Author's Note: This article was first published in LivingstonTalk.com

 By Susan Parcheta

In August the word was: “Come Walk With Me.”

 From Paradise on Lake Superior (Longfellow’s shores of Gitche Gumee); south across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to St. Ignace; over “The Bridge” with 50,000 other Labor Day walkers to Mackinaw City; and with a proper send-off there by Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, on downstate through the heart of Michigan’s lower peninsula – to Hell and beyond to Ohio – walking, one step at a time.

 By September’s end, the word from Fowlerville’s Clayton Klein was: “The Walk is Complete.” Klein had concluded his fifth annual walk for Michigan Hospice Organization, in memory of his wife, Marjorie, who in 2003 was under hospice care in the final weeks of her life. “In the spring of 2005,” Klein says, “I contacted Michigan Hospice & Palliative Care Organization in Lansing to learn if they could use me to increase donations to their work.”

 This year’s walk, Klein insists, is his last. The 90-year-old earned his nonagenarian status in February. Those who walk with him, no matter what age, marvel at the scope of his accomplishment. The three-week September walks averaged 20 miles a day; the entire walk from border to border is about 420 miles.

  Karen Jackson, service delivery leader for St. Joseph Mercy Home Care and Hospice in Howell, heard about Klein’s long distance walks and decided to join him this year. Jackson walked with Klein on the Chelsea to Manchester leg Sept. 26. .

 “I love to walk,” she says, when asked what attracted her to Klein’s project. She also points out,  “I think Hospice is a valuable service that most Americans do not utilize. It is a Medicare benefit that you are entitled to, and I thought it would be interesting to talk to Clayton.”

 Having worked with so many elderly people, Jackson was interested in seeing what was up with this extraordinary senior. “I enjoy the senior generation,” she explains. “They have so much to teach us. Our society is very youth oriented; and I think it is wise to learn from those who have walked in our footsteps earlier in their life.”

 “I got more than I gave that day,” she says, reminiscing about the walk along M-52 into Manchester.  “Clayton is a history buff; and boy, did I learn from him!”

Several Livingston residents joined Klein when he walked through the county. Brighton resident Mary Ann Kulaszewski heard about Klein’s walk on the radio. “They said anyone could join him, so I did.” “I had been walking twice a week in Brighton.  “There is a six-mile trail in the woods there,” she says, “so I wanted to see if I could walk farther.  It was very nice.”

 “Kulaszewski, who works for a home care company, walked the Webberville to Fowlerville route on Grand River Avenue Sept. 23, arriving with the Klein entourage to celebrate at Olden Days Café in downtown Fowlerville.

 Among those who walked into town with Klein were several members of Genesis House, Livingston’s mental health clubhouse in Fowlerville. The Genesis folks have traditionally supported Klein’s walk, as he has supported theirs each year during the annual May Walk-a-thon to raise money for clubhouse events.

 November is National Hospice Month. Always walking for a cause, Klein enjoyed the hospice connection because of the support the organization provided for Marjorie.

 Michigan Hospice & Palliative Care Organization (MHPCO) -- the state’s umbrella organization for all hospice groups – honored Klein Sept. 22 at the Flap Jack Shack in Lansing the morning he walked from there to Webberville. Remarked Lisa Buttigieg, communications coordinator, “Our guy Clayton is ‘Our Walking Man!’”

 Buttigieg praised the awareness that Klein’s walk has raised over the past five years in regard to hospice and the compassionate care provided to the ill and their families. One benefit of the walks was the Sondra Seeley Scholarship Fund, which provides free registration to hospice staff so they can attend MHPCO’s educational offerings.

 “These well deserving hospice workers, Buttigieg says, “would otherwise not have been able to attend without the scholarship funding.”

  Clayton’s walk news was posted on the MHPCO website until just recently. However, it’s not too late to donate to the cause. Here are Buttigieg’s suggestions:

 “If you would like to make a donation to honor Clayton, please visit our website at www.mihospice.org and then, just beneath our logo in the top left corner, click on “Make A Donation” (for credit cards only). When you enter your name, just enter (example: John Doe in honor of Clayton’s Walk).  Or if you would like, you can mail a donation to MHPCO, 12800 Escanaba Drive, Ste. E, DeWitt, MI 48820.

 “True Grit” defines Klein and inspires fellow walkers. While there are many walks going on to benefit numerous organizations, Klein’s effort to create his personal walk project for hospice carries the weight of true grit to those who walk in his footsteps.

 Like John Wayne and other World War II contemporaries, Klein reflected the traditional American values of hard work and perseverance, building a home life and career. A husband, father, active church member and community advocate, he established a hriving fertilizer business in his hometown. He went on to become a successful book publisher and author, writing and speaking about his canoeing adventures in the far north.

 His most recent foray back into writing came with the publication in 2007 of his book about his wife, Marjorie, and her friendship before they married with the legendary Detroit Tiger Hall-of-Famer Hank Greenberg. His book, A Well-Kept Secret: From the Glory Years of the Detroit Tigers, is based on her diaries discovered after she died. Clayton and Marjorie had been married for 61 years; and it was truly a well-kept secret, since he’d not known of this amazing story about his artist wife.

 Klein’s love affair with walking began somewhat painfully about 40 years ago. He’d been hospitalized after injuring his back carrying a hefty bag of fertilizer. Doctors were not about to send him home without back surgery. By a stroke of good fortune, a friend of Klein’s happened by and told him he knew a doctor that could help him, if he could get out of the hospital. He left, never to return.

  The new doctor told him an amazingly simple thing. “Go walk.” He did. He’s been walking daily ever since; and he’s inspired countless others to enjoy the benefits of walking.

