Dear Dave:

Do you have your hospitality story of infamy yet?

Well, I'm sure you're on your way. Congratulations on being nominated a third time for giving outstanding hospitality to our visitors.

This is one of my favorite letters to write - thank you for making all of us look good in the eyes of our visitors. And I'll bet you know that those eyes can belong to our youngest visitors as well!

Thank you for being an example of how we should treat others, for being an example for others to follow, for making a South Dakota visitor feel welcome, and for keeping the shine on South Dakota's reputation as a place of Great Faces and Great Places.

Please the wear the enclosed Great Service Star lapel pin with pride and know that you are appreciated. That acknowledgement can also be a smile, a handshake, or a pat on the back.

Keep up the good work as you make all of us look good!

Sincerely,
James D. Hagen, Secretary
Department of Tourism

The Christmas at the Capitol is one of my favorite times of the year. The beautifully decorated trees, thousands of visitors walking down the hallways to take notice to each group that has decorated a tree, enjoying the general store, the significance of the créche, the lighting of the menorah, the children coloring their own special ornament and placing it on a tree, listening to their favorite Christmas story being read, and the sounds of music by the many individuals and groups from across the state. This is all possible because of you.

On behalf of the citizens of South Dakota, thank you for your gifts and talents you have shared to make our State Capitol a special place to visit during 2010's holiday season.

My family and I wish you many blessings from a joyous New Year

Sincereley,
M. Michael Rounds

Employees of the Pioneer Hallmark Gift Shop,

I am sorry I didn’t get the name of the employee who was responsible for sending my husband’s sunglasses to a hotel for us.

It is very comforting to know that this lady was sincere and we received them ok.  We sincerely appreciate your time and honesty.

God Bless,
Kathee & Dick Hayes

We were inducted into the Rockhound & Lapidary Hall of Fame in 2005. Have the Rock Food Table.

Thanks for the visit we got to have with you, at the museum, two weeks ago. Next time we come to the museum, we are going to plan on a whole day. It could take a whole day to really see the museum.

See you down the road and thanks again for a wonderful museum. It is worth the trip to see it.
- Bill and Lois Pattillo

Back in the late 1930's, residents of the small farming community of Canby, Minnesota would often see me, an elementary school girl, flying down the sidewalk on a large type of scooter called an Ingo bike - the back wheel with an off-center sprocket connected to a platform powered the bike, which my brother William is on in the picture.

When the sprocket was in the highest position, the racer would pull down on the handlebars and, bending the knees, bear down on the footboard to drive the bike forward. Years later, the bike disappeared when my mother sold our home. I didn't see the Ingo again until discovering one in the Pioneer Auto Museum located in, I believe, Murdo, South Dakota.

- Joan Magee, New Mexico

I have been to your museum several times over the last 20 years or so.  Each time I enjoy it as much as the first.  This is the first time I have ever been on your website and now it won’t be the last.  I can tell you that it is one of the greatest places I have ever been.  I am a hard-core car enthusiast.  I currently have nearly twenty collector cars, many of them rare muscle cars.  Over the last thirty years, I have personally owned more than 3000 of my own autos.  I wish I still had them all.  As time goes on I am selling off most of my collection and only holding on to a few select keepers.

My girlfriend and I are going to visit you on the weekend of your auction and swap meet.  We are going to Aberdeen, SD, on that Friday to pick up a 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner that has just undergone a complete rotisserie restoration.  We have decided to come back to Billings, Montana via Murdo and Rapid City so I can take my girl through your facility.  We might even find some parts or cars we might not be able to live without.  More parts than cars as I said I am trying to thin my herd.

I especially like Mopar and Corvettes.  Some of the collection I have sold off included two Superbirds, 7 Chargers, 5 Challengers and lots more.  Still have some neat stuff for sale including a very rare Corvair Convertible.  It is the number 11 “pilot” car one of 13 that were never to be sold to the general public.  According to the Corvair Registry, the lowest known serial number for any Corvair was serial number 001943.  This is serial number 000006!!!!

Anyway, I have probably bored you to death already.  I’m sure you get lots of stories and mail from people everywhere, but I just had to tell you after I found your website that I really appreciate what you do.

Maybe hope to see you when we come through.  We will be easy to spot.  We have an 05 red Dodge 1-ton dually 4x4 with the license plate from the bugs bunny cartoons “GOSSAMR” and the plate on the trailer is “BUGGS” and its black.  We will be hauling the RR.

If you ever need to BS cars or whatever, I will give you contact info.  Thanks again for all you do and have a great rest of the week.  Good luck on the big weekend.

- William Hardy

I am writing to express my most sincere regards for your excellent contributions to the Western Hospitality Travel Agent Familiarization Tour.  The FAM tour that showcased South Dakota was a huge success as we sent twenty-one travel agents home with good memories and useful information.  Upon her departure, one travel agent said that the weather may have been chilly but she felt surrounded by the warmth of South Dakota during her time here.  I think that this is a great testament to the hard work of everyone that was involved on the tour.

