50 years.
Today, Pinky is being rebuilt from the ground up on Stella's Homestead, with help from Walla Walla native Jim Cornelius. The Green Diamond 214 ci straight-6 engine with a 4-speed manual transmission is being rebuilt in Pasco.
Though some bodywork has been addressed, the truck will retain its original exterior patina upon completion. The frame will be sandblasted and powder-coated; the brakes will be repacked; and the electrical harness, instrument cluster, windows, and more will be replaced.
Hansen's goal is to get Pinky running to use on the farm and at the Walla Walla Farmer's Market where Cheryl sells wines made at the homestead.
In honor of Pinky's and all homecomings, Cheryl will be pouring her wines at the Royal Block in Waitsburg on Saturday, May 16, 2026, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. On offer will be Dona Stella's "Calico" Riesling 2025 and "Pinky" Pinot Noir 2023.
"Welcome home, Pinky, and all of you who journey home," said Hansen.
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