Franks Biker News August 1st archive

Police informant insists 'prospect' present at killings - London Free Press -  Fat Ass. Mountain Gorilla. Great White Chilean Ape.
Those nicknames followed accused Winnipeg biker Marcelo Aravena during his time with the Bandidos motorcycle club, the jury in the first-degree murder trial of six men accused of killing eight Bandidos heard yesterday.
Jurors also heard how a star Crown witness, a police informant known only as M.H., was helped by the witness protection program, with even his family guinea pig given a name for a plane ticket when the family was relocated.
A former biker, M.H. was on the stand all day as Aravena's lawyer, Tony Bryant, cross-examined him.
"You guys made fun of him on a regular basis. You mocked him. . . . You teased all the bottom people," Bryant told M.H. "This is the kind of guy you could step on as opposed to climb over, someone you could take advantage of."
But no matter where the men were in the pecking order of the outlaw motorcycle club, M.H. said, they were all at Wayne Kellestine's house near Dutton in April 2006 the night eight Toronto-area bikers were killed. Six Winnipeg Bandidos are charged with eight counts of first-degree murder.
"Prospect, friend, associate or probationary -- call it what you will," M.H. said of the club's different membership categories. "(Aravena) still showed up. He flew out to London on his own. Out of anybody, he is the one who could have said, 'I'm not showing up.'
"You can call him friend or you can call him dancing like a princess, he was there. He was there. I was holding a gun, he was holding a gun or a baseball bat. But that night, we were all Bandidos."
Some of the Winnipeg bikers drove to Kellestine's farm, but Aravena, who had a scheduled mixed martial arts fight, flew out to London. The bikers were there to pull the patches -- or memberships -- of the Toronto-area members in a bid to become a full chapter of the Bandidos, court has heard.
In sometimes tense exchanges with Bryant, M.H. said he's constantly reminded of the night eight men were killed.
"I relive that day every day of my life," he said. "Sometimes, things take me back there -- a smell, a sound. You can say what you want to say, I was there, the accused were there. I know what happened."
M.H., his identity court- protected, is testifying against the six accused in exchange for immunity.
Aravena and another accused, Brett Gardiner, nicknamed Bull, were the two low men on the totem pole who were thought of as dim-witted and were asked to perform menial tasks before and after the eight men were killed.
"Wayne told Bull to go outside and get a pickle from the pickle tree and he was stupid enough to go outside and look for a tree, isn't that right?" Bryant asked M.H.
"Between the two of them, you'd have a hard time determining who was stupider," Bryant said to M.H.
"Well, I believe that would go to Bull," M.H. replied.
Bryant's cross-examination focused on painting Aravena as the grunt worker for the club, on how much help M.H. received from the witness protection program and whether Aravena got "promoted" as a result of the killings.
In prior testimony at a preliminary inquiry and in videotaped statements to police, M.H. said Aravena was a "friend" of the Bandidos and that he -- as well as Gardiner -- were promoted because of the killings.
But yesterday, M.H said Aravena was already a prospect member -- one notch higher in the Bandido hierarchy -- when the killings took place.
"You've said under oath that Marcelo Araveno was not a member at the time of the incident?" Bryant asked M.H.
"As I remember today, he was a prospective member of the Bandidos," M.H. replied, again and again.
Although he wasn't sure of the exact date, M.H. said Araveno was made a prospect member at a "church" meeting of the Bandidos sometime before the killings.
"He's brought into church, he's introduced as a new prospect member. Members get up, give him a handshake, give him a hug and welcome him to the club," M.H. said of the process.
Bryant also focused on how much preparation M.H. had before his testimony - sometimes meeting with police officers and crown attorneys every other day.
"A skeptic would say it was a rehearsal . . . the creation of a script," Bryant said to M.H. "A skeptic would say it sounds like you're an actor."
Calling M.H. a ne'er-do-well, drug dealer, biker, a convicted felon but also a father, a brother, a buddy, a husband, Bryant also probed M.H.'s past, much of which can't be published because of the court-ordered ban on identifying information, asking about his high school days and family.
Court heard M.H. dropped out of high school, did odd jobs and also dealt cocaine.
"You survived on social assistance. You were on the dole. What you're living on now as part of the witness protection program, that's of the same order, but under a different name. Blood money," Bryant said to M.H.
Under the witness protection program, M.H. has his rent, groceries and medical expenses paid.
His travel expenses, accommodations and legal expenses are also covered during the trial.
M.H.'s family, even the pet guinea pig, were relocated as part of the witness protection program.
"You get to hug your wife. You get to hug your kids," Bryant said to M.H.
"You get to go downstairs and go into the fridge and grab a beer or a pop. When you go out for lunch, you have the choice of anything on the menu."
The cross-examination continues today.
 

