RIP - my buddy 1911/Duane Wellington just passed away

[wheatonFJR]

This post is for Maralee:

For the 1911 remembrance ride we have riders, so far, coming from South Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia.

We also have some maybes that hail from Virginia, Louisiana, Florida, and the midlands of South Carolina.

Hopefully this will be a special day as we salute Duane, and have a chance to console and give face to face condolences to Maralee.

Update 4/16/23-
Maralee, we have riders coming from:
Upstate South Carolina,
Georgia,
Michigan,
North Carolina,
Ohio,
Virginia,
Pennsylvania,
midlands of South Carolina,
Illinois.

As of today, we will have 18 motorcycles present, predominantly FJRs.

We are at least one FJR rider short...

[wheatonFJR]

I just CAN'T fathom that we lost these two gentlemen in the past year. It's unbelievably sad.

BBQ (ahhh, Duane, you got a little sumpin on yer...)in Hiawassee, GA during a frosty balls ride...photo by Lumberg

[wheatonFJR]

Reposted here for Marilee's benefit as far as head count, etc.

UPDATED 4/11/23

Based on the responses to the RIP thread I let Maralee know that a lot more FJR riders wanted to be there in person than were able to attend. I have asked Maralee, and she has agreed, to have a local remembrance ride, very informal, nothing fancy, the purposes of which so she can meet her FJRider well-wishers in person and they can express their condolences.

There will be riding 3-4 hours. There will be food involved, see below. There will be other things as well...This event will held on Saturday, April 22nd (rain or shine - as Duane would want it no other way). I know that Duane's son-in-law Chris Revelle, a newly minted rider with a VFR from Cheeseland, will be with us no doubt. - Mark/wheaton

Updated 4/14/23: Looks like 21for breakfast at STAX, and 29 out at the farm, 27 for BBQ .


UPDATE 4/14/23
That brings me to making a list of ride attendees for planning purposes: I know stuff happens, but you must be at least 95% committed to consider yourself committed to this April 22nd ride.

Remembrance Riders

1. Mark/wheaton
2. Lumberg (no bbq)
3. Wayne/extrememarine
4. Danh600
5. Carl/Griff
6. Kyle Bridges/Duane's young friend on a Kawasaki
7. Chris Revelle/Duane's Son-in-law riding VFR that Duane helped him get from WI.
8. Joe/El Toro Joe
9. Jim/Zooomm
10. Iris
11. Andy/Bikergeek
12. Sooze
13. David/Wheaton Jr
14. Bob/Intech
15. Jeff/FJRPittsburgh
16. Steve/Festus
17. Joe/Blueridgerider
18. Scott/BlindSquirrel
19. Josh/Cav47

At STAX for breakfast
1. Maralee
2. Maralee's daughter Erica, Chris Revelle's wife

Attending only at Marilee's farm
1. Louanne, attending gathering at Maralee's farm only -bringing Bobby's BBQ
2. Duane's mom
3. Etta/Mrs Griff
4. Amanda - Maralee's daughter/ JD's wife
5. JD-Maralee's son in law
6. Sonya - Jason's sweetheart
7. Blessing, my son David's wife
8. Christine- my daughter (no bbq)

UPDATE 1/29/23

WE HAVE A FIRM DATE for the Duane Wellington /1911 Remembrance Ride.

April 22nd (Saturday) - Rain or Shine as Duane would have wanted it.

More details in the coming weeks as they become available. I can tell you that there will be a ride. It will be Saturday, April 22nd. It will be meaningful for us, and helpful to Maralee, Duane's widow.

Additional Details:

So let me confirm what is set in stone as of right now, 2/21/23:
-Ride is set for the morning of 4/22/23
-We will meet before the ride for breakfast at STAX Original -amended, I have told the store manager 8:30, so lets all be there at 8:15am so we can be seated asap for larger group. Everyone will be responsible for the cost of their breakfast plus 20% tip...but I will pay the bill so we can keep the ride moving along. I will take cash only without giving back change so please bring singles if you need to. Im not checking checks, no time, but trusting. The only one I'm buying breakfast for is Duane...sweet tea and BLT...as per custom before covid.
-We will ride up 178, then turn east on East Fork road...one of Duane's favorite connector roads.
-We will then ride US276 south to the Caesars Head overlook and stop there for a group photo.
-We will then head southbound back into SC, then wander however I feel led down to Marilee's farm.
-It will end up at Maralee's farm in Laurens, SC at the end of the ride.
-There will be a chance to give condolences directly to Duane's Maralee, face to face.
-I will make sure that food from Bobby's BBQ will be there at the farm where we will have a meal after the ride. No expenses will be incurred by the family (but the Riders can contribute, $15-$20 if they are able)
-After the meal, there will be a toast, some violin, and some other things[/b]
-There may be a chance to help Maralee out on the property with some labor if you feel so led and Marilee has anything in mind

Update APRIL 7TH- The 1911 Ride - Saturday, April 22nd - Public Route File.

