---

“I recall growing up in Hope, and my father's dream for retirement was to purchase a small houseboat. He would then travel the inland waterway of the United States. Dad loved to go see places he had read about. It was his idea to see our country from the banks of the various rivers and streams. Dad passed away May 6th, 1957, a month shy of age 61. He never experienced his dream retirement.

“Another goal of his was to drive the Trans-Canada Highway, and hopefully the Alaska Highway. That, too, never materialized.

“Somewhere while riding across Western Canada or into Alaska I had what you might call an epiphany. I was fulfilling my dad's dreams. My houseboat was actually rolling along on two wheels. But I was experiencing Creation up close and personal, in good and bad. I crossed the entire western Canadian Provinces and one Territory. And I rode the 1,422 miles of the Alaska Highway. Would I do it again? Yes! Dad would be so proud to know I did it. Maybe one day we can discuss it.”

The above concluded 16 pages of a journal sent my way by A.C. several years ago. I kept it within my files among other A.C. material. While attending A.C.'s Celebration of Life at St. Peter's Lutheran Church, I found out Pastor Mark Teike had also received some of A.C.'s writings which he quite appropriately shared from, one that was posted on “HSJ Online” about how A.C. developed his passion for motorcycles.

As I was sitting there during the service, I reflected on how there were a lot of people that directly or indirectly knew A.C. with one of the reasons being that he was present at a lot of graveside services for veterans as Commander of the Bartholomew County Veterans Honor Guard, no matter what the weather was like on those days, and another one being how he was among the Honor Guard presenting flags at the excellent Veterans Programs at Hauser year after year.

I got to know A.C. when asking him to be part of The Well House play cast as a military escort for the return of one of the main characters, Clayton, from Vietnam. He proudly accepted that role as well as some other veterans from the Hope American Legion Post 229.

And, one day he called asking if I might arrange a meeting with Shawn Price, FRHC Superintendent, and Susan Thayer Fye, Yellow Trail Museum Board Member, to discuss items he had from being a member of the first graduating class of Hauser to attend all four years, Class of 1961. As he pulled out each item, I could sense his passion for school and community, and Shawn as well as Susan each gladly received some of his items on behalf of the school and museum.

Pastor Mark Teike expressed how A.C. was “cool, playful, a storyteller, all about family, kind, loving, embracing, protective, very willing to serve God and others, conscientious, and always appreciative of our freedom.”

I think A.C. was a treasure chest of immeasurable treasures, and I am so thankful we got to know one another. Undoubtedly, A.C. is talking with his dad about that trip which he had an epiphany as well as other trips. Like Pastor Tieke, I also have within my files 75 journal pages with the title “Chronicles Of A Life On Two Wheels” which starts in the 1970s and extends to 2017 with these final words: “Maybe I've had some losses and made some mistakes, but yet I have thus far encountered many blessings.”