An Ensley, Michigan family is hosting a used farm equipment auction, comprised mostly of old tractors, as a way to celebrate the life of Sherwood Casterline and to provide money and medical care to his ailing widow, according to the Grand Rapids Press.
Sherwood Casterline had built a collection throughout his life that ended up containing more than 72 antique tractors. On his deathbed, the Michigan resident told his wife that the proceeds from sales of the used farm equipment would help provide for her once he was gone, reported the news source.
Along with the tractors that Casterline kept in his garage, ranging from used John Deere models to machines that cannot be identified, there is a large collection of antique tools and spare parts, according to the Press.
"It's just amazing how archaic they are in design. But they functioned so well," Bill Haan, a resident of the town and friend of the Casterlines, told the news source.
Auctioneer Don King, consulted by the family for the event, has noted that he has been getting a significant amount of calls from collectors throughout the Midwest, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Antique tractor auction in Michigan to help ailing widow
Sherwood Casterline had built a collection throughout his life that ended up containing more than 72 antique tractors.