The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.

7th Annual Fred Gibb Memorial Car Show

by Dessa Rodeffer, Quill Editor/Publisher

The 7th Annual Fred Gibb Memorial car show in La Harpe was so big and so much fun this year.

Fred Gibb's daughter, Connie from Virginia, was riding by in the neatest bright orange convertible coupe with its owner Kim Howie of Albia, Iowa. She was laughing and having a great time.

Kim Howie said he had just purchased the car and brought it from California. It was the actual car used in the TV series "HAPPY DAYS" for "the Fonz" (Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli played by Henry Winkler) and was complete with license plate "A. Fonzie".

Howie also has a 1970 Fred Gibb Dick Harrell pro-stock car.

It made an excellent car for a prop after the show. We put organizers Kenny Brown kneeling in front, and Jerry Burford and Bob Lionberger inside the car, and surrounded them by most of the thirty-six volunteers who made Saturday's show such a success!

When I snapped it, most were doing the "thumbs up" sign made popular by Fonzie. yahhhh!

Later, three of the only original owners of a Fred Gibb supercar lined up in front of the huge Chevrolet bowtie emblem with their polished up cars. There was from left: Ray Morrison with his 1968 427 Nova from West Plains, MO; Kenny Barnhardt with his 1969 ZL1 Camaro from Elgin, and Dennis Cumby from Roodhouse, with his 1970 black LS-6 Chevelle. "Dad would be so proud," Connie said. "I wish he could be here to see this, but somehow I think he knows."

Mayor Brown said, they couldn't do it without all of the good help from people in La Harpe and surrounding communities, and without his fleet of dependable hard working volunteers. Work began early when entries began showing up at 6 a.m. parking around 500 cars in the show.

"Dad cared so much about the community," Connie said. "He would be so pleased to see this help the community spirit and growth of La Harpe in some way."