French leaves legacy in retirement

#4 SEPT 20, 2018

Numerous times when asked to do an interview for the View, a smirk and a “no” has always been the answer of Jim French of Wimberley Rentals. Too many times while rescuing a John Deere lawnmower, or any gas contraption like a chainsaw or tiller, I visited the business. He was the man to go to in town.

Each time, I thought I would get a bad look from Jim but never did. “Trouble with the John Deere again?” was a common refrain. Away the lawnmower would go only to return some time later in working condition. “We live on rock, you know,” a feeble statement was always attempted at levity, each time a bit humbled by Jim’s patience and knowledge of restoring whatever I brought in to be fixed.

This time it was different. I mentioned how Wimberley’s Habitat for Humanity wanted the View to do a story on him and his generosity to the community. A smile appeared and he said, “okay…I guess.”

Jim’s donation to the Habitat is free use of whatever tool or equipment that was needed for each project house. That is a lot of houses; with Habitat homes number twenty being dedicated last June.

“If I couldn’t do it myself, it was a way I could help,” French said. “My folks raised me to respect everybody and help out when called.”

One of the most fascinating things about Jim is how he made it to Texas. He was born in Hazard; Kentucky but wasn’t there long. His father was an early radio disc jockey and had a family of three girls and four boys, moving a lot with jobs. Jim branched out, on his own.

“I rode a freight train from Southern Illinois to New Orleans. It was raining so I didn’t stay. I went on to Beaumont and then hitchhiked to Houston. I got a job cleaning the Astrodome at night.” He continued.

“I worked all night and made $24. The boarding house was $20… And it didn’t snow. I didn’t know anybody within 1,000 miles.”

The next couple of years were spent in Houston, working for a nursery and burying telephone cables. He bought a travel trailer instead of paying rent and decided to visit the Hill Country after hearing a lot about it.

“I heard of Canyon Lake and visited Wimberley and bought 6 acres (of land) that day.” He got a job at Xanadu Nursery in Driftwood and then got a job for a roofing company. “That didn’t last long,” he said.

“Johnny Palumbo of Wimberley Rentals convinced me I could fix things for $75 a week…when the business was sold, I worked with John Deere. I bet you didn’t know there was a John Deere dealership in Wimberley.” That was sold and next was Crazy Horse Equipment in San Marcos that then moved to San Antonio.

He passed by Wimberley Rentals a few times and noticed it was for sale. In 1988, borrowing from family, he bought the place. “It has paid for itself.”

“I had to teach myself how to greet people. I’m a quiet person and try to treat all customers as my friends. I try to figure out their needs and help them.” He tried to retire for the first time a couple of years ago, which “didn’t stick” after two years and two months. This time it should be final.

Both he and his partner of nineteen years, Maria, hope to take it day by day. Stuff that has been put off like working on twenty-year-old cars and cleaning up his property are waiting for Jim.

“There is no end.”