By MARK Heid

you look back on your life , you can see those places and events that were major turning points . The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally has been one of those for me . As a young single woman in the early 1970s , I had started making the annual pilgrimage to the rally , riding with a small group of Minnesota motorcyclists . Those early events blur together in my memory now , but the 1975 , 76 , and 77 rallies stand out as major milestones in my life story .

It was in 1975 that I first met Herb Shreve . In those days , Sturgis City Park was the place to be , and we were all camping there . As motorcycling campers do , we struck up a conversation with Herb , and he shared his vision and passion for the newly formed

Christian Motorcyclists Association . I was hooked . Upon returning home to Minnesota , I sent in the paperwork and , in September , received CMA member card # 223 .

Returning to Sturgis the next year , I was traveling with a female acquaintance , who quickly deserted me to go find her boyfriend . Being alone at the rally , I decided it would be a good idea to camp near the preacher I had met the previous year . It was raining and sloppy , and I had all kinds of issues trying to get the big Honda 750 on its kickstand and get the tent set up . It was a rough crowd , and no one offered to help . How rough ? Naked women jumping their motorcycles over the fire kind of rough .

The next morning , Herb and a young Wyoming man came over , introduced themselves , and invited me to a church service alongside the river the next day . It was to be CMA ’ s first-ever Sunday Service at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally . The young man ’ s name was Duane ,

and we spent much of the day enjoying all that the rally had to offer . Sunday morning , Herb did the service with a few CMA members attending but no secular bikers . We all returned to our homes , and Duane quickly became CMA member # 285 in August 1976 . Over the course of the next year , Duane and I exchanged frequent letters and occasional phone calls . He even rode his Moto Guzzi out to Minnesota to visit twice . As the 1977 Sturgis Rally approached , we realized this was serious and called Herb , asking if he would marry us at the upcoming rally . He agreed and that is just what happened . Our wedding made the front page of the Rushmore News , accompanied by a picture taken by the Rider Magazine photographer showing Herb in his CMA back patch performing the wedding ceremony .

Our home in Casper , Wyoming , soon became the place for CMA meetings , gatherings , and fellowship . It was here , working alongside Jim Backer , that the Devil ’ s Tower Parking Ministry came into existence . Over the years , we were blessed to watch CMA Wyoming grow and to serve alongside CMA members , sharing the love of Christ with motorcyclists everywhere we went . And it all started at Sturgis . To God be the glory . CMA

Story by Donna Pritzel as told to Mark and Tammy Heid . Mark and Tammy oversee the Rocky Mountain

Region as National Evangelist .

11

www . cmausa . org