Team AMSOIL Earns Podiums in Millville and Washougal The seventh round of the 2009 AMA Motocross season was held July 18 at Spring Creek Motocross Park in Millville, Minn., where Team AMSOIL brought local rider Alex Martin on board for the weekend as a full-on 250 team rider. Team AMSOIL rider Justin Barcia ran up front in both motos, finishing with two third place finishes for an overall third place podium for the weekend. Brett Metcalfe wasn’t far behind, finishing right behind his teammate in both motos for a pair of fourth place finishes and fourth overall. Martin turned in the best national performance of his career, finishing eighth and 12th for 11th overall.

The eighth round of the 2009 AMA Motocross season was held July 25 at Washougal Motocross Park in Washougal, Wash. Blake Wharton finished third in both motos for an overall second place podium finish, Metcalfe finished fourth in both motos for fourth overall and Barcia finished 16th in the first moto and seventh in the second moto for 11th overall. The ninth round of the AMA Motocross season will be held Saturday, August 15 at Unadilla Valley Sports Center in New Berlin, N.Y.

Hells Angels fight patch ban - TVNZ - Wanganui's new law to ban gang patches was challenged for the first time on Friday by the Hells Angels.
The motorcycle group claims it is not a gang and members should be able to wear their patches.
"We are entitled to expect that the council makes its decisions based on the merits rather than the animosity towards us, that is our right," says Hells Angels Wanganui president Wayne Tweeddale.
There was heated confrontation between Tweeddale and Wanganui mayor Michael Laws at the hearing, with Tweeddale walking out at one point.
The government passed a law earlier this year enabling the Wanganui District Council to ban gang patches.
Under the by-law, people wearing a patch in Wanganui could be fined $2,000 and have the patch confiscated.
"Parliament passed this legislation, it determined the Hells Angels were a criminal gang," Laws says.
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Hells Angels lawyer Steven Rollo says the club may not have a good reputation in Wanganui or throughout the country, but he says that is not the issue. He says the council must prove a link between gang colours and crime.
"We want to see that the council has got suffcient information to establish that removal of clothing will reduce that offending," says Rollo.
Hells Angels is seeking more information from the council and police before it will be forced to relinquish its patch in September when the by-law comes into force.

Mongols may have been targets in Pico Rivera triple slaying - Whittier Daily News - PICO RIVERA - Pico Rivera gang members may have targeted the Mongols Motorcycle Club when they shot and killed three people and wounded seven others at a pizza parlor in June.
Officials acknowledged Thursday that a dispute exists between gangsters affiliated with the Mexican Mafia and the Mongols.
"There is an ongoing feud between the Pico Rivera street gangs and the Mongols," said sheriff's homicide Sgt. Martin Rodriguez.
Members and associates of the outlaw motorcycle gang attended a fundraiser hosted by Old School Riders at Falcone's Pizza on June 27, Rodriguez said. The fundraiser came to an abrupt end when two men entered the parking lot and began shooting. As many as 50 people were in attendance.
"There's people involved in the investigation who had some reported ties to the Mongols motorcycle gangs," Rodriguez said. "But the vast majority of people there had no association."
Earlier this week, three men with Pico Rivera gang ties were arrested in connection with the slayings. When the District Attorney's Office declined to file charges, two were released. The third man remains in custody on unrelated charges, district attorney's spokeswoman Jane Robison said.
John Perez, 43, of Pico Rivera, is still in county jail on charges stemming from an unrelated car chase. Rudy Ruiz, 30, of Whittier and Christopher Johnson, 18, of Montebello were released.
The Old School Riders aren't tied to gangs or gang activity,
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sheriff's Capt. Mike Rothans said.
Carlos Carrera, 39, of La Habra, Garret Dandini, 25, of Whittier and Tony Dandini, 39, of Whittier were killed. The seven wounded weren't identified.
Garret Dandini was a Navy recruiter and veteran of conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, according to his family members. He also was an Old School Rider, as was his cousin, Tony Dandini, family members said.
Perez was arrested after a June 30 chase. On Friday, Ruiz surrendered after a brief
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car chase and Johnson was arrested at his home, Rothans said.
By law, if prosecutors don't have enough evidence to file charges against a suspect within 48 hours, that person must be released from custody. But they remain in jail if they have another case pending or are a parolee on probation or facing a violation hearing, Robison said. 

