Rent 1894 Funeral Coach

Rent 1894 Funeral Coach AG WORLD Ag World 16-3-19 "My grandfather bought it new in the summer of 1894," says Augie Schleicher of Schleicher Funeral Homes, Plainview, Minn., who's doing a booming business renting out a beautifully restored antique funeral coach for use in funerals anywhere in North America. Schleicher's grandfather used the deluxe coach for about 30 years before it was put into storage by Schleicher's father, who was also a funeral director. After that, the coach was only brought out of storage twice - in 1939 and 1970 - for parades. In 1989, Schleicher took the carriage to an Amish carriage company in Utica, Minn., to do a complete restoration on the coach. The coach is always on display at Schleicher's funeral home in Plainview, Minn. For funerals around the country, the horse-drawn coach, along with two large black Percheron draft horses, is transported to the funeral location in a semi-truck under the supervision of three handlers. Available year around, regardless of weather, the coach is fitted with solid rubber outer wheel rims for silent operation. "Having the carriage lead the funeral pro-cession makes for a wonderful tribute to a loved one. The horses are magnificent and the only sound you hear is the klip Mop of their hooves," says Schleicher. Basic price is $1,900, including full liability and property damage insurance, plus a mileage charge for travel. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Augie Schleicher, Schleicher Funeral Homes,P.O. Box 608, Plainview, Minn. 55964 (ph 507 534-2353).

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