Hunting...
- Thread starter Tony Karsnia - Deceased - 1971-2020
- Start date
Kent Martinson - Deceased 1947 - 2019
December 7, 1947 - February 19, 2019
Amazing, and no visible bullet holes, Did you have any trouble dragging it out of the woods? 
has it been gutted, or did you score a complete kill
A real hunter would have caught it alive, and ridden it home.... 
Nice score either way... :cheers:
Nice score either way... :cheers:Doug Kelley
PCS Member / Funeral Director
Hunting
Can someone explain to me how this always happens to him. Because I just want it to happen once !!! LOL
Can someone explain to me how this always happens to him. Because I just want it to happen once !!! LOL
Darn you Tony, I have no idea how you do it. Congradulations.
Josh
Josh
Perhaps I can borrow your stand? You seem to have all the luck. No rack, yet still worth at least 200 points! Very nice. 
This wouldn't happen to be your old 3way with the olive green interior would it?
Josh
Josh
Tom Hoczyk
PCS Past President
Tony's "luck"
In an effort to explain Tony's luck to Doug, it has more to do with keeping your nose to the grindstone than anything else. Luck does play a part, or perhaps fate might be a better word. In Tony's case, however, it helps that he's a funeral director with lots of friends and contacts. I've known him for many years and know that these cars don't just fall into his lap. Tony is an avid hunter, and uses the many avenues available to most of us to find his cars. Nothing keeps you from throwing a dart at a map, finding the funeral homes in whatever town the dart hits, and phoning them to see if they have any old coaches in their garage. I know this sounds silly, but I'm totally serious.
Regarding the Superior that Tony found here, it's like a '73 that was here in Fort Wayne for many years. It was a very nice car, a darker blue with black roof, pretty blue interior. When I drove it, it was still doing service with a downtown Fort Wayne firm. The firm had legal troubles, and the car sat for a long time, looking more and more tired. It went through several owners, and got more and more torn up. I recently learned that it was finally scrapped out.
Congratulations, Tony, on another great find. It always makes me happy when a procar destined to become a soup can ends up in caring hands, such as yours. Tom
In an effort to explain Tony's luck to Doug, it has more to do with keeping your nose to the grindstone than anything else. Luck does play a part, or perhaps fate might be a better word. In Tony's case, however, it helps that he's a funeral director with lots of friends and contacts. I've known him for many years and know that these cars don't just fall into his lap. Tony is an avid hunter, and uses the many avenues available to most of us to find his cars. Nothing keeps you from throwing a dart at a map, finding the funeral homes in whatever town the dart hits, and phoning them to see if they have any old coaches in their garage. I know this sounds silly, but I'm totally serious.
Regarding the Superior that Tony found here, it's like a '73 that was here in Fort Wayne for many years. It was a very nice car, a darker blue with black roof, pretty blue interior. When I drove it, it was still doing service with a downtown Fort Wayne firm. The firm had legal troubles, and the car sat for a long time, looking more and more tired. It went through several owners, and got more and more torn up. I recently learned that it was finally scrapped out.
Congratulations, Tony, on another great find. It always makes me happy when a procar destined to become a soup can ends up in caring hands, such as yours. Tom
Don't be discouraged, guys...these cars ARE out there. As Tom says, all it takes is a little determination to find them! Stay on the two lane highways, check out the car lots and salvage yards, and always drive around and behind (alley) any funeral homes, especially older ones, that you're not familiar with. It also doesn't hurt to ask the local funeral service practitioner if he knows of any old cars in the area.
Here are four examples within 300 miles of me for which (by requests of the owners) I'll not disclose their locations. Two of them have been in funeral home garages, undriven, for at least 30 years that I know of:
1968 M-M combination
1965 Pontiac wagon ambulance
1958 M-M combination
1959 Superior combination
Here are four examples within 300 miles of me for which (by requests of the owners) I'll not disclose their locations. Two of them have been in funeral home garages, undriven, for at least 30 years that I know of:
1968 M-M combination
1965 Pontiac wagon ambulance
1958 M-M combination
1959 Superior combination
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Tony Karsnia - Deceased - 1971-2020
September 12, 1971 - November 2, 2020
Here are some additional photos of this week's "kill." This is a 1974 Miller-Meteor Cadillac Eterna 3-way. Yes, as you can see, it is the one with the olive green interior. Years ago, when I was selling hearses, I took this car in trade from Nuckolls-Meyer Funeral Home in Fairbury, Nebraska. I sold it to a fellow in northern Minnesota who did nothing more than park it for nearly 17 years. Thankfully, it has been inside for all but the last 2-3 years. This will be a pretty easy restoration.
