Like a grand carriage that might take a dignitary to the grave, this one gleams – shiny black paint, somber curtains and wall-to-wall glass to give onlookers one last glimpse of the casket.
But unlike most hearses, this one comes with the deep rumble of a Harley.
Lifetime biker and ordained minister Marty Starnes of Lancaster has
launched a business offering his fellow cyclists a classy final ride in
his motorcycle-towed funeral coach.Starnes, 47, came up with the idea after pondering his own memorial service and last ride. For the past two years, he said, he has been thinking about it and praying about it and putting things together.
The former suit-and-tie preacher is a member of Frontline Biker Church in Kershaw. Not long ago, Starnes said he felt moved to shed the uncomfortable and restricting suit and return to being Marty again.
“God didn’t save the man in the suit and tie, but saved Marty,” Starnes said, adding that he “needed to get back to Marty so he could do what God had planned for him.”
Starnes said coming home to himself has allowed him to minister to bikers from a more genuine place. As a preacher, he offers guidance along the way and one last ride at the end of life’s journey.
Starnes said his wife, Jeanette, are co-owners of Rusty Nails Biker Memorials.
“It’s the thought of Jesus hanging on the cross by the three rusty nails, so this honors my savior,” Starnes said.
Severe arthritis in his back forced Starnes to end his 25-year career driving dump trucks. Climbing up and down from the cab had gotten to be too much for his painful back, so he began to look for another way to make a living.
“I wanted to find something that would not only allow me to make money, but be something I enjoyed and be a service to the community,” he said.
The hearse is about 12 foot long and four feet high, made of painted black wood with glass windows. It has a feel of royalty with tied-back fringed curtains visible from the outside.
Starnes will tow it behind a shiny black, chrome-accented three-wheeled motorcycle - a 2016 Tri Glide Harley Davidson.
His services include transporting the body to its final resting place as well as officiating the service. Since some bikers aren’t affiliated with any church, this may be a service they need, he said.
Starnes said his service is not limited to biker funerals, which often have a long line of motorcycles in the procession. Sometimes his might be the only motorcycle in the procession.
“It can be for someone who always wanted a motorcycle but was unable to have one for some reason or another and this is something the family could do for them,” Starnes said.
Starnes has not yet led a procession with the Harley-towed hearse, but has been in contact with local funeral homes and is developing his marketing, which includes his Facebook page, Rusty Nails Biker Memorials LLC. He says he has received lots of positive support.
Starnes said he’ll be looking for ways to grow the business, which might include other motorcycle-towed carriages, such as a family buggy for funerals or maybe a wedding coach.
His mission statement: “Treating you and your family with honor and respect.”
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