Hells Angels in Carlton: Not so hellish - Minneapolis Star Tribune - CARLTON, MINN. - A middle-aged man in a leather jacket fueled his motorcycle and rumbled off in a light sprinkle. Next on his agenda: a buzz cut at Power's Barbershop in quiet Carlton, Minn., population 810, where he was the only road hog in sight. After that: repair a broken zipper on his jacket.
Welcome to Hells Angels week, apparently as mundane as it is allegedly dangerous. The motorcycle group started rolling into Carlton County on Sunday. Their presence had hardly registered with most residents by Thursday, even though their numbers had swelled to about 300 by the afternoon, and despite an infamous criminal reputation that prompted authorities to blanket this usually quiet area with officers and squad cars. "What I imagined were constant bikes going back and forth," said Don Rostollan, who owns Spirits Restaurant and Bar and a convenience store across from the temporary Hells Angels headquarters at the Lost Isle Bar on Hwy. 210. "I'm kind of surprised you don't see more."
The Hells Angels are in Carlton County in preparation for their annual convocation in Sturgis, S.D., concentrated on Hwy. 210 at the Black Bear Casino Resort and Lost Isle Bar, which was barricaded for maximum privacy. Residents say the bikers are polite, respectful folks. Authorities say they're a gang with ties to the drug trade, and a beef with a nearby Wisconsin motorcycle gang that has some concerned about the potential for violence.
Asked why authorities are being so cautious when many Hells Angels describe themselves as a "brotherhood," Cloquet Deputy Police Chief Terry Hill flatly replied, "Well, the FBI classifies them as a gang."
The FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement all assisted a phalanx of city, county and state authorities in Carlton and St. Louis Counties.

