Friday, June 4th 2021, 6:33 pm
Schools out for the summer and that means summer jobs for a lot of kids.
For one metro teenager that means carrying on a family tradition a lot sooner than expected.
Thirteen-year-old Trent Pfannenstiel started mowing lawns three summers ago.
“I just wanted to make some extra money,” said Pfannenstiel.
It was Trent's stepfather, Greg Blackwood, who brought him along every Saturday to cut neighborhood lawns.
Blackwood loved the work and started doing it as a side business.
“He was really picky to make it super good,” said Trent, about his stepfather.
“He was hard on Trent, but it was good for him. He always called him his apprentice. ‘All this will be yours,’” said Trent’s mom Dana Hertneky who was married to Blackwood.
Sadly, the apprenticeship ended a lot sooner than anyone had expected.
Greg Blackwood was a beloved member of our News 9 newsroom.
He also was a passionate member of the OU Sooner radio broadcast team.
In the Summer of 2020 Blackwood was diagnosed with cancer and died in December.
WATCH: A Look Back At The Decades-Long Career Of News 9's Greg Blackwood
This year, Trent decided to take over Greg’s lawn mowing business.
He learned how to change the oil in the mower by watching a video on YouTube. He got his buddy to help.
He also contacted all of Greg's old customers who were within walking distance of his home.
“What he’s doing is really great. It can give an example to my kid,” said customer Taha Syed.
Trent is now realizing mowing lawns in memory of Greg means a lot more than a summer job.
“I could do something easier and make more money, it just wouldn't be the same,” said Trent.
“There's a part of Greg that is really flourishing in Trent and things he’s taught him. It’s comforting,” said Hertneky.
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