Forrest Pence Auction

[Chris Epping]

Rumor has it that the Forrest Pence collection in Harvard, Nebraska is going to auction this fall & that Nixon has it. Can anyone please confirm or deny this? Thanks.

[Craig A]

Originally Posted by Chris Epping

Rumor has it that the Forrest Pence collection in Harvard, Nebraska is going to auction this fall & that Nixon has it. Can anyone please confirm or deny this? Thanks.

I figured Lonnie would have been at the funeral............
Sorry...........just couldn't resist that!!!!
The grapevine on my end has been silent.....BUT....on YOUR end something must be cooking and the grapevine USUALLY bears fruit.........

[Chris Epping]

Craig,
I guess someone could just call Lonnie, but that would be too easy! It's more fun to speculate.
Chris

[Kevin O. Pulver]

I hope the thieves don't have him cleaned out before then. Of course thieves often do their work even while the auction is in progress. I know we all like to think "engine guys" couldn't be thieves. But people will steal anything valuable from engines to diamonds. We've got thieves working in our area even during funerals of the estate owners!
Hey Chris is that the reason you've got so many engines for sale... you already know what you want to buy at Forrest's house? :-) Kevin

[Chris Epping]

Kevin,
Interesting the stealing subject comes up in this thread. I best not say any more. ..... There are a lot of people around with no conscience. Remember, it doesn't do them any good in the end. As far as Pence's, I doubt I'll be able to afford lunch at that sale. I'd have to sell all those cheap engines in my ad plus my house to buy everything I'd want there! At least I wouldn't have to spend much on hauling Better buy something off my list Kevin! At least then I can buy a burger that day.
Chris

[Scott]

He had several tractors loaned out to historical society's in Nebraska and Kansas . It will be interesting to see if they stay there or go up for auction. He didn't have any kids, so I bet a few longlost relatives show up.

[Tom Cwach]

I talked to Kelly Konken about a month ago at a farm auction. I asked him if he had heard anything about Forrest and he just smiled and said that Lonnie had said something to him but didn't go further than that. There is a local friend that has been staying on the farm since Forrest had entered the nursing home from what I have been told. I have heard many stories of how Forrest acquired some of his collection.

[Kevin O. Pulver]

I've never been to Forrest' place, and only met him a few times, but a retired friend of mine knew him well and said that he even used to put engines in a grain bin and fill 'er up with corn for safekeeping. He also said Forrest bought a used steamer up around Lincoln and drove it home the approximately 70 miles to Harvard. People would see him crawling by their farms at the liesurely pace of 3 MPH or so and come out to talk to him. By the time he got home, he had more leads than he knew what to do with.
I'm only 39, and love old junque, but every time I see an estate auction, I am reminded how short life is and how I don't need to try to collect everything to the point that it's piled in a shed (at best) and I can't get to it or even see it. A thought keeps going through my mind that says, "Beward of covetousness, for a mans life consists not in the abundance of his posessions" Who do you suppose said that? Regarding auction fever, there is an old saying: "If your head is made of butter, don't sit next to the stove."
Ouch! Kevin

[Glenn Gieszler]

Those in the know, say you should be scheduling a vacation in July for Billings and saving those dead presidents till then

[Craig A]

I'm not Catholic (Roman anyway) but THIS is enough to PI_S off the Pope!!! LOOK who's having the sale...........AGAIN!!!!!!!!
I am POSITIVE they don't know any more about tractors now than they did the first time EXCEPT that they will sell for a lot of money.

July 30, 2005
Billings, MT OSCARS DREAMLAND 2005
Held at Oscars Dreamland large inside facility. Cars, trucks, tractors and collectibles - something for everyone.

http://www.kruseinternational.com/auctions/index.asp

[Tom Cwach]

Kruses' add in Hemmings Motor News states that Rick Limpp is the promoter of the sale. Does not mention the Simplot estate. May be just a prarie trash consignment sale.

[Craig A]

Simplot ESTATE????
When did he die??????????????? He might have a FOOT in the grave but there's still more above ground than under.
John Richard Simplot. Born: Jan 9, 1909

Here's an interesting QUOTE from the Feb. 2001 Esquire magazine:

I got no religion in me. I could never see through it. Basically, I'm a facts man; if I can't see through it, I say it's not possible.
You're dead, that's the end of you. There's no tomorrow.

I was at the first Oscar sale where they were wheeling old JR around like the Queen of England in her Surrey. THEN, he just trampled EVERY bidder there, more to show off, I think, than out of any REAL want or need, AND the Kruse gang was fawning over him and his entourage..........oh it was just sickening.