Motorcycle baron dies in Wyo. accident - Daytona Beach News-Journal - ORMOND BEACH -- Bruce Rossmeyer, one of the nation's largest Harley-Davidson dealers and a supporter of charitable causes that helped thousands of children, was killed Thursday in a motorcycle crash in Wyoming as he made his way to the Sturgis, S.D., motorcycle rally.
Rossmeyer, 66, was traveling in the western part of the state in Sweetwater County on Highway 28 about 11 a.m. with five other motorcyclists when they came up to a pickup pulling a camp trailer and tried to pass, according to the Wyoming Highway Patrol.
"The pickup slowed and activated his left signal," Lt. Shawn Dickerson said. "Four of the motorcycles passed to the left . . . When Mr. Rossmeyer attempted to pass, the truck made its left turn and he hit the driver's side door. The sixth motorcycle swerved to the right and avoided collision."
Rossmeyer, who was not wearing a helmet, was ejected from his bike and came to rest under the camp trailer, Dickerson said. He was declared dead at the scene.
Dickerson described the road as "straight, dry and flat." He said the "extremely rural road" is an option to Sturgis, but not the primary way to travel there.
"We do see an influx of motorcycle traffic this time of year," he said. "But we're still eight hours away."
Rossmeyer had attended a Harley dealers meeting in Denver and was headed for Thermopolis, Wyo., where he planned to meet a group of custom bike builders called the Hamsters, Grady Pfeiffer, a friend of Rossmeyer's and spokesman for the Hamsters told the Rapid City (S.D.) Journal. From there they were planning to ride to Sturgis.
Rossmeyer's wife, Sandy, and two of their children were waiting for him in Sturgis, Pfeiffer said Thursday night.
In Ormond Beach, a woman at the front desk of the Harley dealership at Destination Daytona said, "The family isn't ready to make a statement. The media will be notified when they are."
Tim Curtis, owner of Houligan's Irish Sports Pub in Ormond Beach, grew up with Bruce and Sandra Rossmeyer's five children -- Mandy, Wendy, Randy, Will and Shelly -- and said his thoughts and prayers are with the family.
"He's a risk-taker, a pioneer and a legend," Curtis said. "But he's the biggest legend to his family. They meant the world to him."
Those who only know Rossmeyer from his billboards as they cruise down the highway miss the heart of the man, Curtis said.
"I grew up with his kids, and see the family side," he said. "I don't think most people really saw the giving side of him."
Rossmeyer's heart for children was a big part of his life, local officials say, whether it was contributing and helping to found Camp Boggy Creek for children with life-threatening illnesses or helping the Boys & Girls Clubs, including the Rossmeyer Family Holly Hill club, named in his honor.
"He was a champion for kids here," said Joe Sullivan, chief professional officer for the Boys & Girls Club of Volusia and Flagler Counties. "He overcame some challenges and got in trouble as a young man and said the kids in the club remind him a lot of him."
He continued serving on the board of Camp Boggy Creek, southwest of DeLand, and was excited, officials say, at the June meeting describing the plans for the 15th annual Daytona Harley-Davidson Ride for Children in October.
"We are just heartsick. This is just horrible," said Sarah Gurtis, spokeswoman for Boggy Creek. "All you had to do was see him around the campers and you knew there was no false smoke. His heart was so focused on those kids."
In a 2006 interview with The Daytona Beach News-Journal, Rossmeyer said, "When you go over there and see the results of those kids who are having such a good time, it just gets into your heart."
NASCAR driver Kyle Petty formed his own camp for children modeled after Camp Boggy Creek after the death of his son. Rossmeyer helped him to form Victory Junction Gang Camp in North Carolina after years of taking part in the local ride for children. Rossmeyer continued every year to hold similar fundraising rides for Victory Junction and other charities.
Born in New Jersey in May 1943, Rossmeyer was a long-time resident of Ormond Beach. He and his wife also lived in Fort Lauderdale.
One of the largest Harley-Davidson dealers in the nation, Rossmeyer also co-owned three automobile dealerships.
He opened his first motorcycle business, a Harley-Davidson dealership on Beach Street in Daytona Beach, in January 1994.
In the next 15 years, he became one of the nation's largest Harley dealers, with 13 dealerships in Florida, Colorado, Massachusetts, Mississippi and Tennessee. He opened the 109,000-square-foot Destination Daytona in October 2005. In 2007, the company employed about 500, including 125 in Ormond Beach, Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach.
Daytona Beach Mayor Glenn Ritchey said the news "is a terrible tragedy for our area. In addition to being a prominent businessman, Bruce Rossmeyer was involved in many charitable activities for the community. He'll be greatly missed. My heart goes out to his family."
Kevin Kilian, senior vice president of The Chamber, Daytona Beach/Halifax Area, who worked with Rossmeyer on Bike Week events, was also was saddened by the news.
"Obviously, Bruce Rossmeyer was a big part of the business community and certainly the motorcycle community," he said. "The argument could be made that his presence downtown built Bike Week into the event it is today. And his extension of that event to the Ormond Beach area was a major boost."
George Mirabal, executive vice president of The Chamber, worked with Rossmeyer for several years in conjunction with Bike Week and other community events.
"Everybody's first reaction is just shock," he said. "Bruce really has been a leader in the community. And I was around when he shaped Bike Week on Beach Street. Everything had been on Main Street till then. And then he reshaped it and spread it to U.S. 1 and to Ormond Beach, to everyone's benefit."
His influence also spread to Orlando, where he was a regular courtside at Magic games.
"Bruce Rossmeyer was a great fan, friend and sponsor of the Orlando Magic for the majority of our history," chief operating officer Alex Martins said. "Our entire Magic family is shocked and terribly saddened. Our thoughts are with Bruce and his family. We will miss one of our greatest fans."
Thursday was the beginning of the 69th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which runs through Aug. 9, said Lonnie Isam, owner of Competition Distribution, who deals in vintage Harley-Davidsons and builds 1913 replicas.
Isam's business is at the heart of the event activity.
"I can see his booth from here," said Isam, who often raced motorcycles in Daytona Beach. "The event is so large. There will be a half-million people here and I am sure a lot of people will stop by his booth. The word will spread and everybody will be sad."

Honda Officially Ends Gold Wing Motorcycle Production - Product Reviews - The day has finally come where Honda has ended production of the Gold Wing motorcycle in America. Honda had announced last year that they were to end production at the motorcycle plant in Marysville, Ohio. All two-wheel vehicles will now have to be imported from Japan.
The Gold Wing has been assembled at the plant since 1981, since then, more than one million Honda Gold Wing’s have been assembled at the plant. There are those who think that Honda have made a mistake closing the plant, as this was to be Honda’s 50th year in America.
According to AutoBlog, Honda plan to expand its automotive manufacturing footprint in the U.S., Honda currently produce around 76 percent of all of its vehicles on U.S. soil, but we will now have to take the Gold Wing of that list.

