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Yesterday was a perfect day for a ride . . . and ride they did! About a hundred or so Bikers rode their bikes from everywhere to say a temporary ‘goodbye’ to Richard ‘Curly’ Stowell, a faithful husband, good father, full patch-holder with BLACKSHEEP MC and pastor’s friend.
As friends, family and club brothers eulogized Curly there were remarks of things Curly had taught them:
- When you travel (ride), you might scare people
- Road names are badges of honor
- Truly gifted people can live like Jesus, even when they die
A constant mantra of the day was “Curly would tell you the truth, even when you didn’t want to hear it.”
Wait! A Motorcycle Club member and pastor’s friend? Senior Pastor of Firewheel Church in Garland, TX, Jerry Zucha told many stories of Curly’s faithfulness and what a strong friend he was to him. Pastor Zucha understood that Curly truly was someone who would ‘have his back’ if there was ever a need.
While announcing that Curly was a man’s man he told the story of how Curly took him and some other friends bird hunting. The pastor had never been hunting and would need to learn how to use a gun. As the group got ready to go, Curly asked that they get a group picture. Of course, Curly held his shot gun in his right hand, like everyone else, but also produced a pistol in his left hand that he held high up in the air, just in time for the camera click. Curly always went ‘above and beyond’ in everything he did.
“Curly was also a ‘romantic’,” the pastor continued and told of the time Curly took his wife to see ‘The Notebook’. Both Curly and his wife Kackle (she has chickens), continued to rave about the movie and the pastor was so amazed that a man who looks like Curly, rides motorcycles and shoots guns could enjoy ‘The Notebook’.
Another time when attending a Graduation, the pastor had just parked his car and was walking to the auditorium when he met Curly coming out of the auditorium. He was carrying two knives, heading back to his car and said “They won’t let you in with these – I’m taking mine to my car – do you have any knives on you? Give ‘em to me and I’ll put them in my car for you." The only thing the Pastor could produce was ‘fingernail clippers’, so with head hung low, he handed his weapon over to Curly.
The next morning at church, Curly came to the Pastor to give his clippers back saying “Here you go.” Without the least bit of ridicule.
Curly was a servant to God, his church and his motorcycle club without conflict as BLACKSHEEP MC is a family club allowing membership and wearing of patches to men and women alike. They’re a group of people to ride with; recreate with and help when anyone needs a friend.
Pastor Zucha took his text from 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 which painted a perfect picture of how Curly lived his life:
Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn't take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I've become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn't just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it! (Message paraphrase)
I have told every pastor I meet that if they ever get a real biker in their congregation, just understand bikers don’t know how to do anything half-way. They do everything whole heartedly with as much energy, gusto and resolve that they can muster. They will find a true ‘Pastor’s Friend’.
So just remember the next time a biker rides up next to you in your car. He might be some pastor's best friend.
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Video music by Phil Driscoll - Plugged In CD 
Comments
I love this article!! The final quote (So just remember the next time a biker rides up next to you in your car. He might be some pastor's best friend.) I hope gets out to the rest of the world that stereo types all of us!! Being in this world doesn’t mean that we have to be separated from it, just understanding to it.
Great article! Thanks for including the scripture quote that so appropriately describes Richard. He truly was a friend to all. And by the way, the pastor's "weapon" was a Swiss Army knife...a little further up the macho ladder than nail clippers, I think. :-)
He's my macho man.....signed, the pastor's wife.
I really appreciate your coverage of this. There are a lot of ministers out there in the biker world, but few have been able to walk in both worlds as Curly did. He wore the worlds patch while upholding his Godly convictions. I hope this makes it all over the internet to demonstrate that it can be done..
That was such a wonderful and moving tribute to my brother, thank you for doing that.
Flipher
Kaufman Blacksheep MC Secretary
Dear Jenz,
That's what it looked like to me when he held it up for us to see, however I was sitting pretty far back - but then he said "clippers" and I was surprised but I went with what he said. No negative inference intended.
Pastors have to battle against ". . . principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Eph 6:12
And that, as I'm sure you know, is the more difficult battle. He is indeed 'your macho man' that your family can rely on in the middle of the night when babies are so sick they can't breathe and a true warrior of God, like your husband, can take his 'sword of the spirit' and brake that hold off his baby.
Now, what could possibly trump that???
I am a pastor. I have been in contact with Pastor Jerry Zucha. What a powerful message and uplifting way he led Richard "Curly" Stowell's memorial service. I coached Richard in Junior High basketball and baseball prior to entering the ministry full-time in 1979. These tributes to him that several have produced are a wonderful tribute to him and a way that those of us who were not able to be at the memorial service are able to work through our grief over his death. I am thankful and blessed to have known him as one of the most outstanding young men I coached. I never remember getting upset with him and he was always respectful and cooperative. Blessings, Bobby Mullins (www.drbobbymullins.com) Knoxville, Tennessee
I'm moved by your article and by the comments. God bless this family in their time of loss.
Curly was a true brother to all the Black Sheep M/C. His death is a loss not only to the club but to his church and the community. I will miss him.
Easy
Black Sheep National S/A
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