NISLAND - The final chapter of the 2009 Sturgis motorcycle rally will feature a man that was there before the first rally was ever held.

Andrew Straub, 98, of Nisland died Sunday, Aug. 2, and with him went many years and miles of motorcycle riding across the American Midwest.

Funeral services are scheduled for Monday, Aug. 10, in Belle Fourche.

Straub built his first motorcycle, a 1924 Indian Chief. It had a 74-cubic-inch motor and 19-inch wheels. In 1933, he and his cousin drove it from his home in Pennsylvania to South Dakota.

The two men worked a variety of jobs during the Depression, earning enough money to fill their stomachs and the gas tank. They also made a point to stop in each state capital along the way.

At that time, there was no Mount Rushmore and a semblance of the Sturgis rally was known then as the Sturgis Gypsy Tour.

Andy found his fortune in Harding County, where he met Wilma Hunsucker, the woman who would become his wife.

His motorcycle was consumed in a Harding County prairie fire in the late 1930s, but his passion for cycling was still fervent. He bought a 1911 Harley-Davidson. It had no transmission, just a flat belt that runs from the motor to the rear wheel. The wheels are 24 inches across, and in the 1980s, Straub rode the machine through Sturgis, drawing the interest of many.

"The image of my father that burns brightest in my mind will forever be watching him ride his Harley down the highway while standing on his head," said Straub's daughter, Marge Stork, of Mandan, N.D.

"Even though I was young at the time, I was extremely impressed with his daring and ability. He was forever my hero."

Straub logged more than 60 years of motorcycling and had only one accident, a minor crash on an icy stretch of road near Chicago.

Andy and Wilma raised three children and spent more than 50 years on their Nisland-area ranch. "My father was a kind and gentle man who helped anyone who needed help," Stork said. "Never in my life did I ever hear my father curse or swear."

Marge spent many moments in the garage with her father, putting bolts and nuts together and watching him rebuild motors. Mechanical tinkering became a hobby for Marge.

She and her family spent 40 years in competition racing motorcycles, cars, snowmobiles, high-speed karts and running 10ks and marathons. Stork is the owner and general manager of Roughrider Harley-Davidson of Mandan, N.D.

Visitation for Straub will be from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 9, at Kline Funeral Chapel in Belle Fourche, and for one hour before services. Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 10, at Kline Funeral Chapel. Burial will follow at Pine Slope Cemetery in Belle Fourche.