97-year-old woman celebrates birthday by buying her dream John Deere tractor

SWANSEA, Mass. (WJAR) — A Massachusetts woman who recently celebrated a big birthday bought herself a gift that keeps on giving.

Marie Erickson, 97, of Swansea said for as long as she can remember she's always had a love for landscaping.

Her home sits on 2.5 acres of land.

The yard keeps me busy. I don't like to do housework” said Erickson. "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.

Over her decades-long house chore, Erickson has accumulated quite a few lawnmowers.

“I’ve always owned a John Deere, I like the John Deere’s," she said.

Erickson, who is only 4-foot 8-inches, said typically when it came to her ride-on mowers, she had to tie bricks to the pedals so she could operate them.

However, a few years ago she fell in love with a John Deere tractor, that not only would cut the grass but it also came equipped with power steering.

Her feet fit on the pedals just right.

I said, 'I want that,' so I saved my money til I had what I needed to pay for that tractor," said Erickson. "You get what you pay for, right?

Erickson, who lives on a fixed monthly income, said each month she would save a little.

“I kept counting it every month, every month I finally got to $5,000. I said,' Oh great,'" said Erickson.

May 22 marked her 97th birthday.

As a gift to herself, she took a trip to a John Deere Dealership to purchase the prized tractor.

I got the amount and I bought the tractor for cash," she said proudly. “Of course, no one is going to give me a gift for that price of money. I say 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.

Erickson, who is a mother of five, said she's very independent and stubborn.

She understands her children have their own lives so she tries not to bother them for small things.

She did, however, ask them to drive her to check out the tractor.

After test-driving it, she fell in love, and her feet touched the pedals perfectly.

Employees at the dealership thought it was interesting that a woman her age wanted to buy the piece of equipment and Erickson said they were impressed.

“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," she said. "I felt great."

Ever since her birthday purchase, Erickson has put her new tractor to good use.

I don’t drive anymore so I use my John Deere to ride around. If I’m not doing that I’m doing search-a- word or I’m knitting," she said. “I’m on that tractor every day. Whether the grass needs cutting or not. I go around and check and when I see it, I cut it.

Erickson's children help make sure she has her gas cans stocked with fuel for her ride.

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