Wellington family's favorite truck gets mashed by Hurricane Irene

New Jersey resident Tara Zeller, daughter of Jill Zeller of Wellington, wrote a eulogy to her Colorado-bought Chevy Luv truck after Hurricane Irene toppled a tree and destroyed the 32-year-old family vehicle. The Zeller family lived in Bellvue for 22 years and Tara grew up traveling around in the yellow truck. The truck was moved to a family farm in New Jersey about 10 years ago.

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Yellow Truck Eulogy
by Tara Zeller

Yellow Truck, a most loyal automobile
Your friendship and service have endured
A sad loss this family feels
Your years are not forgotten
Nor are they forsaken, rest assured.

The countless trips over Bingham Hill Road,
As we reached the top with much anticipation,
You displayed the Bellevue sunsets through your glass,
No matter the weather or load,
As your passengers awed each time in admiration.

The might and strength it must have took
With your companion Green Boat in tow,
To Horestooth reservoir solely for our enjoyment,
Your battered tar box filled with ropes and hooks,
The weight of it all brought you down low.

You loved just as we did our dearest dogs Waffy and Sami,
You let them lie in your bed,
As we fiddled with whatever work was to be done,
With your gate down they rested their heads,
You were in your prime and my life had only just begun.

You took me to school, to piano, to soccer,
And to Lizzy’s house to play.
Guaranteed every time in your glove box were peanuts
And with dinner a few hours away,
A perfect snack they always made.

Squished in the middle between father and sister,
Blaring classical and everything NPR had to say,
Your gear shift hit against my knees,
Your upholstery was itchy, you know!
I wiggled and complained the whole way.

Sometimes when I was good I got to steer you up the lane,
As I sat on Papa’s lap too little reach the gears,
I grew and learned to drive it up myself,
If Mom and Papa knew how much fun was had,
The joyrides with friends they would have fears.

Many auto has come and gone,
A minivan, some SUV’s, and even a Jaguar too!
But you have stayed constant,
With this family you have lived long,
A true friend through and through.

Your retirement was to preserve you I’m sure,
Forgive us for sending you away to the farm,
We grew up and forgot momentarily how lovely you are,
You are our one and only Luv
No amount of rust can falter your charm.

You weathered the storm of our lives,
In the end as you sat beneath the trees,
It was in fact a storm that lead to your demise.
Only the strongest storm could bring you down,
Like a soldier, you held out and did not flee.

And so today we say farewell to you, our Luv,
Your memory resides with all the rest
With warm hearts and gratitude forever,
In the Bellevue buttes and crests,
The story of the Yellow Truck lives on.