 As Lucy Olivera of Dearborn puts it,  “Clayton is an incredible inspiration.  I was starting to feel a little old, not taking care of myself, thinking it was too late to start exercising. I was only 39 years old. Then I met Clayton.”

 Olivera walked into Fowlerville this year, but first met Klein a couple of years ago on his walk into Manchester. He left an impression. “He didn't start walking until he was in his early 40s,” remarks Olivera, “and he hasn't stopped since.”

 “Clayton makes me feel hopeful,” she says. “I'm not walking daily but I walk occasionally, and I like being outside. I’m not going to give up on myself; and I walk whenever I can. Meeting Clayton has enriched my life and I'm thankful for that.”

 While his doctor gave him a perfect bill of health for the walk, Klein’s resilience was tested on this fifth walk. Barely into the Sept. 19 schedule, he was walking down the sidewalk in St. Johns with Todd Brooks of Perry and St. Johns Hospice folks Michelle Wiseman and John Thelen, when he caught a shoe on a curb, falling on his face and knees. Bruised, and glasses broken, he got checked over at Clinton County Memorial Hospital.

 Said Klein, “The staff went to work immediately. Within an hour they cat-scanned my head, the doctor installed a dozen stitches along my right eyebrow and treated various other scrapes and bruises.”  Klein’s spent the weekend at home, keeping ice packs on the injured eye. Though his face was swollen and his right eye closed, Klein felt fine otherwise. The walk resumed on Tuesday as scheduled. Then, as he always has, whether  a rain day or some other mishap, he returned to re-walk the St. Johns portion.

 Walking from Paradise to Hell? Why not Hell to Paradise?

The idea of walking from Paradise to Hell caught on back in 2005; and arriving in Hell, Michigan was always a highlight for Klein. When people ask why he didn’t walk from Hell to Paradise, Klein reminds them that you can only walk the Mackinac Bridge one way, north to south on one day of the year.

 The Labor Day Bridge Walk was memorable this year, when Klein met up again with Governor Granholm, who’d sought him out on his 2006 walk. Granholm said she remembered that meeting and the photo up of the two together at the bridge.

 As Klein relates the story, he told Granholm,  “Since that time, I’ve shown that picture to dozens of people and I always tell them, ‘You are the first Governor of Michigan that I’ve ever had my arm around,’ and then I tell them, ‘You are the only Governor of Michigan that I ever wanted to have my arm around!’”

 After he told her that rendition, he says, “She nearly doubled up with laughter.”  Another handshake, and the 5^th and final walk downstate to Hell and beyond continued on.

 This Dec. 5, however, Klein gets to ride; and it will be through his hometown. Klein is being honored as a hometown hero, along with three of his fellow Conway Township citizens, Chet Deitrich and Maurice Kingsley, as a grand marshal for the Fowlerville Christmas Parade.

 When all the festivities are over, though, the Fowlerville nonagenarian plans to follow his own motto: “Keep walking,” scouting out new, but shorter, trails for trekking…one step at a time.

 Hospice links and information:

 St. Joseph Mercy Livingston Hospice
907 Fowler Street, Howell, MI 48843, 800-862-5162, 517-540-9000.

Contact: Central Intake Department at 734-327-3200.

Michigan Hospice & Palliative Care Organization

12800 Escanaba Drive, Ste. E, DeWitt, MI 48820

 EmbroidMe of Birmingham

Howell native Gail Wilcox Backus and husband, Craig, created the Walking Man tee to commemorate Klein’s fifth annual walk for Michigan Hospice & Palliative Care Organization, as well as his 90^th birthday. Tees are available for ordering at www.embroidme-birmingham.com

http://thewalkingman.promoshop.com/

 St. Joseph Mercy Health System
www.sjmercyhealth.org

 National Hospice Palliative Care Organization
http://www.nhpco.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=5754

 Hospice Care Saves Money for Medicare

http://www.nhpco.org/i4a/pages/Index.cfm?pageID=5386

 Final Gifts is a classic and comforting reference book on hospice care

Written by two hospice nurses Maggie Callanan and Patricia Kelley . Available at Amazon.com

.

October 2009…

Last December I wrote my first blog for Fowlerville News Online. As you can see, below, from what I wrote in that blog, I was excited to see the News & Views coming online.

This year, double greetings are in order. The News & Views is not only online, with its own website, but it’s gone quantum leaping onto Facebook!

I enjoyed working with the Horton’s niece Jamie Horton McCarthy (now living with her family in Texas) when she was in the office during summers and school vacations. The other day, I noticed a suggestion from her in my Facebook notifications to join Fowlerville News Online fan page.  I did, and I see there are a few members already.

When I wrote the article last December, I’d already been writing a blog for the Horton’s Michigan Country regional website. So I was tickled to see that they were going a step further to round up the local community news online, as well.

I hope, though, we can all use this soapbox to help get everyone who needs or wants high speed Internet to get it. When Steve put the videos on earlier this summer, I could not watch them. It’s only been in the past couple of months that I’ve been able to watch videos, or really enjoy my Facebook experience without feeling like a turtle agonizing over the slow trip down the Internet highway.

Yes, We finally had to bite the bullet and get satellite. I couldn’t be doing all the things I am now on the Internet, otherwise. Yes, now I not only can view videos, I can send them. I can send photos and receive photos. I can Facebook to my heart’s content. I can write up a storm and surf, surf, surf for information. I can work on my websites and blogs…with more to be created. I can actually have fun.

While I may be having fun online, there are so many yet without faster speed Internet. Dial-up is archaic. I just heard that Finland wants each citizen to have the right to high speed Internet. Wow. Why can’t we?

