Nearly a hundred motorcyclists gathered in a small eastern Iowa town this week to provide a final salute to a fallen rider. All sported the black bandana of a funeral ride.
Some of those who took part in the tribute to 33-year-old Jeremy Henderson of Toddville didn’t even know him that well, but Christy Glassford says that didn’t matter. "The community that we’re in, we’re all a bunch of friends…we’re going to be there to support one another," Glassford says.
Henderson was killed last Sunday when he struck a deer while riding his motorcycle. At his funeral Thursday, riders opened the throttles and roared their respects as the casket emerged from the church. The bikes were paired off to lead the way to Henderson’s final resting place.
Cousin Dan Henderson was on one of the bikers. "He would want it loud and proud. He wasn’t a quiet kind of guy. He loved action. He loved fun," Dan Henderson said. "He would have been proud."
Many of the cyclists stayed on their bikes during the graveside service and after the minister finished his prayer, they opened the throttles on their motorcycles one last time in honor of Henderson.