John

When I first met John at his antique shop in Eyota he had the air of a tough guy. He told me he had voluntarily joined the Navy and served in the Mekong Delta and later on the USS Thomas J. Gary monitoring Russian presence and conducting intelligence support activities for antisubmarine forces. He didn’t particularly like the Navy but he seemed to enjoy retelling stories of the crazy life of a sailor, or as his marine friends refer to him, a “swabby”.

People started coming in and out of the shop and I quickly learned that this shop of John’s was not just about antiques, but a social gathering place. In fact it seemed John didn’t care if he sold a thing, he enjoyed being surrounded by all the antiques and was even a little reluctant to let things go, he told me he has even shed a few tears when a treasure finds a new home.

He has made a lot of good friends in his life and credits his friend Jerry, who has passed, with many things including starting him collecting. He recalled with fondness Jerry taking him to his first auction. He remembered seeing an old oak ice chest there and this “tough guy” told me he said, “Oh my, I really like that piece!”.

He also told me a story of his close friend Ordie who was also an antique dealer. She held an auction that John attended and while there fell in love with a Pennsylvanian Dutch wardrobe but it was seven feet high and he had nowhere to put it. Over the years Ordie taunted him about that wardrobe and when she passed she willed it to John. He went on to say “She was the mother I never had”. That wardrobe is in his home today and is featured in this painting.

Oil on cradled wood panel