Bloom Where You are Planted: Leeroy Kramer's Commitment to His Work & His Passion

In just a few hours, an online auction featuring some of the cars from Mr. Leeroy Kramer's antique car collection will be closing. 

One of my favorite things about the estate auction business is learning about the person behind the items. Mr. Kramer was a Production Supervisor with Bluebell Creameries for 46 years. He also ran Kramer's Used Cars & Auto Parts. The phrase that keeps coming to mind is "Bloom Where You Are Planted." Mr. Kramer did just that. He was steadfast in his leadership and steadfast in his passion, which was restoring antique cars and bringing them back to life. 

With this level of care and perseverance, you can be certain, that while in his care - these cars were cared for to his best ability. Since his health decline and subsequent passing, the family has done their best to keep his collection sheltered. Now, the family is ready to let them pass into the ownership of capable hands that have an appreciation for these cars, like Leeroy did. 

Per his daughter, many brides and grooms left the church in one of her father's restored vehicles. They were also a favorite in local and area parades. He was eager to share his knowledge and collection with anyone that shared his interest and intrigue. The Houston TV show The Eyes of Texas did one of their series on his vehicle collection on 1-30-1993. The video is below. Be sure to turn the volume all the way up. 

(Maybe later I'll get the video up. Keeps kicking it back because of file size. :/)

Even in his late 80s, Mr. Kramer would keep his cars cleaned and shined up. While he was still with us, he shared his passion and now that he's left us, he is sharing and sending his hard work and dedication out to others that appreciate these vehicles and the enjoy putting time into them to maintain and honor them. 

He literally bloomed where he was planted. He put down roots, maintained a long career with Bluebell Creameries, started a business out of his passion, and worked joyfully and persistently on the things he loved and honored. May you all be blessed by this story and this life, like the crew and I have been. 

The online auction will START closing at 6pm TODAY - 3 lots per minute, with auto-extend. Below are SOME of the cars that will find new owners, this evening. 

HERE IS THE AUCTION LINK

CONSTANT CONTACT NEWSLETTER LINK

The Old Depot - Round Top, TX

Mr. Howard has a big personality & a big heart! Tomorrow: Saturday, March 8th - we will be conducting a living estate LIVE auction for Howard Konetzke. Many people local to Round Top and La Grange know Howard. 

BEFORE The Stone Cellar, in Round Top, was The Stone Cellar - it was The Old Depot. Before that....it was a patch of grass. 

I was young when Howard bought that place, but I remember. He went to work on it. I remember them moving the old train depot, that was in LaGrange, by Farmer's Lumber. I remember when the restaurant area was built, and I remember when the dancehall was moved in. As we were setting up this auction he recalled memories of nobody believing he would have things ready for the upcoming show (his first one). It was small at first. He had a handful of vendors, but he did it. Then....it grew. Howard's vendors were loyal and he was loyal to them. My first "big" antique fair purchase as a kid was a cowhide from the vendor that used to set up at the front of the road, at his field.

When he owned The Old Depot, every Chili Cook Off for The Round Top Family Library was held there. I also remember, as a kid, selling ice cream at a booth there, for a class fundraiser. 

We were setting up, and I can promise you, most people would look at Howard  - a Master Plumber, that followed in his Dad's footsteps (also a Master Plumber) and have NO IDEA the adventures he has been on, the friends that he's made, and the things he's learned, BY ACTUALLY DOING IT! 

The other thing that I don't think people would know is his deep appreciation for the antiques and primitives that we will be selling tomorrow. Some of you may have seen some of my TikTok posts at @AuctioneerHeather - with Howard sharing some history of some items. Of all the things in his collection. I think he finds the most joy in his chuck wagon items and some of the VERY primitive tools. That being said, there are SO many things that are a first for me to see. He really does enjoy and appreciate the items he has held in his collection and sharing their use, their age....the story behind them. 

The location of tomorrow's auction has been in Howard's family since the 1950s. One thing is for certain...Howard LOVES HIS PEOPLE. As much as Howard has enjoyed the adventures and the things he has collected along the way....he's ready to enjoy life with his people; ready to do things with them and collect memories instead of things. Now....KNOW that Howard isn't turning everything loose. As we were setting up, he found some gems he couldn't part with. However, a very big chunk of his collection will be offered for sale to the highest bidder. Videos, information, items, the PRINTABLE catalog can all be found on either the Buck Up Auctions Facebook Page OR the website www.buckupauctions.com. (CLICK HERE TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE LISTING WITH DOCUMENTS)  THE AUCTION STARTS at 10AM. It is located at 3541 Hwy 159 in La Grange. Look for a BRIGHT YELLOW AUCTION SIGN on the fence. There will also be directional signs to point you in the right direction. Food and drink will be on site. At some point after lunch, we will run two rings. THERE ARE SOME REALLY GREAT FINDS, so I look forward to seeing those that make it out. The day looks like it will be a nice one. 

We don't only have antiques and primitives. We will be offering tools, a tractor, implements, firearms, & SO MUCH MORE TOMORROW. (FIREARMS LIST HERE) We have about 200 items we will start out selling. At 12:30 we will break to sell the firearms - wherever we are. Around 1PM we will sell the tractor and then start selling all the items in the perimeter. We will move into the barn and start selling the tools. Then we will kick off two rings. One auctioneer will be in the barn and one will be outside the barn in the pavillion/lean-to area.  Check in/Registration will be at the white trailer. 

