Jack Brodersen Findlay, age 90, of Herbster, WI passed away peacefully Sunday, February 6, 2022, at St. Luke’s Hospice in Duluth, MN. He was born June 17, 1931, on a farm in Harlan, Iowa, the son of Forrest and Regina “Jennie” (Brodersen) Findlay.
Jack grew up on the family farm at the tail end of the Depression – during which, as he would later make sure to tell his grandchildren, he ate lard sandwiches. Harlan, Iowa is also where he graduated from high school, after which he pursued his passion for baseball. His father taught him the game by playing catch for hours after farm chores were finished. However, it was the true practice of throwing rocks at glass insulators on power lines while walking to and from school that trained his pitching arm. At 6’5”, Jack’s presence on the pitching mound was bolstered by his physics-defying knuckle ball and circle change-up. He pitched not only in the U.S. Air Force, but he also played semi-pro in the minor league farm systems for the Cubs and Cardinals, both before and after his military service. It has been said that Jack could pitch a blueberry through a battleship.
Jack served for four years in the USAF during the Korean War and was honorably discharged. After his military service, he attended Iowa State University where he received a bachelor’s degree in agricultural and mechanical engineering.
On October 11, 1972, he married Marie Jane Rondeau in Sioux Falls. Jack worked in sales throughout the agricultural machinery industry for over 30 years, supporting a region in the upper Midwest and Canada. He worked with Erickson and International Harvester, then joined Shank Power Products in 1973 and retired as their President in 1993. Jack was also licensed as a real estate agent and auctioneer.
He served on boards for both the South Shore School District and the Town of Clover, and he was a member of The American Legion, Herbster Business Association, Herbster Community Club, and the Wisconsin Auctioneers Association.
Jack was happiest spending time with his family during Christmas and Fourth of July gatherings at the house on Bark Point in Herbster, WI. He also enjoyed fishing, reading, playing cards, grilling, and watching all Wisconsin or Minnesota sports teams. Jack was a regular for breakfast at Pinecone Ole’s, and he spent his evenings enjoying the view of Lake Superior while sipping single-malt scotch or dry martinis and sometimes both.
Affectionately referring to him as “Big Jack,” Jack’s family will remember him for boat rides on Lake Superior, mowing walking paths through the woods of Bark Point, and reading hard copies of magazines from his faithful armchair. They remain grateful for the years they heard his familiar and hearty “‘Yello!” each time he answered the phone, as well as the customary “Dammit!” whenever Marie fed the Christmas pot roast to the dog under the dinner table.
Jack was steadfast, loving, hardworking and loyal: a salt-of-the-earth man who lived his 90 years well. He is loved, missed, and celebrated.
Jack is survived by his children, Jennifer (Sam) Heimlich, and John (Michelle) Findlay; stepsons Dierck (Melinda) Oosten and Dustin (Wendy) Oosten; daughters-in-law Catherine (Joel) Findlay and Margaret (Scott) Findlay; 15 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Jack was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Betty Findlay (1991); his first wife, Donna Jean Petersen (Findlay, Mount) (1998), his second wife, Marie (2011); and sons Joel Findlay (2004) and Scott Findlay (2021).
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History of Auctioneering
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In 1964, Sotheby’s expanded itself by buying Parke-Bernet, the USA’s largest fine art auction house at the time. Today, it’s noted as the oldest and largest international firm of fine art auctioneers in the world. It has 80 locations across the globe and sees an annual turnover of about $4 billion.
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In 1786, Christie’s sold the library of the famous Dr. Samuel Johnson, creator of the Dictionary of the English Language (1755). This collection included insightful books on a variety of topics, including but not limited to medicine, law, math, and theology.
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In 1824, The National Gallery was founded in London. It opened its doors with many purchases from Christie’s. New York’s MET museum also made its first connection to the London market through Christie’s, sending them their first lot for sale in 1958. Today, Christie’s boasts a worldwide influence with locations in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
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In June 2019, French-Israeli telecom businessman Patrick Drahi made an offer to buy Sotheby’s for $3.7 billion. This meant that following the acquisition, Sotheby’s could be more flexible in its deals now that it didn’t have to justify expensive guarantees or other benefits to shareholders. This new structure also gave comfort to their higher-profile buyers who would rather not be scrutinized by the public eye. Following the adoption of this new private curtain, the comparison between Sotheby’s and Christie’s was more strongly apples to apples than ever before.
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The auction by candle also played a pivotal role in defining legal history. It was used as a standard procedure in the Court of Chancery, where trust property was sold off. The Sales of Land by Auction Act 1867 officially made it lawful to pay commission to an auctioneer, marking a significant milestone in the auctioneering profession.
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The most valuable picture postcard in the world was sent by Theodore Hook Esq. to himself in 1840 and was bought at the London Stamp Exchange auction, UK on 8 March 2002 by collector Eugene Gomberg (Latvia) for £31,758.75 ($45,370.60). It is also considered to be the oldest postcard in the world.
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The oldest bottle of wine to have been sold at auction was a bottle of 1646 Imperial Tokay, which was bought by John A. Chunko of Princeton, New Jersey, USA and Jay Walker of Ridgefield, Connecticut, USA for SFr 1250 (£;405) including buyers premium at Sothebys, Geneva, Switzerland on 16 Nov 1984.
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The most expensive wine sold at auction is a Romanée Conti 1945 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti bottle, sold at $558,000 (£422,801; €481,976) including premium, auctioned by Sotheby’s in New York, USA, on 13 October 2018.
The 73 year old French Burgundy bottle, part of a 600 batch produced by Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, sold more than 17 times the original asking price of $32,000 (£24,246; €27,640). The mark up in the bottles value is suspected to be a result of Chinese market’s interest in French Burgundy. In addition, the bottle was sold by Robert Drouhin, patriarch of Maison Joseph Drouhin.
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A Batpod motorcycle used in the filming of The Dark Knight Rises (USA, 2012) sold at the 2016 Prop Store Live Auction by Prop Store (UK) on 27 September 2016 for £312,000 ($404,393).
The Batpod was the “hero” vehicle used for filming close-ups, meaning that it had more detail than others used for filming at long distance but is largely non-functioning. The motorcycle was designed by Christopher Nolan and production designer Nathan Crowley, and brought to life by special-effects artist Chris Corbould, who made six of the vehicles. Its pre-auction estimate was between $80,000 and $110,000, so it secured about four times the expected price.
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