The community of Murdo was a true gem on the FAM tour.  The travel agents were completely impressed with the warm welcome that they received in Murdo.  The Pioneer Auto Show was a wonderful attraction as many of the travel agents were reminiscing, finding the cars that they drove in high school and enjoying the energizing atmosphere that you provide.  Everything about the community of Murdo brought a smile to their faces and I sincerely thank you for your generous hospitality, despite being arrested!

Because of our collective efforts, the Western Hospitality Travel Agent Familiarization Tour was a success that we can all be proud of.  I look forward to working with you in the future on continued efforts to increase visitors to South Dakota.  Best wishes to you and I hope to see you January 17 & 18, 2007 in Pierre at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism.  Thank you for being a great friend to the tourism industry and best wishes this holiday season.

- Tyler J Sharp, Trade Sales Representative

It was 1989 and my wife and I were on our way to Mt. Rushmore when we blew a transmission about 8 miles east of Murdo. A young lady, we don't remember her name, came to our assistance and with her brother helped us into a little RV park in Murdo. It was a Saturday and the next morning we walked up the hill and went to church and bible class.

Dave was teaching the class and during the discussion our plight was discussed and he told me to see him after class. He then drove us to his home and he told us to pick any one of several cars in his yard to use while our pickup was repaired. You have no idea how many times I have told this story and mentioned your big heart and the love you had/have for your Lord.

The article in the Laymen reaffirmed this both to me and my wife.

David Samuel

I just stumbled onto your web site by accident. I must say it was quite a surprise! I stopped there one time, it was August 1973, my dad had just retired from the Coast Guard out of Alaska and we were driving across the country to Mobile, Alabama when he saw the sign for your place. My dad never stopped for things like that but he did this time. He, my mom and I had a wonderful time. I know that the cars and things brought back so many memories for them. I still have the brochure that we picked up that day and look at it from time to time remembering the great time we had. I hope to get back there one day with my kids. Keep up the great work! It is people like you that allow folks to return (if only for a day) to a time when things were much better, people were kinder and the world was a better place. I wish that there were 10,000 more people in this country like you.

Thank you for some great memories,
Shelton Barfield

P.S. Both of my parents have passed away but they always talked about that August day that my dad stopped in the middle of no where and we got to step back in time.

We visited your museum on September 7th. I left my camera in you café, but didn’t notice it missing until the next morning. I spoke to a very nice gentleman on the phone. He said he graduated from Concordia College in our hometown of Meguon Wisconsin. I just wanted to thank him for mailing the camera to me. (It arrived the same day we got home.) Tell him I’m “sorry” I don’t have any Packer tickets, but I’ll put him on my list.

We enjoyed your museum just as much as we did 29 years ago.

Again, a big Thank You,

Bonnie Sippl

P.S. The Schnauzer didn’t arrive with the camera!

Yesterday my wife and I had the good fortune to have stopped by the Pioneer Auto Museum. Although my wife didn’t go through the museum, I did, and saw cars I've never seen before!

Just wanted to let you know how enjoyable our visit was, how much we liked your place, and all the employees - also read your book.

I've already phoned some of my traveling friends and fellow “car guys” and mentioned yours as a must see. We’ll be by again next year and look forward to seeing you then.

Hope you have great weather for Murdo in May.

Best regards,

Pete and Jenny Ferrigan
Sarasota, FL

A note to thank you for your great hospitality a couple Saturdays ago when Jack Marsh and I stopped by. The Pioneer Auto Show is a superb collection. And I also think the Zeitner Collection must be unsurpassed.

Jack and I appreciated the tour of the town and your commentary.

After our visit, we followed your directions, headed north across the river, then east to Pierre: beautiful country all the way and not another motor vehicle did we see for 60 miles (we clocked it).

You can be certain that the next time I pass Murdo, it will only be after I stop first to visit my “friend by the side of the road.”

Thanks again, and I hope you’ll call if you are ever in Cincinnati.

Regards,
Tim Riker
- - -   - - -
Thank you once again for your warm hospitality when Tim Riker and I visited Murdo. We appreciated the good conversation, the VIP tour of the city, and the auto show.

If I can ever return the favor, and host you in either Sioux Falls or in Vermillion, please do not hesitate to contact me.

I’m enclosing a photo from our visit.

Best wishes,

Jack Marsh

My family recently stopped and immensely enjoyed your many, many attractions - cars, player pianos, fashions of the early 1900’s, and gems!

One of your first exhibits was the Isetta BM car. Enclosed is our Isetta from the early 1960’s when we were just kids. It’s been long gone, but seeing yours brought back many fond memories!

