AUBURN – Men followed him in little packs, looking for a chance to slip into his company and shake his hand or pat his back.
An elderly woman seated at a table with neatly arrayed fliers beamed up at him as he flashed a confident smile followed by a warm, “Hello, again,” taking a brochure in the process.
His name may have been pried off of signs and scrubbed from buildings, but in at least one place, the city of Auburn – and the world of classic cars – swirled around Dean Kruse on Thursday, just as both have each year at this time for the past four decades.
Inside the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, during a luncheon to kick off the ACD Festival, Kruse was wearing a beige sport coat and dark slacks, but he was the belle of the ball.
Featured speakers kept mentioning his name, drumming up their memories of him and what he has done for Auburn. He was honored with a “Distinguished Service Award.”
He revved up his 68-year-old voice to auction off some artwork. Kruse himself, on the receiving end of some good-spirited pokes about his weight, was even auctioned off. He netted $2,500 for the museum from one lucky bidder who would get to “negotiate” what Kruse would do for her – possibly cook dinner.
All of this came on the heels of a tumultuous year for Kruse, the former owner of Kruse International and a 235-acre auction park just south of Auburn.
He has battled lawsuits and creditors, had his auctioneer’s license suspended and finally had to sell his company to a Canadian outfit that is now running the signature car auction this Labor Day weekend – the auction he helped start and make into an international event. “He’s got a lot of guts to get up there like that,” said a man from Washington eating at the luncheon, speaking in admiration while giving applause when Kruse first took the stage to auction some small items before the crowd.
In his remarks to the audience, Auburn Mayor Norman Yoder reminded the crowd just how much the city needs to remember its past, and especially Kruse.
The museum wouldn’t be there and the festivities surrounding Auburn wouldn’t be what they are today “without the tireless work and foresight of Dean Kruse,” Yoder said.
Nearly each speaker seemed to refer to Kruse in some way, no matter the reason they were up there, whether Kruse had anything to do with what they were talking about or not.
“Dean can tell you,” said one. “Just as Dean said,” said another. “It was the first time I met Dean Kruse,” said yet another. “He wore those 10-gallon hats then.”
In his remarks to the audience, Kruse acknowledged that in years gone by, he might’ve gotten too caught up in the promotion of his car auction.
But, he said, nobody in that room was there because of him, but rather because of what they all loved.
“When it comes down to the final analysis, we’re all here for these fine, classic cars,” he said.
With no auction to run this year, Kruse plans to do something he hasn’t done in 40 years – really take in the festivities surrounding his old Labor Day auction.
The parades, the shows – he’ll be able to see it all for the first time in a long time, he said.
“I’ve got a more peaceful weekend ahead,” Kruse said. “No more calls at 6:30, 7 a.m. It’s going to be very enjoyable.”
