By CINDY LADAGE
Illinois Correspondent

LAPEER, Mich. — Diane and Chuck Schneider collect orchard models of antique tractors; in fact, they have all but six of the orchards produced, which they display in two former cattle buildings. Tractors, however, are not all this couple collects.

The Schneiders offer tours of their farm museum to private friends, family and small groups. When they begin a tour, it starts at their gas station office, which is a mini museum of station-type memorabilia.

That is in the front of the building – in the rear they have their truck collection, which includes a 1948 Nash Wrecker that came from Nebraska and was only available to Nash dealers. Along with their Nash wreckers, the couple also own a 1947 Chevy fire truck and fire station memorabilia, and a 1947 General Motors Stake truck.

While these are mostly for collection, Diane’s 1947 Fargo truck does get a workout. “I have been driving it everywhere,” she said.
While the gas station building may seem to hold a lot, it is a drop in the bucket compared to the Schneiders’ beautiful red barn. Those taking the tour may stop inside one of the bathrooms, both decorated with period pieces; once inside the main portion of the barn, there is something to see everywhere the eye looks.
There are tractors, neon signs and scenes right out of original buildings. There is a barbershop from Diane’s hometown, a 23-foot Art Deco bar made in Chicago and, of course, tractors and cars. Inside the barn, many of the items are special to Diane because they have family connections.

“A lot is so special because it belonged to people I know, like my grandfather’s shoeshine,” she said.

This family connection also flows over into a miniature version of a truck that Diane’s parents built. “My parents took a 1940 International truck and built a house on the back. They called it ‘the Shack.’ They travel all over.

“My parents are too much fun. My dad made me a replica of this. I’m stuck in a time warp, I think.”

Diane has her own travel trailer that she takes on the road with a group called the Tin Can Tourists. Her travel trailer is a beautiful 1932 Rear Porch Trailer that she says was custom made for the owner of the Martin Dairy Co. in Welland, Ontario, Canada.
(One area of the barn farm wives are glad to see only on display is an old electric perm station from a beauty parlor, which looks more like an electrocution chamber.)

“Minnie Mo” fans are in awe if they see the Schneiders’ rare UOPN and the UDLX, and car fans will be riveted to the 1939 Shark Nose Graham car. Dan Shima, a Minneapolis-Moline collector from Eldridge, Iowa, barely moved from the corner and almost missed the rest of the tour.

“I couldn’t leave the MM stuff,” he said. Shima, also a sign collector, was also in awe of the variety of neon signs which abound and offer a dealership-like atmosphere.

One tractor that has immeasurable value to Diane is the MM Z that was the first purchased by her father, John, and mom, Dot. “It was purchased in 1945, the first day of Pheasant hunting season,” she explained.

Being from Michigan, Chuck also included a section that houses Michigan tractors such as the Love, Friday and Kaywood tractors on display. There is also a Parrett tractor, which was designed by the same man who designed the Bradley.

This is just the downstairs; upstairs, the barn offers an amazing view out of the huge windows and the inside is decorated with little vignettes that include a variety of subjects from farm, movie, post office, sewing room, hunting camp, airport and locker room.
“We created the second floor trying to maintain a barn look,” Chuck said.

The area above the garage, where the Schneiders house their car collection, is Chuck’s office. Here he also has a personal collection of one-armed bandits that add interest to this business space.
No matter where one wanders on the Schneider farm, there is something to see – and, if the visitor asks the right question, a story that goes along with each item.