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Other pieces in the collection are hard to categorize: old cash registers, a brass coffee dispenser, a hand sheep-shearer, old pumps, bed pans, a 1930 Model A, tricycles and pedal cars. And then there's the personal collection: the plate and utensils used when he was a baby, and the toys of his childhood. As one of nine children, Lester grew up on simple holiday celebrations. Each year, he received a bag of candy, and one toy. Those toys, though, were treasured: decades later, he has them all, in working order.
The museum, which is rarely open to the public, is intended primarily for the local community and Lester's customers. And none of the pieces in the collection are for sale, Lester added. One of his friends, he said, likes to joke about that. "When Lester passes on, there will be a note in the obituary that says the funeral will be at 10 a.m., followed by the sale at 2 p.m.," he said.
For more information: Lester Walch, c/o Walch Electric, P.O. Box 289, Raymond, M., 62560; (217) 227-3211.