After reading the above quote................well......................let 's just say there is no love lost and leave it at that...........................

[smtwins]

A good friend of mine went to Forrest place a couple weeks ago. Forrest has a complete set of avery heavyweights along with the big 40 undermount. He also has a couple of steam engines that apear to have never been fired. My friend also said there was a very nice F rumely and several nice steam tracton engines. If there is an aucton it will be interesting!

[Tom Cwach]

Originally Posted by Tom Cwach

Kruses' add in Hemmings Motor News states that Rick Limpp is the promoter of the sale. Does not mention the Simplot estate. May be just a prarie trash consignment sale.

Humm. I may have been incorrect. I can't find anything in black and white that Mr Simplot has passed on. I went out west last fall and was told he had died this summer. I don't know it as fact but was told that all his purchases were put into storage at Oscars Dreamland and are still there. At the sale I was one row behind and about 20 ft to the right of Mr. Simplot. I did note that when they came to the steam traction engines he did not bid on the first ones until he had an idea of the value of them,then he started buying. I was the next to last bidder on the 25-85 N-S. A different kind of auctioneer and crowd than I am used to.

[Craig A]

Chris Epping wrote: I guess someone could just call Lonnie, but that would be too easy! It's more fun to speculate.

Sooooooooooooooo I CALLED Nixons today!!
The lady was VERY pleasant and said they have been getting MANY questions about the Pence thing.
While she couldn't ( ) SAY it's a done deal.........she left me with the impression (I could HEAR the smile on her face ) that it's a done deal. Now DON'T GO SAYING "CRAIG SAID IT'S A DONE DEAL"
That is the IMPRESSION I was left with.................................

[Glenn Gieszler]

Craig, I am getting the feeling you are not sleeping well lately and your hands may be sweating profusley at times, possibly talking to your self when no one is around, I am thinking you may have have a touch of "Iron Fever" .................................................. .......Feels good don't it

[Craig A]

Originally Posted by Glenn Gieszler

Craig, I am getting the feeling you are not sleeping well lately and your hands may be sweating profusley at times, possibly talking to your self when no one is around, I am thinking you may have have a touch of "Iron Fever" .................................................. .......Feels good don't it

The only FEELING one needs for ANY of these sales (don't forget the Shurman sale!!!!!) is a REAL GOOD FEEL FOR MONEY

BTW: I told Lonnie's secretary that if Lonnie gets the Pence sale wrapped up he can just QUIT! He'll NEVER top that one!!!!

[Scott]

They are working on a museum for Forrest Pence's collection. Probably find out more info next month at OLD TRUSTY days show.

[Dan Donaldson]

Originally Posted by Scott

They are working on a museum for Forrest Pence's collection. Probably find out more info next month at OLD TRUSTY days show.

Would Forrest have wanted his stuff to go to a museum? I hope it doesn't get thrown in a corner and forgotten about. These relics from the past should be out at shows doing what they were meant to do.

Dan Donaldson

[Dusty]

The last time I was over at Forests home was an exciting trip. July 3rd, 2002. We spent the better part of three days discussing old engines and starting up a few that hadnt been run in years. Lets see; we pondered an old Sandwich "Big Six" that was on its original cart and settled at least 12 inches into the dirt, we dug out of the barn a "pair" of Gades that needed some oil and turned over, started an old Stover that was giving him fits, cleaned up an early Alamo, discussed a small Lawson-Lawton sideshaft, and had a cup of coffee while listening to his Otto tick away. Forest allowed me to video about three hours of him discussing his collection and how some of it came to be. Stories about him trading a set of Model A wheels for a Stickney engine down in Kansas that turned out to be still in the wooden crate. Another story about re-shingling his barn roof at age 85 and falling off the two story barn. Then we discussed tractors, the big heavyweights. I remember him offering me an Avery 25-50 for sale, but I turned it down as I just didnt have the funds with a young family. We discussed the finer points and why he felt one of his best engines was the rare 7 h.p. camstopper Field-Brundage.

I guess that I was one of the lucky ones to have grown up down the street from Forest. At the time...he was just known as the "Tractor Man" and I saw him as a mentor. He allowed me to play on old equipment when I was a kid that men today would shed tears over. He was a classmate and dear friend to my grandfather who by the way is still alive and living in Harvard. Gramps would say that Forest would go to the barber once a month and wear a new pair of overalls into town. They would sit in the chair and tell tractor stories for hours.