Alvin Ray Straight (October 17, 1920 – November 9, 1996) was a resident of Laurens, Iowa, who gained fame for traveling 240 miles (390 km) on a 1966 John Deere riding lawn mower to visit his 80-year-old brother Henry in Blue River, Wisconsin who had recently had a stroke. At a top speed of 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h), the journey took six weeks. The trip took place in the summer of 1994 when Alvin was 73 years old.Mr. Straight could not see well enough to get a driver's license so he decided his only option was the mower. Setting off in early July, he towed a trailer loaded with gasoline, camping gear, clothes and food, and arrived at his brother's house in mid-August. Henry Straight recovered and moved back to Iowa to be closer to his family.Alvin Straight was born in Scobey, Montana. He moved with his wife Frances and their family to Lake View, Iowa in 1973 where he worked as a general laborer. He was a veteran of World War II (serving as Private First Class (PFC) in the United States Army) and the Korean War. He was the father of five sons and two daughters.On November 9, 1996, Straight died of a heart ailment. A mower similar to the one he had used on his trip accompanied his funeral procession to the Ida Grove Cemetery.Straight's story was adapted into the film The Straight Story, directed by David Lynch, which starred Richard Farnsworth (in an Oscar nominated role) as Alvin Straight.
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