Fallen Soldiers

Earl " OakTree " Minley

"He loved motorcycles, building motorcycles, riding motorcycles," said Rozell "Breeze" Nunn Jr., founder and national co-chairman of the National Bikers Roundup. "And his biggest dream was to have the roundup here. That's what he talked about for eight years. They elected him as their chairman here. He was the driving force."

Minley was born and raised in Cleveland, Miss. As a youngster, the first bike he ever rode was a moped, not that he knew how to ride even that. His wife, Alma, recalled how he would laugh as he told the story.

"He didn't know how to stop, so he rode it and rode it," she said, "until he ran out of gas."

Minley soon graduated to bigger and better bikes. He became a mechanic, moving to Chicago in 1977.

"He ran his own shop," she said. "He worked on everything mechanical - air conditioning, motorcycles, autos - he could do it all. He was always taking something all the way apart and putting it back together."

That, in fact, was how the two of them met in 1984.

"He started working on my cars, and it went from there," she said.

She began riding motorcycles and going to events, too, including on a three-wheel bike he built especially for her. She became known as "Misty" in the biking community. A great big man, Earl Minley was known as "Oak Tree" or sometimes "Gold Wing Man" for his favorite Honda model.

In 1987, they moved to Milwaukee, buying a house on the north side. There Minley built a garage to run his business.

He also began the Milwaukee chapter of the Buffalo Soldiers motorcycle club, which became one of the clubs to host the National Bikers Roundup.

"He would help anybody," said Karl "Wild Cherry" Cherry, another club member. "He didn't care who you were or where you were from."

Charles E. Franklin, known as "ShoDan," agreed.

"He was a good teacher, especially with motorcycles," he said. "He would tell you what parts you needed, and he would tell you what to do and how to fix it."

Nunn recalled how Minley became convinced that Wisconsin motorcycle clubs should host a roundup.

"Instead of partying, he watched to see how the different states were doing things," said Nunn, who came from Atlanta for Minley's services.

He helped with fund-raisers for Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, the Hunger Task Force and victims of domestic violence. He also was involved with the Masonic Lodge.

"He loved working with the community and working with kids," Nunn said. "He was the most kind, beautiful, polite person you could ever meet."

In addition to his wife, survivors include daughters Angelia Rich, Anquiana Minley, Rochelle Minley and Shanice Minley and sons Earl Jr., Alex Stovall and Eric Stovall. He is also survived by sisters Ruby Moore, Jessie Johnson and Evelyn Harris; brothers Sylvester and Leroy Minley and James Chapman; and grandchildren.