Grandma Knievel Rides Again!

"Live your life and forget your age."

Jean Paul

When I was in my teens, my whole family was crazy about old cars, specifically Model A Fords. My Aunt Janice and Uncle Gordon planned Model A trips in the summers. We usually had four to six Model A’s and as many as 15 to 20 family members and friends along on each of our grand adventures.

We drove over several summers to the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, the Continental Divide, Monument Valley, Salt Lake City, Jackson Hole, Yellowstone, Vancouver, and Calgary.

On our drive back from Yellowstone, the stars all lined up for this photograph of my grandmother, Vera Hawley McMurrin, whom we all called “GraMa.”

I remember we were staying overnight in a motel in Cedar, Utah, along the Green River. We noticed the Evel Knievel motorhome parked there. Evel was still active in motorcycle jumping, and his manager was driving the motorhome back to Montana from a show.

Valerie McNatt, a dear family friend, spotted a motorcycle in the parking lot. She got permission from the owner and suggested, “Say, Vera, why don’t you get on that motorcycle in front of the Evel Knievel motorhome, and we’ll take your picture!”

My grandmother, who was always elegant and ladylike, amazed us all by replying, “Sure, that would be fun!” We took lots of pictures, and people we didn’t even know were joining in and snapping photos too.

GraMa lived to be 93 and inspired me in my life and love of family. She sent out this photo in her Christmas card that year, signed, “Hope you are doing great and Merry Christmas. Love, Vera.”

-Hank

“Grandma Knievel Rides Again!” from The Saturday Morning Post, at hankfrazee.com