Thanks for being one of the main stops on our summer vacation!

Love from Port Washington, Wisconsin

Amy Paulin Boehm

Thank you the State of SD.

We have enjoyed our visit, work & learning more of your State than we know some things of our own home state of Georgia.

This May, 2008 would have been our 6th season working and touring the State. We worked at Pioneer Auto & Hallmark in Murdo, SD. We answered an ad in Highways Magazine – really did not know what we would be getting into. Our minds were set to stay and then go different places each season to work & tour. But at the town of Murdo, SD there was a big heart of a big person & all the staff – town of Murdo – so we just came back each season. We had to leave early this season due to some health problems. May 1st we had to go to ER room in Regional Cancer Care Center in Rapid City. I had my records already sent to Rapid City, SD to be prepared. The Cander Dare Center took me in. They called to talk to my Georgia doctors and got me in shape enough to head back to Georgia. They did a really good job.

We learned so much & toured South Dakota. All the tourist businesses were good to us and showed us around and gave us many memories to share with all the tourists we met coming through Pioneer Auto & Hallmark. We have lots of friends there. Everyone was very nice to us.

People probably thought we were different as not knowing what we were up to next – where else can you drive a 4X4 downtown at a Capitol building. We did and saw just about everything in South Dakota. We like sharing it with people and we still pass the word on.

So Thank You State of SD. Be Proud Of Your State.

Thanks!

Debbie & Doug Snider
Pavo, GA

Prairie Rattlers Antique Car Club Minutes
June 1, 2008

Everyone enjoyed our trip to the Pioneer Auto Museum. We want to thank Dave Geisler for hosting the club. For those of you that couldn’t make the trip, you missed seeing Dave’s newest addition to the Museum which was a car made of wood that took 15 years to build. We all agreed that it was a wonderful addition and was everyone’s favorite car there. It has two engines in the front and it so long that Ollie couldn’t get a complete picture of it. However, Dave was kind enough to give us a couple of pictures of it and Ollie is going to make some copies for everyone. Thanks Dave. We always enjoy our time in the Museum.

Janet Thompson,
Secretary for Life

A few weeks ago my husband and I took a trip to South Dakota for a family reunion. We stopped to go through your Auto Show because my husband, Keith Bechard had went through it years ago and he had bought pickups from Dave years ago. When we were leaving and were in the gift shop he saw Dave and talked to him. Dave remembered him which I thought was very great. I just wanted to thank Dave for the Pioneer Auto Show book that he gave us and signed. We will keep it to remember him by. We will tell anyone we know going to South Dakota that they must go and see your Auto Show. It is unbelievable on how large it is.

Again thanks!

Sincerely,

Glow and Keith Bechard
Brainerd, MN

Hey there Dave!

I don’t know if you receive these emails or not, but I just thought I’d take a chance and say hi. I think often of the great times I had working for you at the Big Auto Show. After all, that’s where I got my start and I have you to thank for it. I’m working in real estate and property management in Whittier, Ca now, not too far from where you were born! And now I’m nearly married to the most wonderful woman I’ve ever met.

I hope you’re doing well and though I’m stuck here in California once again, I still look fondly upon all my experiences back there in Murdo, and hope to visit there again some day very soon.

Truly yours,

Ehren Beckwith

August 19, 2008

Dear Dave Geisler,

Pioneer Auto Museum and Crazy Horse Monument were the two highlights of our trip through South Dakota. We were part of the Kincaid Tour of August 18 and wanted you to know that our experience was very positive. Your museum is unbelievable.

Thank you for coming onto the bus, a gesture that many of us appreciated.

If you come to the Kansas City area, I would like to invite you to visit the Strawberry Hill Ethnic and Cultural Museum
4th & Barnett
Kansas City, Kansas

Our museum is closed during October so that we can create a breathtakingly beautiful Christmas display in this old mansion. After the mansion was sold, the place became an orphanage caring for children during the flu epidemic. Later, we became Strawberry Hill Museum.

Our budget is very small but our board members and our volunteers work to create a memorable experience. It would be great to take you on a tour during November or December.

I have enclosed a postcard should you like to reply regarding a visit to the area.

Sincerely,

Patricia Antonopoulos

We were there 7-11-08.

Thanks for the tour of your museum and especially for taking me (in a wheel chair) and my husband to see the 1929 Roosevelt (my dad had one when I was young). We both enjoyed the tour and have told all of our friends about you.

The old couple from Kentucky.

Jim & Barb

Thank You!

I had this card all ready to send when I decided to call you this noon (Tuesday). It was good to visit about the sale & car show & parade. The pictures turned out perfect like I said, I’m grateful to you & Dave too for making it a fun weekend. Hope we can do it again sometime. Thanks again Janet & you too Dave my good friends at the Pioneer Auto Museum.

Sincerely,

Milt Oehlerking