By Chelsey Hinsenkamp

S441954 CHEVROLET 3100 5-WINDOW PICKUP

To be offered at Chicago

S451957 CHEVROLET 3100 PICKUP

To be offered at Chicago

EVERYTHINGThe late John Hoppe’s trucks, tractors and Road Art to join Mecum lineups

A Little Bit of

2 • MONTHLY

After a long and successful career steadily climbing his way up the corporate ladder, the late John Hoppe decided he’d spent enough of his life working and was ready to retire early and enjoy the rest of his

years in the quiet and solitude of the rural countryside.Growing up in Bloomington, Illinois, Hoppe was one of

those lucky individuals who found his lifelong career right outside his front door. The local Eureka-Williams Corporation hired Hoppe to work in the mailroom when he was just 17, and while he did continue on through college with the intention of becoming a teacher, Hoppe knew a good thing when he saw it. He graduated from Illinois State University but chose to stay with Eureka-Williams, which had proved early on to be a strong and growing company that consistently made room for the motivated Hoppe to grow. By the time he reached retirement, Hoppe had become the Vice President of International Sales and Marketing—quite a leap from his mailroom roots.

His role in international sales meant lots of travel, and Hoppe was able to see much of the world throughout his years on the job. Nevertheless, traveling that much can be exhausting, and his daughter Kelley said that upon retirement, he was through with it and wanted only to find a quiet place to relax.

“He believed that the wide open land is where peace is,” Kelley explained. “He found great peace spending time out in the fields. He left the corporate world and went on to this quiet country lifestyle. He really wanted to just enjoy life.”

Hoppe and his wife, Sandy, purchased a private plot of land and built their forever home on top of the same hill where the two were married, and shortly after, they built a pole barn on the property as well. It didn’t take long before Hoppe decided to fill the pole barn with some accessories—such as a full-size vintage gas station to go with the couple classic trucks he already owned.

S431958 CHEVROLET CAMEO PICKUP

To be offered at Chicago

MECUM.COM • 3

“It was a pretty amazing setup,” Kelley recalled. “My daughter got married in a destination wedding at Lake Tahoe two years ago, but my dad wasn’t able to travel, so we actually had a big wedding reception in that barn, and she wore her wedding dress so grandpa could see; they even re-enacted their first dance for him.”

In addition to his trucks and the vintage gas station, Hoppe also had a handful of tractors, as well as an extensive collection of Road Art that covered the walls of the barn. Kelley said he loved to take the tractors out for cruises through the surrounding fields, sometimes just to sit and reflect in the open air. She said he also liked to attend the annual Thresherman’s Reunion in Illinois, paying homage to the antiquated steam threshing processes and machinery with elaborate displays and numerous activities.

Kelley said that her father was a “big history buff” and a very wise investor, two qualities that become abundantly obvious when combing through the vast assemblage that Hoppe has built. His tractors, including three John Deeres and a Farmall Cub, are all midcentury models in stunning condition, as are his three vintage Chevrolet Pickups, while his 1949 Willys Jeep proudly shows how well-loved it has been. Hoppe’s Road Art collection is extensive and chock-full of restored vintage gas pumps and globes, original wall signs and more; all of the fixings for a great vintage gas station setup.

F1601959 JOHN DEERE 530

To be offered at Davenport

F1611941 JOHN DEERE HTo be offered at Davenport

F1621962 FARMALL CUB

To be offered at Davenport

“HE BELIEVED THAT THE WIDE OPEN LAND IS WHERE PEACE IS”

4 • MONTHLY

While his tractors may seem a bit out of place in his assemblage, there’s a good chance they were Hoppe’s favorite pieces. Among his John Deere models are a 1959 model 530, a 1941 H and a 1937 B, and his Farmall Cub is a 1962 model. All four are in show-quality condition with glistening paint jobs and no obvious signs of wear, demonstrating just how meticulously each was cared for.

After Hoppe’s passing at age 77 this past January, his family decided it would be best to offer the collection that brought him so much joy and peace in life to others who might feel the same. A family friend suggested they call Mecum Auctions, and

with divisions dedicated to each of Hoppe’s interests—Tractors, Collector Cars and Road Art—the pairing was a match made in heaven.

John Hoppe’s vintage vehicles are now set to be offered at Mecum’s Chicago 2018 auction this October 25-27 at no reserve, while his tractors and Road Art will all cross the auction block at the Gone Farmin’ 2018 Iowa Premier this November 8-10 in Davenport, Iowa. All four tractors as well as his entire Road Art assemblage will also be offered without reserves, making for a wonderful opportunity for other enthusiasts to take a piece home and maybe find a little more peace of their own.

TRACTORS AND ROAD ART OFFERED AT NO RESERVE NOVEMBER 9 AT THE 2018 IOWA PREMIER

F1631937 JOHN DEERE BTo be offered at Davenport

MECUM.COM • 5