Just a handful of SOME of the other items offered outside of antiques and primitives: 

Howard also has this amazing property on the market. The house and fence, just got a new paint job, the auction is happening tomorrow and it will be ready for a new family to make memories there! You would be only the THIRD family to own this land, since the Spanish Land Grants! Round Top Real Estate holds the listing & you can see more about it here: https://txls.com/texas-real-estate/3541-texas-159-la-grange-tx-78945/145463

As many of you know, but maybe not everyone :), I am a licensed real estate broker associate with eXp Realty and would be happy to represent you, if interested in this property. Frank and Ben plan to be onsite and available to show the home and chat with you about the property. 

BUCK UP & come out and see us! Bring your bag chair :). 

For all of you that enjoy history - see photos below from Howard's Old Depot days!

The Beginning:

Moving the Dancehall in: 

All the things that must happen, before it can be taken down the road...

Notice those Kana Brothers Trucks - The "Go-To" House Moving Company for a LOOOOONG Time. 

The Busy Days

Even Have A Shot of Mr. Milton Patrolling the Grounds

208 Little Berry RESTORED: Property Showcase - Somerville, TX

 Hello all! I wanted to SHARE the beautiful restoration of 208 Little Berry in Somerville, Texas. We had previously marketed this property BEFORE the renovations. There was some interest, but after some thought and discussion - the seller's decided to go ahead and finish the project & boy did they!

I've had the honor of assisting them in buying and selling of several properties and their workmanship speaks for itself. 

As I move through this blog, showing you the BEFORE & AFTERS, I also plan to tell you stories about moving the home there, life, the area, and other interesting and exciting things. If at any point you know someone that could be interested in this property....PLEASE SHARE IT!!

We will START with the exterior...

This home was moved from Burton, TX. It was able to be moved in 1 piece, minus the roof & the garage. That means the ENTIRE ROOF is BRAND NEW. The garage had to stay behind. For those of you that may not be aware, moving a home is no small feat. Specialized equipment, skilled laborers, coordination with municipalities (traffic routes & power lines), route plans (which is likely why the roof could not come. For those of you looking to move old structures a good rule of thumb is each piece of a house moved is going to vary in price around the $20,000 mark. Some people have moved certain pieces separate. In this case the seller's likely had a choice to move the roof OR rebuild. In some cases moving a garage is not in option. If it is, you'd likely be looking at another $20,000 plus. 

Back to this little house. When they purchased it, they were told that the gentleman's grandparents built it in the 1920s and they deconstructed some of their older barns to have enough lumber for the house. This home was built through resourcefulness....

BEFORE: 

AFTER: 

 

Next up...is the KITCHEN transformation! The kitchen was gutted. Some water damage was found in the flooring, so they pulled it all out, put new subfloor & flooring. They converted a doorway that lead to the master bedroom from the kitchen, into a pantry.

BEFORE:

AFTER: 

Bathroom renovation is up next. Cleaned up quite nicely. They found water damage to the floor here also, so they built a new subfloor and flooring. They were able to clean up the tub, original to the house and use. 

BEFORE:

AFTER:

The living room was opened up. They did a great job of letting the light in. The renovation of the living room, dining room, and hallway can probably be better encompassed as one project. I remember when I first walked in the home, BEFORE renovations, It looked like a runway straight to the bathroom. The two walls forming the hallway. There were doors to all the rooms. Ultimately, they took all the walls down and added a support beam. The dining room, kitchen, and living room are all opened up to each other. The flooring in those areas is original. They sanded, sealed and used as much of the original wood as possible. 

BEFORE: 

AFTER: 

Hallway

BEFORE: 

AFTER:

They were able to clean up the walls of the bedrooms. They made the closets bigger. It's amazing what fresh paint can do!

BEFORE:

AFTER: 

The master bathroom was totally added on to the back of the house. 

As you can see, a lot of time, energy, and thought went into creating the spaces to make this home functional and comfortable. From the beginning, this house has been an example of resourcefulness. Approximately 100 years later, it still has that theme....that essence about it.  

This property is located right at the entrance of the Enchanted Oaks subdivision. You have small and medium - size trees and brush that provide some cover. EVERYTHING is new: roof, plumbing, AC, porch....all new to enhance the space and prepare it for the new owners. The couple selling this house is EXTREMELY resourceful. They have a knack for taking what is there and transforming it into something that can be used again, people can find comfort & retreat in, people can build a life in. 

Drone video and After Photos - Credit to Laura Lee Photography

This subdivision is located off of Park Road, which is a popular road in Somerville. There are boat ramps, marinas, stores, and eating/drinking establishments, very close. Somerville is a small lake town, with FANTASTIC fishing and boating....& camping areas. The town has gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants. The other plus is that it is UNDER 40 minutes to College Station, 32 miles to Texas A&M University, just a few more miles to the RELLIS campus, in Bryan, Texas. Other notable distances: Brenham (home of Blue Bell Creameries) - 28 miles, Caldwell - 16 miles, Houston - under 2 hours, Austin - under an hour and a half, Giddings - 27 miles, Bastrop - under an hour, Round Top - Warrenton Antiques Festival - 36 miles, Chappell Hill - 45 minutes. 

If this property checks any of your boxes please reach out to one of the following agents via text or call:

Heather Kaspar - 979.421.0325

Brenda Rose - 512.968.1848

Tim Dietz - 713.449.4440

This property will be offered via online auction, unless the seller accepts an offer during the pre-auction period. You can CLICK the links below to view and share the auction information & listings:

BUCK UP AUCTIONS

TXLS

HAR

ABOR

Lands.com

Here are just a few of the adventures my family has had on Somerville Lake:

 Buck Up! & share this blog, click on the links, give us a text or call. There are lots of adventures ready to be had! God bless!