I applaud all the efforts people, such as Grace Damerow in the Fowlerville Community Schools tech department, have made to forward the existence of wireless Internet in our area. I don’t know where the cause stands at the moment, given the current state of the economy.  I’m just glad we finally decided to make the commitment. There weren’t any options.  I’m still hoping for faster, easier and cheaper to be the norm.

Meanwhile, congratulations to the News & Views for joining in the media phenomenon that the Facebook platform is providing for individuals and businesses everywhere.

The face of community journalism is far different than we’d ever have imagined, even back in the office…musing over what it would it would be like to have the news online. I certainly never thought Facebook would be such a big part of my life and that of all my friends and family.

So, double greetings…and see? What I wrote last year still rings true. The adventure continues…and we’re flying faster than ever.

Greetings to Fowlerville News Online! (from Dec. 2008) by Sue Parcheta

You may color me happy this December 2008. Fowlerville News & Views is online at last.

I recall discussions in the News & Views office, when I was working there a few years ago, about being online. We'd talk about it. But knowing the effort entailed, the idea would get tabled for sometime in the future. The future is here...and I'm excited about the possibilities for Fowlerville News Online.

. Technology moves quickly, but these days it's cruising at warp speed. Everything's speeded up. We, the News & Views readers have speeded up…like it or not. And, sometimes, I don't like it. Sometimes, as at Christmastime, I wish life would slow to my pace.

Yet it's handy to have headlines appear in my email, almost the instant an event has occurred anywhere on the planet. It will be handy to be able to visit this web space and get a feeling for the local news beyond the weekly paper. And, it will be wonderful to check in often, knowing that a little community is developing because of this web effort of Dawn and Steve Horton.

I'm happy about that. It seems all the more important that this web venture is beginning now, because suddenly everyone is tuning in to online networks. The 2008 election experience brought this networking phenomenon to the forefront of our awareness, I think. Online networks resonate with people more and more. Social networks like Facebook are in the news daily.

The power of social networks, even the virtual ones, is being studied regarding the state of our health and even our longevity, with extraordinary findings. And guess what? It turns out we're happier if we're involved, and actually in the center of, several social networks.

I'm happy, too, to learn of the value of creating little networks within networks. Have you seen recent studies done about happiness being contagious? Big news this month. Of course, that seems obvious. But the kicker is...this happiness thing extends to communication, not just in person face to face, but when we're on the phone, or online. Maybe this online community just might contribute to bringing us a little extra local cheer in these challenging economic and political times.

Thinking about Fowlerville News Online and the local folks, who read the paper edition of the News & Views, checking in here is exciting to me. I sense the same feeling of community that the Hortons have built up over a generation -- of Fowlerville and Webberville residents -- reaching out now into all our home computers, blackberries and iphones.

So I'm happy to add this virtual network of Fowlerville/Webberville folks to my life. It will give me a chance to connect virtually with readers I've known from my years at the News & Views. And some new ones, as well.

Yes, I've looked forward to this day of the News & Views web community. Glad tidings, indeed.  Cheers...and, may we enjoy coming together in this space…to adventure together in the coming year.

Susan Parcheta may be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Celebrating a friend's 90th: L-R Kathryn Humrich, Isabelle Donohue, Nina Pierce,
and Shirley Wasson at Isabelle's birthday party this summer.

Gregory resident, Isabelle Donohue this summer celebrated her 90th birthday. Below is an article I wrote about her for News & Views in 2005, the year she turned 86. Isabelle continues to quilt, to nurture her family, and to treat them with her gift of quilting. She remains active in Plainfield United Methodist Church and the United Methodist Women. She's still quilting for her family, which now numbers 13 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren (six girls and 16 boys). Due to a recent fall, she's sidelined a bit...using a walker for the next couple of months while her hip heals. She's still able to bake, though, and plans to contribute to upcoming church bake sales.

Quilting a Life, a legacy

Celebrating Isabelle Donohue’s 86^th Birthday

By Susan Parcheta

Her life is a patchwork quilt, beautifully sewn together…fashioned with squares of love, joy, kindness, patience…all the attributes a family cherishes in their mothers and grandmothers.

Celebrating her 86^th birthday on July 11, Isabelle Donohue recalls a life spent in Livingston County’s Iosco Township.

Not only is she celebrating a long and fruitful life, she is intentionally celebrating her grandmother-hood and the wonder, in 2005, of having her entire family (she counts 54) living close-by. That, in this day and age, seems miraculous.

For many Americans, family is scattered in different states and across the globe. Isabelle treasures this amazing phenomenon of being surrounded by the family she loves. She’s sustained by the comfort of their support. And she wants to pass it on.

Working on finishing touches for a baby quilt for a granddaughter, Isabelle talks about the joys of being a grandmother at 86…to 13 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and three on the way.

How did this modern grandmother’s legacy begin? Isabelle’s parents, Floyd and Ida Hoffmyer Munsell, were married in 1902, settling on what is now the Munsell Centennial Farm on Bull Run Road.

“My father’s parents [William and Maria Van Gorder Munsell] died long before I was born,” says Isabelle.

“I had one brother [Lyle], he was 15 years older than me.” Growing up, she says, “I never really knew him, because he’d left home. But he was married [to Dorothy Eisle] just two years before I was. So their kids and my kids came right along together.”

“Lyle had one girl and four boys [Bill, Mary, Herb, Jerry and Al] and I had one girl and three boys [Kathryn, Dick, Bob and Jack].

As for grandmothers, she says, “I had a grandmother on my mother’s side of the family [Catherine Hoffmyer] until I was about six years old. I just barely remember her.”

Growing up without a grandmother’s influence, Isabelle determined that when she became one, she’d put her heart and soul into the job.

