Paul and Rhonda Kirkegaard Purchase Used Cadillac from Runde’s

Paul and Rhonda: purchased used Cadillac from Runde’s

Paul and Rhonda Kirkegaard have lived in Dubuque for over 40 years. The other day they stopped by Runde PreDriven to check out a used Cadillac on the lot. Little did they know that they would be leaving with the car in their possession! So we sat down with Paul and Rhonda and got to learn more about them and how their experience was at Runde’s.

Hello Paul and Rhonda. Thanks for taking some time to meet with me today.  How did you find Runde’s?
I went online and I searched [Googled] “Used Cadillac” between the years I was considering then there was a website I went to that asked some information from me and sent out my request to several dealers.

The next morning my phone was ringing all morning.  I went around and did some shopping in different places then I came here and you had the best used Cadillac.

I heard you were quite attached to your previous Caddie?
It was on its last leg and it’s always hard to let go. It was a good friend, I’m sad to see it go. But you guys did give me a good trade value on it.

Did it have a name?
I called it the Grey Ghost.

Will your new Caddie have a name?
Hm, I don’t know… “The Bronze Beauty” maybe?

How long have you two been together?
Forty-Five Years.

Do you remember your first date?
Yes. We’ll, she caught my eye at some point and I noticed that there was a room for rent in the apartment house that she lived at. Since I needed a place to stay I went to the apartment house and knocked on the door. Rhonda answered and told me that she thought the vacancy was already rented out. So I asked her if she knew the name and address of the landlord and she told me out in West Des Moines. So I got in my car and traveled across West Des Moines, pulled into the place and told the landlord that I wanted that apartment room. He said that it was taken but I kept begging him until he gave in and let me rent the apartment.

Once I lived there I started noticing that she would always get the Sunday newspaper. So one day I got up before she had a chance to take the paper and took it to my room. So she went around and asked if anyone had it until she got to my door. We just kind of took off from there. She was a nurse and I was an ex-marine. She was always more civilized.

Before we met I always bought a rotisserie chicken and a pack of Budweiser on every second Friday of the month. After we got together on the second Friday of the month I brought home two rotisserie chickens and two packs of Bud to give her an equal portion. She looked at me and said “what the heck is this!?” so I had to explain my tradition with her, but she thought it was hilarious!

How did you like your experience here at Runde’s?
Oh it was great. Al is a straightforward guy, the product was good. He gave me a rock-bottom price right off the bat, it was really fast and most importantly it was straight to the point without any “bull”.  I was really impressed by how little miles were on the car!

What do you like to do around the area?
We are actually in the process of trying to sell a property that we have been restoring for the last nine years and move to Cedar Rapids to be closer to our grandkids.

On a scale of 1-10 what would you rank your salesman, Al Kloft and the dealership?
I’d say a 9.5 – 10 is God.   Al is good, but he’s not God.

So your saying Runde’s is next to Godliness?
Hahaha, yea, that’s what I’d go with.

How many Kids and/or Grandkids do you have?
We have two sons and five grandkids. We have two sets – one set are in their teens, the other set are still little.

What’s your favorite restaurant around the area?
I love to grill. So I’d have to say the grill is my favorite place to go. If you are talking about food from another place then I’d have to say The Great Dragon.

Favorite Movie?
We watch a lot of movies and series with our grandkids. I have been into the Pink Panther lately because one of our grandkids always asks to watch it. We use Netflix quite a bit to see all of that stuff, it’s really convenient. It reminds you of why you used to like certain movies after you watch them again.

What kind of music do you listen to?
Paul: I’m into classical – especially Beethoven.
Rhonda: I like Fernando Ortega. Also that one woman that went on that British American Idol-like show that had that amazing voice. She wasn’t the best looker but her voice was absolutely incredible.

If you were to win the lottery what would you do with the money?
We’d buy a house in Cedar Rapids to live near our grandkids and a riding lawnmower. We’d also put money away for our grandkids. We’d definitely come back here to buy more cars.

That’s all the questions I had for you guys. If you would like to add anything please feel free to. Otherwise I hope that you enjoy your used Cadillac and with you all the best!
Rhonda: Thanks, we appreciate the hospitality here.  It was really easy to work with everyone and I really like the view you get from the building.  It’s a nice scenic place.