A jury trial could determine who inherits Frank Fritz’s estimated $6 million estate. The late American Pickers star’s father, Bill Fritz, is fighting several close friends named as beneficiaries in his son’s will.
Annette Oberlander Willows, a longtime friend and one of those beneficiaries, told USA TODAY that proceedings are scheduled to begin Monday, November 16, in Scott County, Iowa. She said multiple mediation sessions had failed to produce an agreement.
Fritz died on September 30, 2024, at 60, leaving motorcycles, antiques and property accumulated during his years as a collector and television personality. The dispute concerns a will prepared in 2023.
An Iowa judge has sealed the probate case, including the will and details of Fritz’s assets. The parties could still settle before the scheduled trial begins.
Guardianship Records Are Central to His Father’s Challenge
Fritz was found unresponsive at his Davenport home in July 2022 after suffering a stroke. An emergency guardianship petition filed the following month described impaired decision-making and difficulty managing his basic needs and finances. A judge granted the guardianship after reviewing medical information.
Bill challenged the will in February 2025. His attorney, Cory Gourley, has cited the earlier court findings and raised questions about whether the document was properly signed and witnessed. Fritz’s friends say he had recovered enough to understand and communicate his wishes by the time he prepared the will.
Fritz left no spouse or children. Under the inheritance rules published by the Iowa Legislature, Bill could inherit the net probate estate if the will is invalidated and Iowa’s rules for inheritance without a valid will apply.
His Father and Friends Describe Different Relationships
Willows told Page Six in October that Fritz had made his wishes clear. “Frank did not wish for his dad to have anything of his!” she said. She added that she had not expected an inheritance simply because of their friendship.
Bill has described a different relationship with his son. In an interview with The U.S. Sun, he described fishing holidays with his son and questioned the document’s authenticity. Gourley has separately alleged that caregivers restricted Bill’s access after the guardianship began, a claim Fritz’s friends have disputed.
Willows describes a circle of longtime friends in the Quad Cities who took on caregiving responsibilities after Fritz became ill. In the latest interview, she expressed confidence that his wishes would prevail. Gourley did not respond to the reporter’s request for an update on the case.
Mike Wolfe Remembers Their Years on the Road
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Fritz became a familiar face when American Pickers premiered in 2010. He and Mike Wolfe traveled through small towns and rural communities, searching barns, garages and private collections for objects they could buy and resell.
After a period of estrangement, the two reunited in 2023. Wolfe was with Fritz during his final hours in hospice in Davenport, Willows told the Associated Press. She was also at his bedside.
In his Instagram tribute, Wolfe recalled their trips before television fame, when they would leave without a destination and follow their shared interest in unusual objects. “Frank had a way of reaching the hearts of so many by just being himself,” he wrote.
Friends Preserve His Memory in Savanna
HISTORY’s memorial compilation revisits Fritz’s enthusiasm for old motorcycles, including a Harley-Davidson Knucklehead discovery. It also includes the vintage van associated with Aerosmith, one of the show’s best-known finds.
During Memorial Day weekend in May 2025, friends and fans gathered in Savanna, Illinois, for the dedication of the Frank Fritz Man Cave. KWQC reported that the space inside Hawgdogs bar features antiques and a theater playing favorite American Pickers episodes. Frank Fritz Finds, his antique shop, sits next door.
Willows said the gathering brought together people who had known Fritz from childhood through his television career. She continues to hope for the larger celebration of life his friends have wanted to arrange, telling USA TODAY, “I want Frank to be at peace.”