This one is actually going to a friend / fellow professional car collector. He likes the Eterna style. Plans call for returning this car to green exterior (although a darker shade than the original) and making it worthy of service at his funeral home. The car will stay with us for awhile as the mechanical work and cleaning gets done.
Thanks for the kind words in the above posts. Tom is correct; the "finds" have more to do with networking and just "being interested", than luck. I grew up around funeral service in Minnesota and became friends with the hearse and ambulance dealers at a very young age. I began collecting professional cars at age 14 and worked for two dealers in this area just after college. I joined PCS in 1987 and have made lots of contacts through the club. It all boils down to keeping ones' eyes and ears open and, as Tom pointed out, not being afraid to make some contacts.
This one is actually going to a friend / fellow professional car collector. He likes the Eterna style. Plans call for returning this car to green exterior (although a darker shade than the original) and making it worthy of service at his funeral home. The car will stay with us for awhile as the mechanical work and cleaning gets done.
Thanks for the kind words in the above posts. Tom is correct; the "finds" have more to do with networking and just "being interested", than luck. I grew up around funeral service in Minnesota and became friends with the hearse and ambulance dealers at a very young age. I began collecting professional cars at age 14 and worked for two dealers in this area just after college. I joined PCS in 1987 and have made lots of contacts through the club. It all boils down to keeping ones' eyes and ears open and, as Tom pointed out, not being afraid to make some contacts.
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Good looking pro-car. I was going to ask for interior pictures, but you just posted them.
having heard the story on this one there is a little more then just luck. get the taste out of yoru moth yet?
Rocky Fluegge
PCS Member
Very nice good hunt!
thats one sharp looking car tony
John Burchfield
PCS Life Member
Wow, is all I can say-well, not really! I love Eternas, and they're so rare. Back when I was a young pro-car enthusiast and savoring every bit of my first brochure-the 1976 Miller-Meteor w/ the hores drawn hearses as "decor" alongside the new ones- I asked my dad which model he liked best. He rather half seriously replied: "the Eterna, it sounds so final!" 
Great "re-find," Tony!
Great "re-find," Tony!Nice car, but I can hear Bernie complaining about the drip rail not being raised over the third window.
Tony Karsnia - Deceased - 1971-2020
September 12, 1971 - November 2, 2020
Speaking of hunting and Bernie,
Yes, I can hear him saying that too. In fact, as I was examining this car after its arrival, I was thinking the same thing. He certainly had an eye for detail...
Was going through some photos yesterday, thinking about many Saturday morning hearse hunts. Came upon these three from the day I shot three red hearses. I thought about posting these in Steve Loftin's threads, but since there is one Buick, one Pontiac, and one Cadillac, I decided to post them together as part of the "red" theme.
I shot these cars in June, 1990. When I got home that evening, I called Bernie. As usual, we had a lengthy conversation, much of which was about uniquely colored professional cars. He frequently reminded me that shooting three red hearses in one day was something to be proud of, even if I didn't set my camera correctly to get a good shot of the last one!
1986 S&S Buick: Baker FH, Mayville, ND
1986 Eureka Pontiac: Stennes FH, East Grand Forks, MN
1973 Superior Cadillac 3-way: Stennes FH, East Grand Forks, MN
(Karsnia photos)
The Baker Buick was ordered as maroon, to match the rest of the fleet, but when John Baker went to S&S to take delivery, he called his son, Steve (who then owned the funeral home), and said, "Ummm...I think we have a problem here. The new hearse isn't maroon; it is RED!" They decided to bring it home anyway and never did have it repainted.
Yes, I can hear him saying that too. In fact, as I was examining this car after its arrival, I was thinking the same thing. He certainly had an eye for detail...
Was going through some photos yesterday, thinking about many Saturday morning hearse hunts. Came upon these three from the day I shot three red hearses. I thought about posting these in Steve Loftin's threads, but since there is one Buick, one Pontiac, and one Cadillac, I decided to post them together as part of the "red" theme.
I shot these cars in June, 1990. When I got home that evening, I called Bernie. As usual, we had a lengthy conversation, much of which was about uniquely colored professional cars. He frequently reminded me that shooting three red hearses in one day was something to be proud of, even if I didn't set my camera correctly to get a good shot of the last one!
1986 S&S Buick: Baker FH, Mayville, ND
1986 Eureka Pontiac: Stennes FH, East Grand Forks, MN
1973 Superior Cadillac 3-way: Stennes FH, East Grand Forks, MN
(Karsnia photos)
The Baker Buick was ordered as maroon, to match the rest of the fleet, but when John Baker went to S&S to take delivery, he called his son, Steve (who then owned the funeral home), and said, "Ummm...I think we have a problem here. The new hearse isn't maroon; it is RED!" They decided to bring it home anyway and never did have it repainted.
