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SUNNY Temp: 92 °F Wind: W at 9 mph Friday, August 29, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend July 27, 2003 Donna Revelle, a second cousin of Wes Howard�s, bids on a toy wheelbarrow during the auction. She obtained the wheelbarrow but was outbid on a box of family photos. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Bidding on her past Among hundreds who turned out for the Wes Howard estate auction was one woman who took home family heirlooms she was laying eyes on for the very first time By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune For Donna Revelle, Saturday’s farmhouse auction was bittersweet. "I cannot believe it," she said, looking through a stack of old photographs. They were some of the thousands of items laid out at the estate auction for Wes Howard, who had been her second cousin. Advertisement "I have no pictures of my dad as a child," said Revelle, 56, of Medford. She pointed to an old black and white photograph of three children, one of whom was her father. Revelle said she came to the auction mostly because of memories of childhood visits to Howard’s home. She recalled Howard as being reclusive but very kind to her. But she found today’s visit "difficult." "This is just kind of mind-boggling here," she said. "How would you feel seeing things about your family for the first time and there are people here waiting to buy it?" Revelle was among the hundreds of dealers, collectors and spectators coming and going at the estate auction on N. Ross Lane Saturday. Howard, who died in March at age 87, lived in a primitive 1890s two-story home on the corner of Ross Lane and Rossanley Drive. He donated his entire estate, including the money from the auction, toward creation of a sports park on his 68-acre parcel. The park will be owned by a nonprofit organization Howard began before his death, said estate attorney John Hassen. Revelle received permission to remove some family photos and a legal document after consulting with Hassen and auctioneer Wayne Liska. The auction kicked off with hundreds applauding Howard for donating his property for a sports park. With oil lamps going for $60, ceramic bowls for $150, small butter churns for $120 and picture frames for $35, some attendees found the event to be out of their league. A Daisy BB gun, which the auctioneers speculated cost 67 cents in 1905, sold for $260. "Things you get for $20 at a yard sale are going for $120," said Betty Wiest of Sams Valley as she left the event early. "There was stuff I would like out there, but it’s too expensive. It’s because so many people are here." She said she had her eye on a rocking chair that she’d like to refinish and keep, but the auction was moving so slowly that she imagined they wouldn’t get to the rockers for a long time. "I might come back later," she said. One Grants Pass woman who declined to give her name said she was very pleased with her galvanized horse tub she picked up for $10. She said the trick to auctions is deciding ahead of time how much to spend and sticking with it — not getting caught up in the excitement. Medford City Council member John Michaels had been looking forward to bidding on old tube radios but was getting discouraged early on. "The prices are way out of creation," he said. Revelle joined the bidding audience and got a toy wheelbarrow. She also started bidding on a box of photos, but it went to a higher bidder for $75. Hassen said in handling estates, he often hears from relatives and others making claims, but his responsibility is to be sure the wishes of the deceased are upheld. He said he had heard from at least 10 people claiming Howard had told them they could buy or have certain things, including two pickup trucks and two tractors. Hassen said Howard, whom he had known for several years, clearly stated in his will he wanted everything to go into the sports park. Hassen said it was good news that the auctioneers were getting high prices. "It’s all for the park," he said. Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] . 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