FARMLAND, Ind. — Ansel Toney started building kites at the age of 6. But as the boy from Farmland grew, so did his list of responsibilities.
Toney eventually found himself juggling the roles of farmer, husband and farmer. But after a 75-year-long break from kite making, Toney returned to the hobby of his childhood and quickly rose to new heights eventually becoming known as, "The Kite Man.”
WRTV reporter Mindy Mintz visited the 95-year-old in March 1983. While sitting behind the sewing machine inside his farmhouse, Toney described the artistry that went into his kite crafting.
“It’s just the way they are constructed,” Toney said. “It’s the aerodynamics. It’s perfect. It’s about the best shaped wing you can get.”
Toney’s kites flew all over the world and some still take to the skies today.
Ansel Toney died in 1987 at the age of 99.
