BRAINERD, Minn. — Career farmer Charles "Bud" Sedlachek lived a bountiful life in Brainerd. It was one filled with plenty of sweet corn and family that was even sweeter.
Bud's son Brian Sedlachek says Bud was always surrounded by loved ones.
"He was always happy, he loved having people over -- for food, for drinks, just to talk -- and that was what he was all about," Brian said.
Other than his family, Brian says Bud enjoyed several other things: Polka music and John Deere tractors.
"He was always big on polka music, I mean, every time I got in the tractor, I had to change the station because it was on Albany polka music," Brian said with a laugh. "It would barely come in but that's what he would listen to. So that was kind of my idea to have the polka band at the funeral."
For a man who loved John Deere equipment so much that he also had his 80th birthday be John Deere-themed, Bud's celebration had to involve green and yellow.
"It was my dad's idea to get the John Deere casket," Brain explained. "He searched that out online actually and found pictures of it, and talked to the funeral home and they found a company that makes custom caskets. So he had all that lined up before he passed away."
And the tractor itself was also involved in a big way.
"The funeral director had the idea to have us bring a tractor in the night before during the viewing, and then it was just a natural thought process that we came up with," Brian said. "We gotta drive it back home, we might as well lead the funeral procession out the next day. For the last three miles in the procession, down the county road, they had a tractor on every driveway, so it was just really touching."
"It was overwhelming to be honest," Brian continued. "That last three miles-- and then we drove down through the original farm, on the way to the cemetery and it was just-- really it was overwhelming."
Bud passed away at the age of 83.
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