Route 11 crash motorcycle crash victim in good condition - Foster's Daily Democrat - FARMINGTON — Police have identified the motorcyclist involved in a collision with a logging truck on Route 11 Wednesday as a Milton man whose left arm made contact with the truck and led to the accident.
Brett McGeathy, 29, was in good condition at Frisbie Memorial Hospital in Rochester Friday evening, a nursing supervisor said. He was reportedly driving erratically toward Rochester on a yellow Suzuki motorcycle when he collided with a Sweet's Forest Products logging truck attempting to make a left turn into the Irving gas station at around 1 p.m., Detective Brendon June said.
Reginald Sweet, 59, of Strafford, was driving the truck at the time and was uninjured. McGeathy suffered serious injuries and was taken to Frisbie, Fire Chief Richard Fowler said Wednesday. A helicopter was originally called to transport him but was canceled when rescue crews determined it would take too long to arrive.
David Hewes, owner of Tire Guys on Route 11, was one of the first people on the scene. He said he knows McGeathy since he is a customer and chef at the nearby Hawg's Pen. On Wednesday, he said he could hear the bike coming and noticed that McGeathy had fallen off the bike, which continued to travel riderless into the nearby woods.
He said McGeathy was lying on the ground in extreme pain, but never lost consciousness as a result. McGeathy suffered a compound fracture to his left arm in two or three places, he said.
"The arm was really, really bad," he said.
June said that police have learned that the bike was registered to McGeathy and that he had a license, though it was not endorsed for operating a motorcycle. The regional accident reconstruction team is handling the ongoing investigation.
There were no signs that drugs or alcohol were factors, he said. 

Gore woman in critical condition after motorcycle crash - Muskogee Daily Phoenix - A Gore woman was injured when she crashed the motorcycle she was driving about four miles west of Hennessey in Kingfisher County, according to an Oklahoma Highway Patrol report.
Sheila Hendryx, 44, was listed in critical condition at St. Mary’s Regional Hospital in Enid, the report states.
The accident happened at approximately 9:20 a.m. Thursday on Oklahoma 51. According to the OHP, Hendryx was driving a 2005 Harley-Davidson Sportster westbound, and Harry Hendryx, 47, of Covington was riding a 2007 Harley-Davidson Road King, also westbound. Harry Hendryx was trying to pass traffic in the eastbound lane when they decided they didn’t have enough room and tried to return to the westbound lane. The rear of Harry Hendryx’ motorcycle was struck by Sheila Hendryx’ front tire. Sheila Hendryx’ motorcycle flipped onto its side and slid approximately 110 feet before Sheila Hendryx was ejected. The motorcycle continued another 30 feet.
Harry Hendryx was wearing a helmet and was not injured. Sheila Hendryx was not wearing a helmet. The cause of the collision was listed on the trooper’s report as unsafe speed.

Motorcyclist killed in wreck identified - Peoria Journal Star - BLOOMINGTON - The motorcyclist who was killed Wednesday when he hit the rear of a semi on Interstate 55 was a St. Louis resident, McLean County Coroner Beth Kimmerling said Thursday.
Keith C. Milton, 54, died of multiple injuries, Kimmerling said in a news release. Forensic toxicology tests have been ordered.
Milton, who was not wearing a helmet, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, which occurred at about 3 p.m. Wednesday on northbound I-55 near Interstate 74.
Kimmerling said Milton apparently was riding from St. Louis to an experimental aircraft convention in Oshkosh, Wis.
The accident remains under investigation by her office and the Illinois State Police.

