A hard day is often made easier by a familiar source of comfort.
For the family of Kenneth Flanum, it’s a sea of Harley motorcycles and their riders.
“We each had our own bikes… and we went on trips together and enjoyed that a lot,” says Mary Flanum, Kenneth’s wife.
Kenneth was a machinist with Harley Davidson for 36 years. His daughter Karrie Gostomski says it wasn’t just a job – it was a passion.
“Just being free and not having a care,” she says. “When he got on that Harley, he’d be able to just go and leave everything behind, you know? Just him and the road.”
In the Harley community, Kenneth’s reputation proceeded him.
“There’s people here that don’t even know him that are supporting him today,” Karrie says.
That’s because Kenneth had a big impact wherever he went.
“He wasn’t really a smiler. But, he joked a lot! He died on April Fool’s Day and that was appropriate for him, very, very appropriate for him,” Karrie says. “He was amazing. He was like a superstar. He was loved by anybody that saw him.”
So when his family was looking for a funeral home, Peace of Mind stood out.
“We were glad that we picked up on this place because it has all the bells and whistles,” Mary says.
And the owner of Peace of Mind told Karrie about one option that she never could have imagined.
“He goes, ‘Well I have a Harley hearse,’ and I say, ‘Oh really?’ And he said, ‘Yeah… but I don’t think I’m going to have it out in time.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, yes you are! This funeral isn’t happening without the Harley hearse!’” Karrie recalls.
Kenneth’s last ride was a first. He took this custom-made Ultra Classic Harley with a custom-built sidecar for its maiden voyage to his final resting place.
“He’s going to enjoy it as much as all of us, you know? He’s going to have a thrill riding it, leading the pack,” Mary says.
“I said this to a couple of people recently in the last couple days – I don’t know if I should be this happy to bury my father!” Karrie adds. “That is even more amazing to me because if anyone deserves this right here, it’s my dad.”
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