Buried in a ‘67 Chevy, by request
Albert Dancy Jr. of Sutton, West Virginia upped the ante for Chevy guys the world over when he was buried in the bed of his 1967 Chevrolet pickup, with his Old Timer pocketknife and Remington .243-caliber deer rifle.
If the burial wasn’t culturally sound enough already, Dancy, 50, was shot and killed on February 15 in a domestic quarrel involving Dancy’s ex-wife and Robert Dodrill Jr., 44, of Summersville West Virginia. Dodrill is accused of forcing his way into Albert’s mobile home at the Pine Trailer Park and shooting him in the chest, State Police Sgt. R.D. Lilly said.
Upon Albert’s death, Adam Dancy, 24, decided his father’s long time requests to be buried in his beloved green General Motors truck was more than just one of the old man’s stories.
"He said it always joking around, but he said it for so many years it was pretty much serious to me," said Adam, "I always took him seriously. It was the last thing I could do for him."
Adam’s uncle brought over a backhoe to their family’s land in Clay County and they went to work digging the 19ft long, nine foot wide vault/grave.
"I started a family cemetery because most cemeteries don't let you bury a pick-up truck," Adam said.
The truck was stripped of the motor, transmission, brake fluid and tires to make it safe for the environment and lowered into the ground. Dancy’s casket was then placed in the pickup’s bed and dirt was poured over the top until the deal was sealed.
Dancy now rests eternally with his truck, pocketknife and rifle. He carried the knife with him everywhere, but the gun was a more recent edition to the more sentimental possessions of his life.
"It wasn't really his favorite gun but the year before last he killed a nice 10-point buck with it and got it mounted, so I figured I'd put it in there with him," Adam said.
Although it might seem like Dancy is well prepared to go on one hell of a hunt in the afterlife, Adam said he has no illusions of how useful the vault and its contents might be to his father.
"We gave him a truck with no tires. We gave him a gun with no shells," Adam said. "He'll be s-t out of luck."
Perhaps not entirely: Dancy was buried wearing Realtree camoflauge. One can only assume the forests are lush in Chevrolet heaven.
If the burial wasn’t culturally sound enough already, Dancy, 50, was shot and killed on February 15 in a domestic quarrel involving Dancy’s ex-wife and Robert Dodrill Jr., 44, of Summersville West Virginia. Dodrill is accused of forcing his way into Albert’s mobile home at the Pine Trailer Park and shooting him in the chest, State Police Sgt. R.D. Lilly said.
Upon Albert’s death, Adam Dancy, 24, decided his father’s long time requests to be buried in his beloved green General Motors truck was more than just one of the old man’s stories.
"He said it always joking around, but he said it for so many years it was pretty much serious to me," said Adam, "I always took him seriously. It was the last thing I could do for him."
Adam’s uncle brought over a backhoe to their family’s land in Clay County and they went to work digging the 19ft long, nine foot wide vault/grave.
"I started a family cemetery because most cemeteries don't let you bury a pick-up truck," Adam said.
The truck was stripped of the motor, transmission, brake fluid and tires to make it safe for the environment and lowered into the ground. Dancy’s casket was then placed in the pickup’s bed and dirt was poured over the top until the deal was sealed.
Dancy now rests eternally with his truck, pocketknife and rifle. He carried the knife with him everywhere, but the gun was a more recent edition to the more sentimental possessions of his life.
"It wasn't really his favorite gun but the year before last he killed a nice 10-point buck with it and got it mounted, so I figured I'd put it in there with him," Adam said.
Although it might seem like Dancy is well prepared to go on one hell of a hunt in the afterlife, Adam said he has no illusions of how useful the vault and its contents might be to his father.
"We gave him a truck with no tires. We gave him a gun with no shells," Adam said. "He'll be s-t out of luck."
Perhaps not entirely: Dancy was buried wearing Realtree camoflauge. One can only assume the forests are lush in Chevrolet heaven.