“I appreciate my grandchildren so much,” she exclaims. “It’s because I never had any grandmothers.”

As she turns 86, she feels blessed. “I was just hoping I’d live to enjoy my grandchildren and I certainly do enjoy them.” Now, she says, “I’m watching the great grandkids grow up, which is kind of fun, especially thinking about the different stages of their lives and seeing the differences.”

A fond memory is of summers with grandchildren underfoot in the big farmhouse…staying over at grandma’s, sleeping on the floor or wherever. They’d play on the front porch swing, she says, bumping the house in the process. For Isabelle, those were happy times.

When her son, Dick, moved to South Dakota with his family, she says, “We’d try to go to South Dakota once a year to see them.” Dick, who worked for May & Scofield, lived with them for three or four years while their daughter Hillary finished high school, then the family moved back to Michigan. Sadly, that was just a couple of years before Dick died of cancer at Thanksgiving time in 2000.

The family all gathered this Mother’s Day, surprising her with the Donohue longtime Sunday night supper tradition: Grilled cheese and pickle sandwiches. Delighted at the sentiment, Isabelle says the gang had several grillers going. She adds, smiling at the thought of it, “We must have gone through seven loaves of bread.”

Summertime also brings the annual family trek to northern Michigan’s Houghton Lake. Another Donohue tradition takes place: a weeklong get-together of kids and grandkids…relaxing, fishing, swimming, boating, skiing, and the camaraderie of sharing meals and gathering round the bonfire.

The family also shares Isabelle’s United Methodist connections. Isabelle grew up with ties to three area United Methodist congregations: Green Church on Bull Run Road, Parker’s Corner’s and Plainfield.

“When I was little, I went to Sunday School at the Green Church, went to Munsell School, and Fowlerville High School. So when I was old enough and could drive a car, my mother wanted to go to Parker’s Corners.”

Back then you could drive at age 14, Isabelle notes. “We had to get our own way to school.” She recalls sharing rides to the high school with neighborhood teens, including Russell and Kathryn Roberts.

“I’ve known Kathryn since I was a little girl,” she says. Kathryn [who married Ralph Humrich] is mother to Gary Humrich, who married Isabelle’s daughter, Kathryn (Kate).

“Going to Parker’s Corners church, she adds, “there were quite a few young people. Plainfield also had quite a few, and West Marion.” Eventually the Green Church merged with Parker’s Corners and West Marion, becoming what is now known as Trinity United Methodist Church on Iosco Road at Bull Run. Plainfield, West Marion and Parker’s Corners (a circuit) all had the same minister, notes Isabelle.

“We had a youth fellowship from all churches. I met Jack at the meetings of the MYF. Jack was six years older than I was. I married him after high school and we lived on Bradley Road ever since.”

They married at her parents’ home on Bull Run in 1937. Isabelle was 18. “I was out of high school in June, and married in September,” she says. Jack died in 1999.

Except for a short time living in the Greening house on Bradley Road, the Donohues lived in Jack’s family home their entire married life.

For a time after Jack’s mother died, grandfather Cornelius lived there with them. “The only help I had,” recalls Isabelle, “was Florence Dutton, a widow. She’d come down and help cut green beans, canning, etc.”

“My dad lived alone on Bull Run, so my kids had two grandpas awhile,” Isabelle says, “but no grandmothers.”

The hundred-year-old Donohue home is now the focal point of the growing Donohue clan. Their homes are popping up all around it. Those of us who are neighbors and friends, affectionately call it “Donohueville.”

“Everybody lives right here,” Isabelle proudly proclaims. Two children [Bob and Gloria Donohue, Kate and Gary Humrich] and four grandchildren have built homes on the Donohue property. Son Jack lives in Plainfield, daughter-in-law Mary Donohue in Fowlerville, and just one granddaughter out of state. Another grandson plans a “Donohueville” home this fall.

How does she keep up with it – being the matriarch of such a large, close-knit family? Isabelle says she’ll be fine…”as long as my mind stays clear.”

“I feel pretty good,” she says, noting that she still has the same work ethic she’s managed under all her life. “I think I could outwork most any of them,” she says, laughingly, as she thinks about the kind of life kids have nowadays.

“Some of these young kids think they work so hard. They don’t know the half of it,” she declares.

If anything, Isabelle’s clan has been raised to the tune of that work ethic. For 25 years she worked at McPherson Hospital in Howell in the central supply department.

They’ve watched her pull through and manage a heart condition that appeared in 1967, as well as bouts with asthma that she first experienced as a child.

They’ve also known her passion for church and community…her work with United Methodist Women, her many roles in church leadership, years of working at the renowned Plainfield Chicken Suppers.

Many of her family are active, as she has been for 65 years, in the Plainfield United Methodist Church congregation. Several grandchildren were married there, as well.

They’ve followed along, as she’s traveled her spiritual journey. Recalling a memorable time for her within the church, Isabelle says, “I enjoyed when we were mentors to the youth who were joining the church.”

Her family has watched a mother and grandmother, their mentor and friend, remain true to her purpose…to nurture, guide and comfort those who come after her.

They’ve witnessed her humility, as she learned of the stained glass window they’d had inscribed with her name Isabelle I. Donohue, in her honor at Plainfield, the church that has meant so much.

“My family loves to surprise me with things,” she says, remarking about the window. “That was for my 82^nd birthday.”

They’ve been moved by her grace…in struggling with that honor, yet accepting their appreciation for her, as much as she appreciates them. It’s wonderful, she reflects, to be able to experience such an honor while you’re alive.

Isabelle works steadily, contributing her part to her daughter-in-law’s quilt, a gift for her daughter, Isabelle’s granddaughter.

