‘A modest man who just wanted to give’: Wichitan’s house to be auctioned for homeless
For 20 years, a Wichita man quietly made modest monthly donations to the Union Rescue Mission in hope that his contributions would make a difference for homeless men in the city.
Now, a surprise gift he left in death will help the mission do even more.
McCurdy Auction on Saturday is set to sell to the highest bidder a four-bedroom, 2.5 bathroom house that the man — identified in public records as Armin L. Brandhorst — willed to the Union Rescue Mission late last year before he died.
The house, at 226 S. Bonnie Brae, is worth at least $114,100, according to the Sedgwick County Appraiser’s Office.
But it will be sold at what’s known as an absolute auction — meaning there’s no minimum bid or reserve price set.
All of the proceeds will be donated to the Union Rescue Mission, an evangelical Christian ministry at 2800 N. Hillside, to help the charity continue its work.
The mission serves about 300 meals a day, has an overnight emergency shelter and offers other services to homeless men in Wichita.
“It was very touching that someone would think of our mission” in this way, the Union Rescue Mission’s CEO, Doug Nolte, said.
“(He) was willing to give up his home in death to help the homeless. ... We’re excited, and we know that the right person will get it.”
The auction will start at 1 p.m. Saturday on site at 226 S. Bonnie Brae. The house will be open for tours for one hour prior and will also be shown by appointment.
To schedule a viewing, call McCurdy Auction at 316-683-0612.
Brandhorst died March 22 while he was in hospice care, according to court records. He was 87.
He started donating to the Union Rescue Mission in 1999 and continued until his death, a friend, Curtis Smith, told McCurdy Auction.
“He was very dedicated and kind, sincere and thoughtful and he holds a special place in my heart,” said Smith, a former Union Rescue Mission chaplain who met him in 2009.
“This is someone that just wanted to partner with the mission,” Nolte said. He was “a modest man who just wanted to give.”
The house, a tri-level built in 1955, has 1,520 square feet of main-floor living space, a 644-square-foot finished walkout basement and a two-car garage, according to McCurdy’s website.
It also features a covered porch and has a creek out back. Photos are available at www.mccurdyauction.com.
McCurdy Auction CEO Braden McCurdy told The Eagle that the house “does need updating throughout.”
But its location near Douglas and Rock not far from Towne East Square puts it “close to fine dining, shopping and highway access,” he said.
“It’s a special occasion for us when we have the opportunity to auction a property where the seller is donating all of the proceeds to a local charity or organization,” McCurdy said.
“On average, we auction two to three donor properties each year.”
Nolte said the Union Rescue Mission doesn’t yet know how it will use the auction proceeds.
When a contribution is made, first the mission uses it to fulfill any wishes the donor might have, he said.
The rest goes to pay for what’s needed.
“There are so many things that go into running a mission,” Nolte said. “... This allows us to keep the doors open and keep helping people.”
This story was originally published May 30, 2019 at 5:00 AM.
