Eric Brandhoff
Archie was a loyal friend and business partner for me It took about 6 months however for him to warm up to me and trust me. This man was a huge collector of Ford vehicles for which he loved and had plans to restore them during his life. He kept them in the barns on his property for 45 years. When he aged to the point that he felt he could no longer care for his farm/property he decided to it was time to sell his collection of vehicles he had been intending to restore for years. It was then that we met and became business partners and friends. Archie had 65 cars that were stored away in his barns. Archie had sold 19 out of 41 mustangs that he had and one 1980 truck that had only 100 miles on it! He was quite a collector! I purchased the remainder of this Ford collection that happens to be one of the largest barn finds ever discovered! There were many days when Archie and I had put a full day of hard work in on the farm. We were working to pull what vehicles out that we could that I had purchased. Afterwards I would always enjoy our time together riding around the farm along the fence line and he had lots of stories to tell me about growing up there. He told me stories about how his father raised him with morals and values very different from those of people in modern times. These lessons, taught to him from his father had stuck with him his whole life and made an impression on me as he shared the stories of his past with me. Archie was an extremely intelligent man that could see a problem coming around the corner from a mile away! I feel fortunate to have learned so much from Archie. His life lessons and genius knowledge of Ford vehicles that he shared with me, will stay with me throughout my life. I will miss you Archie and I will think of you often. I will especially miss you when I go back to the farm to finish the task of picking up the rest of the vehicles & parts that you sold to me that are still left there on the farm. It won't be the same now though, as I will not have you there to help me and share more stories about each vehicle and your intended plans for each one that I purchased. I feel glad that you are no longer suffering in any pain. I feel a comfort in knowing your father along with all of your other love ones who have passed on before you will be there to greet you. I see you Archie, driving through to meet them again in a beautiful old but perfect shiny Mustang Fast Back made from your dreams. For that Archie, I smile and celebrate your life.