Dennis Erickson was a diligent attendant at Celebration Church in Lakeville, Minnesota, who welcomed churchgoers with a smile and made sure everything ran smoothly and “never missed a beat.”
After Erickson passed away in December at the age of 69, his fellow worshipers only learned about his meticulous collection of rare toy vehicles at his house in Eagan, Minnesota.
The estate’s executor, Lisa Lundstrom, claims that Erickson’s collection, which also includes seven impeccably maintained working cars, numbers close to 30,000 and fills every inch of his home.
“I would guess it’s a four-bedroom house, but I can’t tell because of the cars,” Lundstrom said.
“In the restrooms, hallways, and kitchen, there are cars stacked floor to ceiling.”
Lundstrom, who is the organization’s chief financial officer, is the daughter of Celebration Church’s founding pastor. She asserts that because the church acted as Erickson’s family and he was an only child whose parents were both deceased, he grew close to her family.
After Erickson’s death, Lundstrom went inside his home for the first time and said, “I knew automobiles were his hobby but he was very private about his house and now I understand why.” He liked to keep his collection a private matter.
Lundstrom is now in charge of the church’s efforts to honor Erickson’s life and memory by selling his collection of cars to a person or group that would value them as much as he did.
In response to Lundstrom’s observation, “He had cans and cans of cleansers and dust cloths near a huge chair. “I imagine he had a rotating program of cleaning everything and putting it back in its perfect spot.”
Lundstrom claims that Erickson had built-in bookcases for his toys in his home as well as a brochure describing his collection of miniature cars. Lundstrom claims that Erickson, a civil engineer who began collecting cars as a young child, had saved the original boxes for each and every vehicle.
She estimates that Erickson’s estate, which includes his home, vintage cars, and antique cars, will be worth well over six figures as a whole. The church plans to utilize the money to expand its youth and children’s program.
“I simply got a sheet of paper from his Army Corps retirement,” Lundstrom said. ” I have a ton of his articles to review. Some people may find it sad that I never had kids or a family, but I have my church family and the mission to serve others and bring souls to Jesus,’ she continued.
Lundstrom said, “We want to celebrate Dennis’s life and service with the money from his estate.”
