ED FUNK HAD EIGHT CHILDREN, AND ONE OF THOSELA FAYETTE JUNIOR CAME AN ENGINEER WITH FUNK SEED.
HE CAME QUITE AN AVID ROCK
HOUND.
BY THE TIME OF HIS DEATH , HAD
THE LARGEST ONE MAN ROCK
COLLECTION IN THE WORLD.
TO SHARE WITH THE PUBLIC, HE
BUILT THIS BUILDING.
THE EXTERIOR IS COVERED WITH
50 TONS OF STONE WHOSE MICA AND
QUARTS SHIMMER IN THE NIGHT
LIGHTS.
IT IS SUCH AN ENORMOUS
COLLECTION WE RECENTLY TOOK A
TOUR OF THE BUILDING.
>> THIS IS THE COLLECTION OFLA
FAYETTE FUNK, II.
AND THIS BUILDING IS ABOUT A
THIRD OF THE BIGGEST ONE MAN
ROCK COLLECTION IN THE WORLD.
HE STARTED COLLECTING MINERALS
WHEN HE WAS 53 YEARS OLD FROM
SCRATCH.
AND AS HE COLLECTED, HE HAD A
HEART FOR EDUCATION.
HE WANTED TO TEACH PEOPLE.
HE GAVE BIG COLLECTIONS AWAY TO
BIG SCHOOLS LIKE ISU, WESLEYAN,
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS, LONDON
MUSEUM OF SCIENCE, FRIENDS,
FAMILY, SMALL TOWNS, SCHOOLS.
HE GAVE ABOUT A THIRD OF IT
AWAY.
AND THEN ABOUT A THIRD OF IT IS
SITTING IN THIS BUILDING.
THE BUILDING IS PRETTY MUCH
FULL.
HE CONTINUED TO COLLECT AND
ABOUT A THIRD OF IT WAS AT HIS
HOUSE AND IT WAS STILL
THEREAFTER OWE PASSED AWAY.
WE HAVE THREE CASES OF HANDCAR
OFFED CHINESE SILK STONE.
POSSIBLY WHAT INSPIRED HIM TO
COLLECT SO MUCH OF THAT WAS THAT
HIS GRANDMA AND GRANDPA HAD
CHINESE CARVINGS IN THE PRAIRIE
HOME.
WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT HE HAS
MORE AND BETTER CHINESE STONE
CARVING THAN THE ART INSTITUTE
IN CHICAGO.
WHAT HE HAS GOT AGGATIZED, CORL,
BOTH PASTEURIZED BY SILICONE.
IT IS COLORED BY OTHER MINERALS
SOAKED IN WITH THE CILICA.
THIS IS A PIECE OF PETRIFIED
WOOD.
YOU CAN SEE THE GROWTH RINGS IN
THE MIDDLE OF IT.
YOU CAN SEE THE BARK ON THE
OUTSIDE. YOU CAN SEE THE
COLORS.
CILICA TURNED IT TO STONE.
IT SOAKED IN WITH CILICA.
THAT'S THE OCTOBER BIRTHSTONE,
THE GEM STONE OPAL.
HE HAS HALLOW LOG WITH QUARTS
CRYSTALS GROWING INSIDE.
HE HAS EVEN A PIECE OF PETRIFIED
WOOD WITH A WOODPECKER HOLE IN
IT.
AND HE HAS GOT A LOT OF PED TRI
TIED POUND TREE WHICH IS KIND OF
UNUSUAL.
THIS IS VERY UNUSUAL.
THIS IS A PETRIFIED MUSHROOM, A
FUNGUS TURN TODAY STONE. HE HAS
ALSO GOT REALLY GOOD COLLECTION
OF LAND ANIMAL FOSSILS,
INCLUDING A SABER TOOTH TIGER'S
SKULL FROM LABRAY CALIFORNIA.
THEY TOLD ME TO GET THAT SKULL,
HE HAD TO HAVE WRITTEN
PERMISSION FROM THE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES AND HAD TO
KNOW THE GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA
PERSONALLY.
WE HAVE SOME REALLY GOOD TRAVEL
BITES THAT COME FROM MADASCAR,
AFRICA.
SOME OF THE BEST I HAVE EVER
SEEN COMPLETELY PRESERVED
COMPOUND EYES.
AND WE ALSO HAVE SOMETHING VERY
UNUSUAL, WE HAVE FOUR FOSSILS OF
CREATURES YOU DON'T SEE A LOT
FOSSILIZED.
WE HAVE A SCORPION, CRAB, AND
TARANTULA, CAUGHT IN A VOLCANIC
ERUPTION AND PETRIFIED.
THE UNUSUAL THING IS ALL FOUR OF
THEM ARE STANDING OUTSIDE THE
BACKING STONE AND NOT IMPRESSED
IN IT.
THIS IS A LIME MUD BALL.
HE GOT THIS IN BRAZIL.
HE KNEW THAT MEANT THERE WAS A
FOSSIL IN HERE.
BUT HE EXPECTED A SEA SHELL OR
CORRAL.
WHEN HE SPLIT IT OPEN, WHAT HE
SAW WAS FISH FLESH, INSIDE AND
THE OUTSIDE OF THE FISH TURNED
TO SOLID STONE.
THESE ARE ALL REAL MINERALS THATLA FAYETTE SLICED WITH A DIAMOND SAW AND GLUED TO THE
OTHER SIDE OF THESE WINDOWS WITH
ELMER'S GLUE AND WHITE SAND IN
HIS LIVING ROOM THESE ARE KINDS
OF AGGOT WHICH GENERALLY MAKES
MARBLE, JEWELRY, ORNAMENTS.
BUT THIS MIDDLE PANEL HAS SIX
BIG GREEN, AND WHITE, ZOAAYTE.
IT IS A GEM QUALITY RUBY IN THE
GLASS.
AND SOME OF THESE COLLECTIONS IN HERE, SOME SPECIFIC MINERALS ARE THE BEST COLLECTION OF THAT
THING THERE IS.
WE HAVE HAD PROFESSIONAL MINERAL
GIFTS, AND GEOGRAPHY GIFT FROM
ALL OVER THE WORLDCOM THROUGH
HERE.
WHEN THEY WALK THROUGH THE DOOR,
AND SEE THE JAW HIT THE FLOOR,
YOU KNOW THERE IS STUFF IN HERE
PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS REMARKABLE FAMILY AND TO SCHEDULE A TOUR OF THE FUNK'S
PRAIRIE HOME AND MINERAL MUSEUM,
CALL (309)827-6792.