Shellie Monrean of International Falls has a rejuvenated faith in America after driving a 1930 Ford Model A automobile for 1,125 miles along Midwestern back roads from Minnesota to Pennsylvania. She saw that an old car and a good cause seemed to bring out the best in people.
The trip was a fundraiser for the Fisher House Foundation, which provides housing for families of servicemen and women that are receiving long-term medical care. The trip was also a life journey of sorts to get reacquainted with extended family across the way that she had not seen for a long time.
“This is probably the first time that I have been away that long in 40 years,” said Monrean. “It was a wonderful trip.”
Monrean, a city employee, is the niece of Edgar Houglum, a decorated WWII veteran who died in 2006 at age 84. He owned a Model A and sometimes drove it on his 100-mile rural postal route. He entrusted it to his daughter Peggy to keep it in the family.
Monrean agreed to accompany Peggy and drive the classic car from Twin Valley, Minn., near Fargo, N.D., to her home near Pittsburgh, Penn.They thought the trip would attract attention along the way and that it was an opportunity to give it a charitable purpose.
Edgar was an infantryman who fought in Europe. He received a field commission, along with the Silver Star, a Bronze Star and multiple Purple Hearts. Monrean contacted Terry Randolph at the Veteran of Foreign Wars Post 2948 to ask about organizations that serve disable veterans. They thought the Fisher House was a good match, as Houglum was in long-term care for more than a year to repair his sciatic nerve and pherol artery.
“During his post-injury recovery, he spent several months in New York,” stated Peggy. “If a Fisher House had been available at the time, I am sure he would have enjoyed the company of his family nearby, just as many disabled veterans today.”
Monrean’s husband is a Vietnam War veteran, and two of the Houglum grandchildren served in the Iraq War.
“We did this in his honor,” said Monrean. “He would be proud that we were doing something for Fisher House regarding families of the veterans.”
The Houglum family held a send off celebration at the Twin Falls Depot on June 27. Peggy and Shellie drove off in the Model A. They would be followed for the entire trip by Joel and Rita Houglum. Barry and Jeannine Houglum would follow for part of the trip. Other family would visit along the way.
They enjoyed the chance to see the American Midwest at 35 mile per hour on the two lane highways that go through towns and not around them. The car was surprisingly comfortable, but they kept the windows open as the engine heat made the floorboard warm.
“We went a couple of hundred miles a day,” she said. “We didn’t want to push it too fast because its old, and we didn’t want more trouble.”
Cars and trucks lined to pass them but the site of the old jalopy brought more smiles and waves than angry shouts or extended fingers. People flocked to the car at each stop. They handed out Fisher House cards for people to make donations online.
The Model A has a smooth running motor, but its age and the distance took a toll on old parts as they traversed hilly terrain during hot weather. The vehicle has no fuel gauge and they ran out of gas once before figuring out the mileage per full tank. They replaced a battery and an alternator along the way.
“We learned through our mistakes,” said Monrean.
While stopping for gas in Oenga, Wis., just outside Appleton, the car was backfiring and the engine caught on fire. Two men walked over to fix the problem and gave them a checklist about sediment jars, carburetors, switches and connections that needed to be checked with each stop.
“They knew about cars and taught us so much,” she added.
Along the way the two women developed an ear for the engine and sensed when it was time to pull into a station before a break down. At one point, the car began shimmying and shaking badly and a trucker noticed loose lug nuts. He said that it’s smart with any car to check them after a tire change.
On the Fourth of July they were in Ohio enjoying small town events along the way. The car began running roughly and a motorcyclist turned out to be a vintage car mechanic on his way to a parts store. He replaced the alternator wheel and had them running again in three hours.
Another gentleman came by at the same time and said he had the same motor in his old truck, and noticed they had a leak. He used his grease gun to seal the gaps.
“It seems like every time we needed help it was there,” she said. “Small towns are fantastic.”
The group reached Peggy’s home near Pittsburgh in eight days on July 5.
“We’re absolutely delighted that the Houglum family selected Fisher House to be beneficiary in wanting to honor their father’s memory,” said Jim Weiskopf, vice president of communications at Fisher House. “This is our First Model A trip across the country,” he added.
The Fisher House priority now is to build more level I and II polytrauma centers to treat patients with amputations, burns and brain injuries from blasts from improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, said Weiskopf.
Pittsburgh is slated for a 2010 level II Fisher House. Minneapolis is an original eight room Fisher House design built in 1995. The regional center has such a large patient load officials are planning another 20-unit facility.
“If the veteran requires higher level care that is hours away from home, then there is a need for a Fisher House for families to stay when they take you there,” Weiskopf said.
The Model A trip reached $3,455 of the $5,000 goal. Donations can be made by calling 888-294-8560 or online at www.active.com/donate/TeamFisherHouse/ModelA until Dec. 1.