Quilting a lifetime becomes a labor of love. A family, like a quilt, is a work of art…wondrously pieced together by the life of each member. The legacy of Isabelle Donohue and her indomitable spirit is strong in all those pieces, so lovingly stitched.

* * *

Susan Parcheta may be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Jerry Lorenz, Sr of Fowlerville Sunco, displays Jerry Lorenz, Jr's #881 at the station pre-Steel City race in PA in August. The bike is decorated in honor of Lorenz' mom, Janet James, a 10-year cancer survivor.

Jerry Lorenz 881 moto update Sept. 19, 2009

Sandy Lorenz noted that Jerry, Jr. was seconds from qualifying for the Steel City race.

:"He ended the season at Steel City, without making it into the main. I believe he should have let his foot heel more.

That is why, for the next couple weeks, his dad and I have decided to make him relax from riding so that he can hopefully be healed by the Otsego race."

Jerry will be riding in the Oct. 10-11 Great Lakes Motocross event at Otsego Lake Resort in Otsego, MI. Check the links here for more information.

http://otsegoclub.com/ski/event-calendar

http://otsegoclub.com/activities/summer#Motocross

It's the end of the national season for AMA Pro Racing season

Jerry Lorenz, Sr, manager of Fowlerville Sunoco, and his son, Jerry, Jr. wanted to do something special for their mom and grandmother, Janet James, for the last race of the AMA Pro Motocross Championships in Steel City, PA on Sept. 5.

Since this final race was also a race to raise awareness of breast cancer, riders were donating gear to auction off for the cause. The 21-year-old Lorenz decorated his Honda 450 in pink art...in honor of her ten years as a cancer survivor. Father and son also placed the name of one of the station's vendors, whose wife recently was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“His wife just learned of it during the time we were designing the decals,” said Jerry, Sr.

The bike was on display the day before the two men headed for Steel City.

The younger Lorenz has been having a round of bad luck on this summer's circuit, having suffered injuries while avoiding another rider who was down at the bottom of a high jump at the Unadilla, NY race .

“He's taking it well,” said Lorenz, Sr about his son's recuperating time. “But he still hurts from the accident at Unadilla,” including having trouble starting his bike. “But his spirits are good.”

Riding for his grandma, the best RX, should boost his spirits even more.

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/714/4470/Motorcycle-Article/Steel-City-Motocross-Goes-Pink.aspx

Wear Pink. Bring Green. The Steel City Motocross National will serve as a “Race to Cure Breast Cancer”. The entire event will have a pink Breast Cancer awareness them with riders, teams, sponsors, crew, staff and media incorporating pink. In a show of solidarity, riders will have a pink breast cancer ribbon on their jerseys. Read more...

http://www.vitalmx.com/news/press-release/Steel-City-ldquoRace-to-Cure-Breast-Cancerrdquo-Event,5960

Mystery rider auction at Steel City

http://www.allisports.com/news/steel-city-national-host-mystery-rider-auction-part-race-cure-breast-cancer

http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/spoiler-warning-ama-mx-results-steel-city//P1/

Things to watch for at Steel City

“We’ve had two mud races in a row and some very surprising results in the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship. Now we’re at the finish line on the outskirts of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for the 12th and final round of the tour, and it’s going to be a bright and sunny day of racing here at Steel City Raceway. You can watch the first motos live right here on Allisports.com, beginning at 1 p.m. ET. You can also catch the second moto of the 250 class at midnight Saturday, as SPEED TV shows you same-day coverage of the championship battle between Ryan Dungey and Christophe Pourcel. (The second 450 moto will show on noon Sunday, ET.)” Read more...

http://www.allisports.com/news/10-things-watch-steel-city

Rider list:http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/558/4488/Motorcycle-Article/AMA-Motocross-Steel-City-Pre-Entry-List.aspx

http://www.racerxonline.com/article/breakingNews/2009/9/2/steel-city-pro-am-event-on-sunday/

http://www.allisports.com/news/mx-sports-pro-racing-releases-pre-entry-list-steel-city-raceway

http://www.mxsportsproracing.com/articles/1612_450-class-rider-list---steel-city

http://www.mxsportsproracing.com/articles/1627_-same-day-coverage-of-the-american-motocross-festival-saturday-on-speed-at-midnight-et

Baja Memorial Photo of Jerry Lorenz #881 courtesy of Scott Kapfhamer of

http://www.photos-of-you.com/

August 31, 2009 Lorenz #881 Pro Racing update  Southwick, MA

http://www.allisports.com/

Southwick results article link:

http://www.michiganmotox.com/article.php?id=2518

August 22, 2009 Lorenz Pro Racing update

Unadille NY crash sidelines Jerry Lorenz

The summer MX sports pro racing season is winding down, while local racer Jerry Lorenz, Jr. #881 is cranking up the speed. Lorenz had 11^th fastest qualifying time (out of 80 entrants) in the 450 class on his Honda at the Aug. 15 Unadilla Retro Motocross National at Unadilla Valley Sports Center in New Berlin, NY.

Running in the top 20 at the start of the race, Lorenz was in top form as he took a jump, unaware of a rider, Matt Georke, down on the other side. As Georke bent over to pick up his cycle, Lorenz crashed into it.

Lorenz was lucky that the cycle was on the ground and not upright, said his mom, Sandy. His foot was “severely jammed,” she said, but not broken.

However she pulled him from the Aug. 22 Budd’s Creek race in Maryland, because he wasn’t able to walk on his foot. Georke was not hurt.

