50 Years of Collecting Goes to Auction: The Joy Heitger Estate Sale

For 50 years, Joy Heitger filled a historic Michigan poor farm with one of the most eclectic collections in the state. Now, after her passing in November 2024, the treasures she gathered are going up for auction starting Sunday, April 26 at 11 a.m.

The sale takes place at the former St. Joseph County Infirmary in Fawn River Township, a property Joy purchased in the 1970s and transformed into a time capsule of antiques, tools, and curiosities.

A Collector Like No Other

"Joy was one of the area's most colorful, original, quirky, and eccentric collectors," said Randy Ludwick of White Barn Auction, who is running the sale along with Brent Wilber.

Joy bought everything that caught her eye. From auctions across the country, she amassed furniture, glassware, tools, cars, and dozens of old cast-iron stoves. Her building was filled to capacity, and she preferred to keep her finds rather than sell them.

"With items piled in every corner, it is almost easier to ask what you cannot find," Ludwick said. "She bought everything that fancied her eye, antiques and collectibles that she has been storing in there since the 1970s."

What You Will Find

The auction runs two rings simultaneously... one in the barn out back and another inside the main brick building. The inventory is staggering:

• Three large trailer loads of tools
• Three six-cylinder Volkswagen engines
• Mustang parts
• Two old cutter sleighs
• A 14-foot wooden boat
• Three cast-iron clawfoot bathtubs
• Pedestal sinks and plumbing fixtures
• Pitcher-well pumps, sleds, wooden chests
• Chairs, tables, buffets, hutches
• New and used kitchen and bath faucets

And that is just the beginning. The auction is expected to continue through October to clear the property.

The Historic Property

The building itself has a story to tell. Located on U.S. 12 east of Sturgis at County Farm Road, the property was established as a "last resort" to house the indigent, mentally ill, and orphans in the 1800s.

According to the Sturgis Historical Museum, the original section of the two-story brick building was constructed in 1882, with a west wing added in 1904. The county stopped using it as a residence in 1947, and farming operations ceased in the 1970s when Joy purchased the property.

A keeper once operated the farm as a self-supporting agricultural property, producing crops and livestock for the residents.

Auction Details

The main estate auction begins Sunday, April 26 at 11 a.m. at 664 West Chicago Road in Fawn River Township, east of Sturgis on U.S. 12.

Ludwick warns attendees not to park on U.S. 12, but parking is available on the property.

For those interested in smaller items, Ludwick also holds weekly Tuesday afternoon auctions at 4 p.m. at his White Barn Auction facility located at 664 West Chicago Road, east of Bronson next to Bill's Steakhouse.

More information is available on the White Barn Auction Facebook page.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: When and where is the Joy Heitger estate auction?

A: The auction begins Sunday, April 26, 2026 at 11 a.m. at the former St. Joseph County Infirmary, located at 664 West Chicago Road in Fawn River Township, east of Sturgis on U.S. 12.

Q: What kinds of items will be sold at the auction?

A: The collection includes antiques, cast-iron stoves, tools, Volkswagen engines, Mustang parts, sleighs, a wooden boat, clawfoot bathtubs, plumbing fixtures, furniture, glassware, and much more collected over 50 years.

Q: What is the history of the auction location?

A: The property was originally built in 1882 as the St. Joseph County Poor Farm (also called the Infirmary), housing the indigent, mentally ill, and orphans. It operated as a self-supporting farm until 1947, and Joy Heitger purchased it in the 1970s.