When not clattering about his haunted house, Mike Hoppe can be found cruising around town in his hearse. Although he purchased the hearse long before the house, the two complement each other perfectly.

“I’ve always had a fascination with horror films and station wagons,” he said with a laugh. “Since I was a kid, I always loved station wagons. My mom and dad used to take us to the drive-in and we’d get to lay in the back of the station wagon and watch the movie. I thought, ‘What’s the perfect combination of the two?’ A hearse.”

After searching online and in trader magazines, Hoppe found a funeral home in Lima, Ohio, anxious to sell their 1991 Buick Roadmaster.

“At first everybody was shocked,” he continued. “But after awhile people started to warm up to it and they really thought it was cool. People are always asking me questions about the hearse. They approach me even if I’m just going to the grocery store. They’ve almost always got something positive to say about it. It makes them smile or laugh.”

Even though Hoppe used to own vintage street rods and muscle cars, he reports receiving much more attention in the hearse than any other vehicle. And he has discovered many uses for the back, such as camping out and hauling materials.

“It’s good for picking up groceries or lumber. I’ve hauled everything except a body in the back of that thing.”

Tentatively tiptoeing up to a creepy house with furtive over-the-shoulder glances thrills the imagination of many people this time of year.

Mike Hoppe, however, is so enamored with those special scary touches that he designed his Frankton home to resemble a haunted house year-round.

Eerie feelings are stirred at the edge of the driveway as two large stone gargoyles on tall pillars stare down trespassers with an icy gaze. The winged monsters are impressive in size, shape, and detail of design.

Once past the stone

sentries, visitors must summon the courage to approach the brightly colored yet hair-raising home that conjures up images of “Psycho” or Scooby-Doo. The royal purple color accented by vivid orange may appear cheery if not for the shutters hanging askew and the distinctive tower that is reminiscent of every horror movie known to man.

That tower was added to the home by Hoppe after he purchased the dilapidated structure three-and-a-half years ago. While he has bought over 10 decrepit houses and refurbished them to resell, this one he intended to be his home.

“When I buy a property, I look at it like an art project,” he said. “It tells me what it wants to be.”

At 41, Hoppe has a free spirit lifestyle. He works the audio booth during services at First United Methodist Church in Anderson. A Madison Heights High School grad, he’s also lead singer for Pozeur, a 1980s hair metal tribute band.

Coffin, cat and cobwebs