The Lorenz/Georke crash at Unadilla was caught on camera and is on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSr4tVYgwBk

The course at Unadilla is one of the oldest motocross tracks and this year the race carried a retro theme. The race was round nine in the 2009 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship.

http://www.allisports.com/news/retro-theme-unadilla-shows-roots-track

With a two-week hiatus to recover from the crash and repair the Honda, Lorenz is scheduled to race Aug. 29 at Southwick, Massachusetts and then comes the end of season Labor Day weekend races at Steal City, PA. …followed by the Baja Brawl here in Michigan.

Unadilla box score list

http://www.mxsportsproracing.com/articles/1552_lucas-oil-ama-pro-motocross-championship-450-class-box-score-unadilla-round-9-of-12

http://www.vitalmx.com/news/press-release/Lucas-Oil-AMA-Pro-Motocross-Championship-450-Class-Box-Score-Unadilla,5942

July 18, 2009

Jerry Lorenz, Jr #881 racing update:

Jerry was set to race at Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, kicking off the second half of the season July 17-18 at Spring Creek, Millville MN.While he was racing “awesome,” during qualifying races, said his dad, Jerry Lorenz, Sr. he barely missed qualifying due to some mechanical changes that didn’t work out.“It handled well, and he rode well,” he said, adding, “We learned a lot. That’s what it’s a lot of. He just missed getting in.”

Jerry was riding fast, and came in 42^nd even with the mechanical problems and they take the top 38. With a new suspension and parts, the father/son team will be heading off with the Honda to Unadilla, NY for the Aug. 16 national races.

Motocross National Championships racing schedule:

http://www.allisports.com/pages/lucas-oil-ama-pro-motocross-schedule

Redbud Nationals photo of Jerry Lorenz #881 courtesy of Scott  Kapfhamer of Photos-of-You.comcast.net

July 5, 2009

Lorenz raced in the nationally televised Independence Day Classic Redbud nationals in Buchanan, MI, placing 24^th/26^th in 450 Class…the 36^th fastest out of 80 entries.   

http://www.michiganmotox.com/profile.html

Jerry Lorenz, Jr. racing update:

For race results and individual rider stats at the July 4 Lucas AMA Pro Motocross Championship Round 6 go to 450 motocross

http://www.allisports.com/motocross-results

Overall result for Moto#1 and Moto#2

http://www.amapromail.com/pdfresults/mx/2009/06-buchanan/450_overall.pdf

For an article recap of the Redbud event:

http://www.allisports.com/blog/redbud-wrapup

Round 7 of the championships takes place at Spring Creek Motocross in Millville, MN on July 17-18

http://www.allisports.com/event/13887/event-info

* * *

July 1, 2009

Note: The feature article below, “Cars and cycles, It's a racing life for Jerry Lorenz and family,” was published in October 2005 in Steve Horton's Fowlerville News & Views.

Earlier, I'd written about Jerry Lorenz, Jr at age 11, about his love of motocross and his dream to be a professional racer. (Watch for that article to be added).

The 20-year-old Lorenz is #881 and now racing his Honda 450 on the pro circuit...the dream come true.

This 4th of July he races in Buchanan, MI at RedBud MX in Round 6 of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, one of the biggest events in motocross.

As reported on Alliance of Action Sports:

“After a pair of first-time winners stood atop the podium last weekend in Colorado, it is anyone's guess as to who will take the checkered flag in the 450 and 250 classes at Saturday's Monster Energy Motocross National from RedBud in Buchanan, Mich. The race marks the halfway point of the 2009 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship season with round six of 12.

Read More

For event schedule and venue info go to:

http://www.allisports.com/event/13866/event-info

Summer racing schedule and ticket info may be found at

http://www.allisports.com/tour/13726/tickets

See the RedBud site info at

http://www.redbudmx.com/motocrossnational.htm

The website indicates RedBud racing will be telecast live on NBC on the 4^th.

You can follow Jerry, Jr. at www.mxsports.com the MX Sports Pro Racing site On the left is the pro racer section where you can find race schedules. For fans interested in feature news, rider profiles, video and entertainment, visit the companion website at www.allisports.com.

Jerry Jr. started professional racing three years ago. Last winter he raced the indoor supercross circuit.

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/508/2066/Motorcycle-Article/2009-AMA-Arenacross-Series-Takes-Shape.aspx

Dad, Jerry Lorenz, Sr. says, now that they've got several sponsors and are racing their own bikes, they'll continue with the winter circuit again.

Sponsors for Jerry Lorenz, Jr #881:

MSR (gear), MCR (suspensions), Pirelli (tires), Wisesco (pistons), Ghost Town (the movie by Dean Teaster), Legui Graphics, Baja MX, Fenton Indoor, Championship Power Sports, Otsego Club (Gaylord).

In April he won races at Baja MX in Millington. “Jerry Lorenz was out front all weekend long and on day two of Baja MX’s “Easter Break In event” grabbing class wins in both the Open A and 14-24 class in an outstanding four win in four moto performance.”..... See rest of article at

http://www.greatlakesmotocross.com/Baja41209%20.htm

On May 3, at Baja MX Lorenz won a couple of races at Loretta Lynn's Mid-East Area Qualifier. As Bart Newman reported in Cycle News Online,

“In the 450 A class, it was Jerry Lorenz (881) who showed the field the white rear fender on the back of his Honda; with a field full of fast up-and-comers as well as seasoned veterans, that was no easy task. Lorenz doesn't know how to be intimidated: The young lad kept his head down and his throttle pinned, and he walked away with a couple of huge moto wins. National Arenacross Champion Jeff Gibson (2-3) was second overall, topping Sunny Drake (2-6), who placed third overall.

"I have been working with a new trainer," Lorenz reported. "It's been a lot of hard work, but it sure is paying off."