Wheaton has put together a route departing the Stax's restaurant in Traveler's Rest, SC and ending at 1911 / Duane's homestead near Laurens, SC.

The link posted below is a zip file hosted on the FJRiders.com site. Clicking it will download it to your computer / device. The zip file contains 2 GPX files - Leg 1 and Leg 2; Leg 1 takes us from Stax to the Caesar's Head Overlook (group photo op), Leg 2 takes us from there, south bypassing Traveler's Rest and Greenville and on to an Exxon gas station just off I-385, which is about 10 miles from our final destination. The plan is to ride the final few miles as one large group to arrive at the 1911 homestead together. The GPX file does not have that final leg or the final address included out of respect for Maralee's privacy. The GPX files were created in Basecamp; as with any technology, the potential for variances exists.

Click HERE to download the 1911 Ride GPX file.

UPDATE: APRIL 11TH
Going to split up into smaller groups so here is what I am looking at: We will gap a few minutes between groups when heading out from STAX, from Caesar's Head overlook, and from the final gas stop in Gray Court. (The route will be posted soon)

18 bikes as of 4/7/23:

Note: GO Team - see bottom of list, I have asked these two gentlemen to direct people at STAX, before and after, so we can get out of there safely and in a minimal of wasted time. Once all the groups are out of the clusterfck of that intersection, Wayne will be running with brights on and they will pass all the teams...so be ready for them and go to the right half of the lane, back off the throttle, and let them pass. They will wait for us at the turn in to Caesars' Head SP. They will also lead out of Caesars' Head and wait for us at the gas station in Gray Court, where we will congregate for a short while before heading to Maralee's farm place.

Alpha
Bob-Intech-Team lead
Kyle Bridges
ElToroJoe (Sena 50s)

Bravo
Josh/Cav47-Team Lead
Scott/BlindSquirrel
Jeff-FJRPittsburgh
Steve-Festus

Charlie
Jim-Zooomm-Team Lead
Iris
Griff
Joe-Blueridgerider
Geek and Sooze

Delta
Mark-wheaton -Team Lead
Danh600
David-Wheaton Jr
Chris Revelle

GO Team aka Cat-Herders
Wayne-Extrememarine
Lumberg

Spot Links:

• Extrememarine

• BikerGeek

• Intech

• El Toro Joe

• CAV47

[Bugnatr]

That's a real fine list of attendees. Please let Marlee know we wish we could be there too.

Looking forward to a few pictures from the ride and gathering.

[wheatonFJR]

...

[wheatonFJR]

Maralee wanted y’all to know how much Saturday meant. These are her words -via text- as she is not a member here…

Hi Mark. Yesterday was amazing. It really was a Great Day. There really aren’t enough words to say Thank You! You have been a great support since this happened. I just want to say many many thanks to all the FJR riders for all their thoughts and prayers! To those who traveled near and far to be here Saturday it warmed my heart to know how much Duane and I mean to you guys and I know there were many others who wanted come . Who knows, maybe sometime in the future y’all can ride by and say Hi , you guys are always welcome here. I wish I could have talked more about Duane but I was trying real hard not to cry to much. And I just wanted to say Thank You to all those who contributed to the card and money . That will be a tremendous help over the next couple of months . Thank You ,Thank you all! I’m not as good at putting my thoughts into words as Duane was , but I really appreciate all you have done for me. There’s so much I want to say but this is getting long so we’ll have to text again in a day or two. THANKS! again. Maralee

[wheatonFJR]

So. It is only about a week since I heard that Duane died. It feels like months.

There is a woman that lost a husband that needs support. Remember This. I will be making requests soon to ask you to help do our part to assist his widow.

Thank-you to all who answered that call for support, all without hesitation. What y'all did was truly stellar. I am deeply in your debt as you all were the ultimate wingmen for me and for Duane.

