The Beginning

Below is the complete photo gallery that follows the rebuild in the early stages.

Progress Gallery 

The photos are in order and end with the most recent for this section.

Slide Show Feature

Click the "+" on any photo to enlarge it and then the play button to start the slide show. You can advance or go back to photos one at a time as well.

Chasing Tail Feathers

Tracking Down "Eleanor’s" Many Nests

I maintain contact with the two previous owners in hopes to someday work my way back to the original owner. The two previous owners both live in Wisconsin. One in Thorp and the other in Curtiss. So far those two owners take me back as far as 1994. Rumor has it that two more previous owners live in Wisconsin as well. One in Kennan and the other in Madison.

Once my son and I discovered the build sheet on 7-25-09, it revealed the original nest, Tusler Motor Company in Appleton, Wisconsin. Tusler Pontiac had been around since 1939.

With no listing for Tusler Motor Company on the internet, I called the dealership across the street, which was Tom Meiers Motors and spoke with a very helpful man be by the name of Jeff Fisher. He explained that the building is now Quaker Bakery Brands.

Jeff then led me to Bill Tusler, the son of the original dealership owner and to Tom Smith, Sales Manager of Quaker Bakery. I contacted Mr. Tusler first and then Mr. Smith.

Bill Tulser explained that when his father passed away his mother sold the dealership to his uncle who ran in until the late 70’s and eventually sold it to Quaker Bakery. He went on to tell me that as a young man he worked at the dealership and figures that he probably washed "Eleanor" a time or two.

I was also fortunate enough to talk with Tom Smith, Sales Manager of Quaker Bakery, who was around during the time the building was purchased from the Tusler family. He told me the following story:

Burt Tusler closed the business because Pontiac approached the elderly Tusler in the late 70’s and asked him to move the dealership and build a more modern dealership in another area of town. Tusler sold the building to Quaker Bakery for future expansion. Another automotive twist is that Mary Stump from the Stump Ford Dealership wanted to lease it from Quaker Bakery, but she passed away before that lease was final.  Before the expansion of Quaker Bakery in mid 1980’s the building served many purposes from storage to housing of the Red Cross "Dial a Bus Program" vehicles.

The Tusler Pontiac newspaper ad featured above appeared in the Appleton Post-Crescent on January 19, 1976.

Ad courtesy of the Appleton Public Library.

A Great Cause!

Click on the photo to purchase.

I am no Superman, but Christopher Reeve was and still is in my mind and in my heart.

When I started researching information about my neck injury from the car wreck, which my Doctor called, “A Superman Fracture”, I found great amount of information on Christopher Reeve.

Please do not think that I am in any way making a comparison to myself, I just wanted to help get awareness out there on the The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. It is a great cause and a great deal of people need your help!

I often think back on my wreck and what could have been, so I thank God every day!

Click on the picture at the top or the to purchase yours today.

Chasers gets no money in any way shape or form. I just felt the need to help spread the news of the wonderful Reeves’ Foundation.