Mike Wolfe Mourns Dead Friend As Bittersweet Episode Airs
Last week’s episode of American Pickers was a bittersweet one for Mike Wolfe as he was forced to mourn the death of someone very dear to his heart all over again. The history channel star took to social media on January 18th (the day the episode aired) to remember his dead friend.
Mike Wolfe penned in his heartbreaking Instagram post: “Tonight’s @americanpickers episode is bitter sweet and very special to me. One of my Mentors Elmer Duellman passed away and we received a call from his family to go thru some things that he had stored for years.”
I’m excited to tell this man’s story thru the items that we find. It’s an inspirational one that I’m proud to share.
Mike Wolfe mourns dead friend during a bittersweet episode
As those who watch reality TV know, there’s always a gap between reality and when the episodes were filmed. For Mike Wolfe, the January 18th episode of American Pickers was a really bittersweet moment for him as he was forced to relive the passing of a dear friend. The reality TV star explained on his Instagram profile it was a bittersweet episode because he was sad to say goodbye to his friend, but he was also excited to share his stories with History Channel viewers.
According to Pop Culture, there was actually a massive gap between reality and when this new episode was filmed as Elmer Duellman actually passed away back in 2019.
During the episode, Mike Wolfe receives a phone call from Duellman’s family. The family asked if Mike and his team wanted to go through things Elmer “had stored for years.”
Elmer Duellman had previously owned Elmer’s Auto & Toy Museum. He and his wife spent over 60 years collecting vehicles, pedal cars, and automotive memorabilia. In time, this collection turned into a museum. In the middle of 2022, after 29 years, the museum closed. Mike and his team received an invite to go through the collection just a few days before an auction in September of last year. The auction reportedly netted $8.5M.
Check out Mike Wolfe’s post reflecting on the death of his dear friend down below:
View this post on Instagram
American Pickers’ fans react to his post
In a little over a week, Mike’s Instagram post has been liked a little over 1,600 times. Most fans agreed episodes like this one left them feeling truly emotional. They, however, adored that Mike was able to help tell someone’s story with the collection they left behind. Here’s some of what fans had to say in the comments:
- “Im truly sadden on your lost. Love so much memories in your collection. My deepest condolences to you and your family.”
- “Sorry for yours & our loss. May he rest in peace and may your show bring some more love to the family.”
Remembering the death of his friend hasn’t slowed Mike Wolfe down though as he’s been very active on his Instagram profile as of late. The reality TV star has posted ten times since he shared the post remembering his late friend.
Tune in to the History Channel for a new episode of American Pickers on Wednesday, February 1st. And, stream all episodes of the series via Discovery+.
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