Our continued support does not end here, but will be more low key...but Saturday, April 22nd is a day I will always remember. It will also remind me of my continued obligation to help this family, however I can.

[wheatonFJR]

From Maralee via text on Monday:

I’m glad everyone loved Saturday. FJRIDERS are an outstanding group who not only share their love of riding but also are concerned about each other and willing to help when needed and I am proud that Duane was a part of the group .And I am honored that you guys have been with me through this. I didn’t get to ride much when he went on group rides, but the times I did get to join in the gatherings I really enjoyed listening to the guys talk. I’m gonna miss it As I said earlier, y’all are always welcome. And maybe in the near future, when I get some stuff settled, Christine can come and spend some time with the horses. Thank you for the song you played ,it was perfect! Did Duane know you played the violin? He would have called it a fiddle haha! Maralee

[Festus]

Mark, can you please let her and her family know that I (we) are thankful for them allowing us to visit their home and celebrate Duane's memory with them?

[wheatonFJR]

Mark, can you please let her and her family know that I (we) are thankful for them allowing us to visit their home and celebrate Duane's memory with them?

I have, and will again in my next text with Maralee.

[wheatonFJR]

Maralee texted me recently that there was a new set of tires in the garage, and asked if anyone would want them, as they were no use in her garage. I said, number one, that you aren't giving those away, someone is paying for them. Maralee said they'd been purchased last fall.







I spent some time today at Maralee's...talking about lots of stuff. One of the things I decided was to spoon off the tires I had, and pry on Duane's tires for this Colorado trip...even if I didn't need to. It just seemed right. Duane was going to be on this Colorado trip...it was going to be our first weeklong trip together. Im riding on his tires.

Settled.

Don't be surprised if you hear of a motorcycle performing spectacular passing. Duane willed it.

[wheatonFJR]

Well, a while back Duane took a photo of me at a BRP overlook without telling me. He had no idea what the future held, neither did I...and I am glad about that small comfort. The photo shows what I feel inside sometimes. Looking south towards SC, I could very well be looking in the direction of Duane and Maralee's farm. This is Duane's photo.

[Festus]

I think he thought just as much of you as you did of him.

[wheatonFJR]

I think he thought just as much of you as you did of him.

That seems inconceivable to me, but we did have fun playin on the FJRs and ridin'. He enjoyed making fun of my bad choices, but purposely overlooked my lack of mechanical skills/knowhow and bike washing. He showed me the good roads, and enjoyed our company together. He had some crazy idea that I was a good rider, but I showed him. I am slowly, in fits and spurts, getting over his passing...but I rue it as best friends don't happen very often. We had years of riding together envisioned, and I looked forward to following his shadow across the country during retirement.

I am very grateful to those that have befriended me and have been kind to me in the last year and a half. You know who you are. Some cuts are just very deep and are hard to ignore.

[Festus]

Understood. He will never be forgotten and I'm positive he'd be happy to know that you were getting better every day. He'd want you to be happy and carry on. We know that's easier said that done, but you know he's with you and still rides with you on every ride.

Hang in there. The hole created by a loss isn't ever filled. Some people deal with it better than others. I'm not one of those people either, so I get it, believe me.

[wheatonFJR]

At our recent October ride and eat gathering in Travelers Rest, Maralee was able to attend. She showed us a photo and is allowing me to share with the class...

Before you look away, zoom in closer and look at some of the detail. If you are on your phone, wait till you get to a laptop or larger screened device at home. You will find and appreciate some of the unique items and detail that Maralee placed on this monument.

Edit: See if this link gets you to the photo...

[extrememarine]

Post 1 updated - photo hosted in the 1911 Album as well, and I removed the sidebar discussion about the broken link.

[wheatonFJR]

Remembering the man...and a treasured stop near EOM-Wytheville.

[D-Eagle]

Mark, that photo is awesome.

[wheatonFJR]

Mark, that photo is awesome.

Duane evidently thought so as well. I found that out after Duane died when Maralee told me that he had that as his screensaver for the longest time. So much so that they included that photo in the funeral service program.

The only reason we were at that spot was that Duane wanted to try a new road...as he always did. As nice as that photo turned out, it pales in comparison to how it was in 360 degree real time. I take no credit for that photo at all. The scene was amazing.... Coming out of the mist and fog and rising about it all into a crystal blue sky, clouds below, distant ridges... and that silhouetted tree.