Injured soldier will be at benefit held in his honor - Gainesville Times - Army Spc. Andy "Sully" Sullens, a Dahlonega native wounded in a May 17 blast in Afghanistan, plans on returning home Saturday for a benefit in his honor.
Friends have organized the "Sully Run," a motorcycle run starting and ending at Lumpkin County High School, with other activities, including a country music concert, as part of the all-day event.
"I think we’re going to wait until 12:30 or 1 (p.m.), after all the motorcyclists get back," said Sullens’ wife, Jill. "If he wants to go earlier, we can. It depends on how he feels Saturday morning."
Sullens is at Fort Gordon in Augusta, receiving treatments at Eisenhower Army Medical Center’s active-duty rehabilitation unit.
A 2001 graduate of Lumpkin County High School, he had been in Afghanistan about a month as a member of Charlie Troop, a reconnaissance and surveillance outfit attached to the 108th Cavalry Regiment and based out of Dalton.
He was one of four Georgia Army National Guard members wounded when their Humvee ran over an explosive device while on patrol near Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.
The blast threw Sullens about 25 feet from the vehicle, knocking him unconscious. He suffered a broken hip and leg, along with severe burns.
"He’s doing really well right now," said his wife. "He goes to the orthopedic doctors again on Aug. 10 and, hopefully, that’s when they’ll clear him for weight-bearing status.
"So, it may be two or three more weeks before he can stand up, start putting weight on his hips and everything."
She said she expects her husband will remain at Eisenhower, possibly until a medical discharge.
"They don’t usually start those until six months after the injury, so maybe November is when they’ll start that process," Jill Sullens said. "And then we’ve been told it could take anywhere from three to six months (for paperwork to be completed)."
He was able to return to Lumpkin County this past weekend for the first time.
"It was fun," said his wife. "We had a lot of people at the house all weekend."
Ashley Coker of Dahlonega has been a key organizer of Saturday’s event.
"We’re just trying to get everything finished, as far as what we need, and we’re still getting people preregistered to ride," she said. "I’m hoping it’s not going to rain."
Registration for the event is set to begin at 9 a.m., with bikers set to journey off at 10:30.
"They’re going to go up toward Suches, through Blairsville, and then back down through White and Lumpkin counties and back to the school," Coker said.
Registration on the day of the event costs $25 and must be paid in cash only.
Riders and nonriders can enjoy festivities throughout the day, including family activities, games and events. The event also will feature food and entertainment, including music by Dahlonega native and country musician Kurt Thomas.
Jill Sullens said all the attention "is absolutely overwhelming."
"It’s amazing that (Andrew) has as many close friends and good people around him that want to do something like this for him," she said.

57-year-old Caledonia man killed in motorcycle crash - Journal Times - CALEDONIA — When remembering Walter Henderson, family members don’t think of a suit and tie. Instead they picture the Caledonia resident with a mohawk and colonial shirt, dressed as an American Indian from the French and Indian War.
Tuesday night, the Henderson family’s favorite war reenactor died in a motorcycle accident in Ozaukee County where an 18-year-old woman’s car collided with Henderson, 57.
Two nights after the accident, the Henderson family is still waiting to find out what exactly happened. Reports from the Ozaukee Sheriff’s Department say Henderson was driving his motorcycle at about 10 p.m. Tuesday, when 18-year-old Stefanie Dieringer’s Dodge Stratus collided into his Suzuki at a T-intersection. She was driven to the hospital and released but Henderson did not make it home from Columbia-St. Mary’s Hospital in Mequon. He was pronounced dead and the investigation into the crash is still ongoing, a representative from the department said Thursday night.
While the family waits to find out more details about the crash and possible citations, they also had to arrange for his funeral.
Walter Henderson, 57, died Tuesday in a motorcycle accident. Friends and family fondly remember him dressing up as an American Indian for reenactments of the French and Indian War.
One thing was for certain, they weren’t going to dress him in a suit.
“He worked a day job, but he really truly lived and was into the reenactment,” Barry Henderson said about his dad, who worked as a heating and cooling technician.
Instead of a suit, Mary Henderson wanted her husband to be buried in the clothes from his French and Indian War reenactment.
“That is how we knew him,” Mary said.
Her husband had been doing reenactments for so long, she can’t even remember when he started.
Earlier this year Walter attended a reenactment in Buffalo, N.Y., and he was planning on going to another reenactment this weekend in Kenosha.
While he was out in the field reenacting the war, sometimes Mary would go along and crochet and cook over the fire.
But reenacting wasn’t his only passion — as a retired captain of the Army National Guard, he was also passionate about his country. “He just put up the flag, he was so proud,” said Walter’s mother, Virginia Henderson.
He also loved riding his motorcycle, Mary said. Tuesday, heading home to Caledonia from a gathering with other motorcycle riders in Kewaskum, he was hit.
Walter’s funeral service will be held in Milwaukee at Joseph E. Sass Funeral Home, 1019 W Oklahoma Ave., at 3 p.m. Saturday, with a visitation starting at 1 p.m. A private burial service will follow at a later date.