To view full article and photo, go to:

http://www.cyclenews.com/regional_events/read/motocross/2009/05/03/090503-Loretta-Lynn's-Mid-East-Area-Qualifier-Baja-MX

It's been a long road, “ says mom, Sandy Lorenz, adding, “It's tough being a motocross parent.” And while the summer racing tour has been busy, she says, “He's been doing it.” From here on out, there are races nearly every weekend on the national circuit.

At the height of the summer pro season, Jerry Lorenz, Sr., pleased with the way things are going, says, “Jerry's racing really good now, I've got to be positive.”

* * *

The 2005 article highlights Jerry Lorenz, Sr, his work at Fowlerville Exit Shell and the family's love for motocross, as well as a community tragedy that left its mark on the the Lorenz outlook on life.

From this current vantage point, summer 2009, it would seem that Jerry and Sandy Lorenz, Sr. -- knowing their son has the heart for the racing world – will do everything in their power to support that dream.

Here's some of the backdrop to the story of this close-knit racing family...

Cars and cycles: It’s a racing life for Jerry Lorenz and family

(Pub. Oct. 2005 Fowlerville News & Views)

By Susan Parcheta

There’s no such thing as idle in the fast-paced world of Fowlerville Sunoco’s Jerry Lorenz.

As head mechanic and manager of the local service station (formerly Fowlerville Exit Shell), he thrives on the variety his job entails.

“I get to do it all, from any type of repair on cars to sweeping the parking lot.” Lorenz says he’s never had the desire to work for a dealership or to hire a service manager. “I get to deal with everything. It’s what I enjoy.”

“I enjoy talking to people,” he adds. That’s evident when customers phone up Sunoco. They’re apt to hear him answer with a cheerful “Hi, this is Jerry, can I help you?”

Sandy Lorenz, Jerry’s wife of 18 years, often answers, as well, on the days she runs the convenience store up front. Longtime counter helpers are also Judy Hamilton of Fowlerville and Shannon Shooter of Perry.

Out in the service department, you’ll find mechanics Jeff Robinson of Webberville, who’s been with the station for ten years; John Fountain of Fowlerville, on staff for five years; and Dave Loar, retired from the Livingston County Sheriff’s Dept., who comes in part-time to help out.

The Sunoco guys get kidded about the Lube-Oil service notice, painted on their front window. It boldly proclaims: Performed by Real Mechanics.

When asked about that,  Lorenz comments, “The most important part of car maintenance is an oil change.”

“This world is full of quick-lubes,” he goes on, “and if you’ll notice, many of their help-wanted ads say ‘no experience necessary.’”

“Any kind of service has got to be done by the right people,” contends Lorenz. “I’ve got top-notch guys and they look for any need on a car.”

What about manufacturers of new cars touting an extended length of time between oil changes? Lorenz simply does not believe in that from his experience. “They [the manufacturers] want you to replace it [your car]; we want you to keep it.”

The station services most everything on vehicles, except stereos. As for Jerry Lorenz, he admits to loving everything about being a mechanic. “I especially enjoy the diagnostics.”

“I wanted to be an electrical engineer,” he remembers, when exploring possible careers as a youngster. But the money wasn’t there for that kind of education.

Lorenz’ career as a mechanic harks back to his high school days. A 1985 graduate of Fowlerville High School, he began working with Fred Palmerton at Fred’s Tire and Auto.

“At that time there was a lot of confusion in my life. Fred really took me in under him and kind of changed the outlook I had on a lot of things. He gave me a chance to become what I am.”

“It’s awesome the way he did that,” reflects Lorenz. “I was there five and a half years.”

Part of the confusion in his life, he’ll tell you, was losing his father at the age of 12. The family moved from Owosso to Fowlerville and his mom, Janet, met and married Charles Mellentine, a construction superintendent for large commercial projects.

Lorenz recalls the influence his stepfather had on him. “He taught me all about life,” says Lorenz. “He’s the one who put me in the direction I wanted to be in life. Work was everything to him. I enjoyed  being with Chuck; I wanted to do something like Chuck did.

“The work ethic is what he really taught me. Everything had to be done, and done right. You did it the best you could.”

Lorenz was able to pass along his knowledge of mechanics to his younger brother, Frank, now a mechanic in Pine Knob. “He worked with me awhile; I taught him the basics.”

In 1989, Lorenz went to work at Fowlerville Exit Shell when it opened at the south end of town. He attributes his ability to make the move to Fred Palmerton. “Fred gave me the opportunity,” says Lorenz. “There was no way I could afford to do college. He allowed me to learn under two mechanics there.”

The two are still his best friends. Jeff Hanes is service manager at Fowlerville Ford, and Marty Sarni recently left a Brighton dealership for a new career. “They taught me a lot,” he says. “Both were in my wedding.”

Jerry met Sandy, through mutual friends, when he was 15 years old. Her family is from Morrice, where Jerry and Sandy now reside. “Her parents are top notch,” he says. “Her dad was the next big influence in my life. He was a mechanic at Chrysler.”

In his teens, Lorenz was becoming hooked on another passion – motorcycles. When growing up, he says, “We’d always played with bikes and motorcycles.”

He became seriously interested at age 14 or so, but couldn’t afford a racing bike. Then, after leaving Fred’s at age 20, he started racing for fun. “It was a neat thing to do on weekends to relieve stress.”

However, the bike racing tended to play havoc with his relationship with Sandy. “I was wild and she wasn’t,” he says. “She’s my best friend. “Everything we do, we do together. We have the same interests now, but at first it was hard.”

Marrying Sandy, affirms Lorenz, was the best thing he ever did. While they may have had some rough edges to smooth out when they were younger, they’re totally in sync now. Family is everything for Jerry and Sandy, and so is cycling.

Weekends for the Lorenz family means motocross. Their boys, Jerry (17) and Dylan (12) have been riding bikes nearly all their young lives. “Jerry started riding quads at age 3 ½,” says Lorenz. He got his first motorcycle at age 5, and Dylan began riding at age 4.

As for Jerry Lorenz’ racing days, they ended seven years ago, he says, when he crashed badly. “I had to decide what was better for me, working or playing with motorcycles.”

So, it’s with mixed feelings sometimes, that Jerry and Sandy have watched young Jerry develop his zeal for motocross competition. Even a serious crash hasn’t deterred him, says his dad.

They’ve done a lot of soul searching since then. “When you’re next to your child in the hospital bed, it’s hard to deal with it as a parent,” says Lorenz. “ But, you’ve got to deal with it.”

People would ask him, “How can you let him do so much?”

“I wanted him to be done,” he admits. “It only took one time for me to realize there were more important things in life.”

Lorenz praises Pastor Bill Blue from the local United Brethren in Christ Church for the counsel he gave the family. He recalls Blue advising that, if you take something away from a kid like that who has so much adrenalin and love for a sport, there could be real challenges coming. “You have to be a parent,” says Lorenz, “but it’s also their life. He has too much love for it.”

Young Jerry started the supercross travel circuit two years ago. This year he goes professional, sponsored through Babbitt’s of Muskegon. He’ll be gone during the winter months, racing and practicing. “That’s been the big thing,” Lorenz remarks candidly, “me being able to let him go. But that’s what we’ve worked on. If the opportunity is there we can’t let it go.”

After much agonizing, though, Lorenz has decided that neither of them is ready for the separation. “I had a change of heart.” The sport is too dangerous, he says, determining that, at least for the for the first year, “I need to be there.”

In preparation, this fall father and son have traveled to some nationals and will be doing indoor Arena Cross in Michigan and Ohio, before racing the Suzuki in the 2006 125 East Supercross events this winter. This would mean weekend flying trips together.

Looking back, Lorenz remarks, “I never thought that buying him a little 50 cc bike would ever go to this.” Going professional is a big step. “It can pay off or it can be nothing,” he acknowledges.

One thing’s for certain, he believes: “If you don’t have the work ethic, you’re not going to make it as a racer. It’s a constant commitment. It sounds fun, but as fast as you’re going, it becomes work.”

Both kids race during the summer season for Michigan’s District 14 circuit. But, Dylan isn’t into racing as much as Jerry, says Lorenz. He also crashed, and decided racing would be just another fun thing to do, along with his other interests.

Motocross is definitely a family thing, says Lorenz. The challenges and excitement of the weekend races provide mutual enjoyment, he notes, because “we’re always together.”

“It’s so fun to be with the boys and to be with Sandy. It’s our fun.” He talks about how much he appreciates this family time, adding emphatically, “I live for my family. They’re everything to me.”

He speaks of family and friends with extra compassion these days. Two years ago, Jessica Fear was found murdered at the Sunoco Station, leaving behind her young daughter. “It was a tough deal,” says Lorenz. “It was a very hard part of my life.” “I started a trust fund for the little girl to help her,” he adds.

Reflecting on the tragedy and its aftermath, he says, “I love this station. I’ve always loved this town. So it was personal. It showed me that anybody’s life could change at any point, and that’s what it did for a lot of people.”

“One of the best days of my life,” he says, “will be the day they catch the person who did it.”

Now, he looks at his life through new eyes. “Tomorrow was always there,” he says quietly. “But it’s not always there. You have to live it to the fullest and get to enjoy it.”

“Before, it was all about work and success,” he continues. “But it’s not all about work. That family was destroyed at that point.”

The murder made him think a lot about friendship, too. “I think I enjoy my close friends more. It brought me a lot closer to a lot of people, and changed my outlook on friendship. There are a lot of people in my life, I can’t thank enough for being there.”

Lorenz would like more opportunities for kids, such as he was fortunate enough to experience. His work ethic developed, he believes, because of the support he received from the community.

He sees that work ethic fading away among today’s youth. “It’s changed and I don’t think these kids get the opportunity. The world needs to allow these kids to do more. I think kids need more fun and more things to do.”

He’d like to see more youth activities in town, like an arcade or a bowling alley again. “Kids need a place to go. The village needs to focus on doing something for these kids.”

He points out Stony Miller’s youth boxing program. “Stony has an awesome program,” says Lorenz. “Where this town goes tomorrow, is going to be based upon our kids. We need to teach them how to grow up and have fun, yet still have responsibility.”

Lorenz talks about the 13-year old who comes to visit him at the station. “It’s awesome he wants to help.” “Job shadowing could be done more,” he adds.

In a sense, for Lorenz, it does take a village… to give kids the opportunities they need today. “I got lucky. Fred did everything for me and opened the door. He pointed me in the right direction, and I went with it.”

“If somebody has the heart for the field they want to be in, they can do it, no matter what,” Lorenz states firmly.  “I just needed guiding a little bit.”

When asked how he manages to always answer the phone with such gusto, he explains easily: “My goal is to please every person I can.” That effort, he figures, begins with the way he responds to customers over the phone.

Being a genuine friend to customers is part of his work ethic. It’s also a way to say thank you for the blessings he’s received in return. “I have a lot of great friends and people who have helped me do what I’m doing.”

Jerry Lorenz loves the challenge of a breakneck work pace, but he’s focusing more on those relationships.

So, what would he do with a little more free time? “When I get more free time,” he says with a smile, “I will see a lot of friends.”

* * *

Check back on the blog for updates from time to time on Jerry Lorenz, Jr and his motocross racing career. Susan Parcheta may be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .