Evel Knievel - Funeral Butte, Montana December 10, 2007

surely Oh God how you live the work and the life of this famous man from this breakdown now this is you at least enjoy the show he'll laugh a little II have so many tears and heaven Religulous and he wrote the last words does life his standing next to you when he wrote them believe in Jesus Christ hallelujah pigment the ring of the scripture will be the Romans revelations but his daughter Teresa romans 9 10 and 11 and if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you shall be saved for with the heart man believes resulting in righteousness and with the mouth he confesses resulting in salvation for the scripture says whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed in revelation 21 and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes and there shall no longer be any death there shall no longer be any mourning or crying or pain the first things have passed away and he who sits on the throne said behold I am making all things new and he said write for these words are faithful and true and he said it is done I am the Alpha and the Omega the beginning and the end and I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost he who overcomes shall inherit these things and I will be his God and he will be my son [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] to me [Music] [Music] [Music] and now to introduce the family and friends the first one the twice termed governor of this great state Judy marks [Applause] [Music] [Applause] good morning everyone I know that Bob evil is looking down upon this place and saying well you didn't do this and you didn't do that but it's okay it's gonna be okay I think Bob or evils family forgiving all of their lives also to this state to this country and being a Knievel surely sometimes was not easy I am sure but you also gave of yourselves and for that I say thank you thank you for giving to us and sharing your dad your husband your brother all of the family with us from the Knievel family they say thank you to everyone for coming today this has taken place is this is something that had if it had taken place in the summertime there wouldn't be a place in Butte Montana for a car it would be full of motorcycles and motorcycle people that's what he wanted that's what will remain that's what will be here after all is said and done the people who loved him that write in on their Harley's and on their motorcycles to pay tribute to him and to his family I have known Bob or evil as most people in Butte did for most of my life my remembrance was when he played hockey he hitchhiked once to washington d.c to save the elk in the park and spoke to the congressional members and he mostly I remember him for riding his motorcycle up the blacks leg piles older by the old A&W Drive in the root beer stand by the drive-in however I'm not going to talk about his later his earlier life I'm going to talk about his later life when real change would take place in his heart I talked to evil at least once but uh or often two times a month for the past five to six years and talked to him often during the interim years from her childhood almost I would tell him when they called him praying for you and I'd crawl to see how he was feeling we talked many times about how he always believed and he knew there was a god the past cheering about February he called me I answered the phone he said this is evil most of you who have talked to him know that voice he said and we talked for about a half an hour to 45 minutes and he spoke specifically about how I believed in God but did not believe that you needed to believe in Jesus Christ the mediator to get to God he said he just went direct and that didn't surprise me at that time he believed that believing God only was enough to get you there and he that's all you needed to do now those of you who really knew him knew that there was no sense in arguing with him so I didn't I just said you and I choose to do to believe differently at this point we continued to visit many times after that but the day I remember the most was a day in March when I was out at Walmart Stacy our daughter and granddaughter Remmy were with me we were shopping my cell phone rang and I answered at the other end was this is evil I had to call you to tell you I now know Jesus Christ by now Bob's voice I would recognize was different he was breathing with ease and he had the peace that passes all understanding Stacy our daughter was about two aisles away she came back and she said mom what are you being so loud about I said evil just is saved he just accepted Christ she said all right and she went about her way as we both did we talked for some time more and then Stacy said I could hear both of you two aisles over today you are particularly loud evil asked me how many years ago did you start praying for me and I said oh 39 and I did he told me that Reverend Schuler was flying to Florida to see to check him out to see if he was the real the ille he had always been the real deal why would this time be any different his voice so confirmed the love for Jesus to me that day in a complete conversion God does answer prayers so many people starting with his family have prayed for him for many many years bob was sincere about everything that he did his life was not an easy one but he did what he said he would and he lived it to the fullest he knew how to share his life with others even when he was hurting he visited with our son Justin for many years and made every attempt to help him in his NASCAR career I know these things for certain today that he loved Jesus Christ he loved his family he loved the city of Butte and he loved as many friends and all over the world here and there his love was the same he always gave his all as his good friend Jack farriner said he is in a better place we know he is healed we know he has a new body we know he has new lungs we know he has a new heart we know he has new bones we know that he has a new mind and he's without pain praise the Lord most of all of us as he said and I quote him he said I will be in the palm of God's hand when I leave here he is now worshiping with the Saints we miss you already evil but we know where you are and so in that there is peace again to his family every single one of you Linda and your family crystal all of your family anyone with Knievel roots god bless you all from all of us here and also for asking me to say a few words today I love you all god bless you good morning I'm bill Rendell evil was a dear friend of mine I'd like to start with my remarks of saying that evil said that he a favorite saying is a Roman general in the time of Caesar had a model if it is possible it is it is done if it is impossible it will be done I live by that and that word my words and he sure did evil Knievel was my hero and I was his biggest fan I feel I am one of the luckiest people in the world to have shared my life with wonderful people like evil Robbie and the entire family I first met Eva when I was 14 years old doing wheelies in the 4th of July as he was after the parade Evel called me I went to the house and I friendship grew from there Evel was like a father to me and much more he was a good friend a teacher in a mentor he taught me street sense from him I learned how to take control of my life and be my own director without him in my life I am not sure where I would be today there are so many stories that I could share with you but I just wouldn't know where to start in but I do have one 1999 Eva was very sick and needed a liver transplant if he didn't get one his chances of making it work were slim he called me about 3 o'clock in the morning and said Billy if I don't make this I'd like you to do one thing for me I'd like a street named after me in Butte Montana well we went to work on it and with the help of Mike she John says so in the county commissioners we created Evel Knievel loop it was named after him before the first Evel Knievel days and remains when his fans can connect with when they're in our wonderful city I feel so lucky that I had the opportunity to travel to Florida a couple weeks ago and spend some time with Evel we spent five days with the evil and crystal and we had great conversations about everything most of the time we sat on the couch and watched the old black-and-white country movies that he just loved the westerns he loved the westerns I personally myself didn't care much for them but I was just happy to be there at one point he insisted that I try some of his delicious chocolate cake mmm it was a special sugar-free chocolate cake that was not only good it was very good for you it was terrible I didn't know what I liked list the black-and-white movies or that chocolate cake but spending that time with him was priceless and one of the most precious times of my life we talked in great length about Evel Knievel days in what direction this event would go in he asked me to make sure and thank the city of Butte and its wonderful people for the support they have given this event he wanted me to thank the many wonderful sponsors who've donated so generously to keep this a free event which he was very very proud of he also asked me to thank the committee members who've worked so hard to make the event what it is today I assured him that Evel Knievel days will be bigger and better and now even brighter with his star shining down on us when my father passed away evil told me Billy were just gonna go the same place we just arrived on different days as I was leaving his apartment the last night there he gave me a hug said Billy I love you like a son but I don't like goodbyes don't be sad just remember that we're going to the same place and I'll be waiting right there for you when you get there will evil until we meet again may you jump all the clouds in heaven and happy landings Godspeed my friend [Applause] speaking filter I've never only been for the church I was worried I just wanted to put this on so I feel right honing in Montana the way evil used to see me when I visited here my name is Doug Wilson I'm a New Yorker I've been a producer and director at ABC Sports and ESPN for decades back in the early 70s my late my late great legendary boss Roone Arledge a cyan't get me a gift and he assigned me to be the producer of Evel Knievel telecasts whoa let me ask you a lot of people here probably worked for Evel how many people here were fired by Evel he fired people all the time sometimes with a smile sometimes not what was the magic that drew millions of people to watch him and see him do what he did he came out of the mountains of Butte Montana your beautiful mountains and the copper mines with his with his star spangled soot and his white cape and his diamonds and he came on the American scene at a time when this country was in turmoil the Vietnam War was going on there were revolutionary revolutionary things going on in our well evil would kiss him revolutionary evolutionary things going on in this country and he nothing was simple nothing was easy everything was gray no easy answers and Evel Knievel came and offered us something moments of truth I'm gonna go from one place to another I'm going over things and I'm gonna risk my life and my well-being to do so come on out and watch me and he gave us a black and white drama with a star spangled glow really think about it he wasn't really a great motorcycle rider I mean look at what happened time and again he was he wasn't nearly the motorcycle there's a great motorcycle rider here his name is Robbie Knievel and guess who told me you were better than he was your father told me that yeah he might not have been the greatest motorcycle rider but he was a showman and he created a character called Evel Knievel and then he tried to live that character and as a marketer and a promoter he was a genius friends he was the greatest Barnstormer in the 20th century for example after the Canyon jump he landed he arrived in London he'd only sold 3,000 seats for a hundred thousand seat stadium at Wembley Stadium he had a problem and he went to work and the first thing he did was hold a press conference at London Airport he fired a couple people then he looked out of the British press and he said I'm so glad to be here in this country where we came and won the war for you [Applause] well the pencils started scratching and the Pens started going and that typewriters started clicking and remember typewriters the next thing he did was bring over his read customized Chrome trimmed Cadillac pickup truck and he put his motorcycles on the back of it and he dressed up in his star-spangled Yankee Doodle Dandy suit and he just drove around London in the traffic he wasn't exactly a secret among the black London cabs and he'd stop him corners and he talked to kids about safely riding their bikes and wearing helmets I remember one particular shot that I was very proud of getting the car drove by the statue of George Washington that's in front of the National Museum there he tried to hit a golf ball across the Thames River I liked his jumps the ball didn't make it either but he did anything anything to cause attention to be pointed to his Wembley jump he did whether he had one other press conference and he said a rather amusing thing in it it was on Tim's television live and a little lady from the BBC raised her hand and she said mr. Canino don't you think that your failure to jump the Snake River Canyon has damaged your credibility no Canyon nor no woman I ever jumped ever damaged my credibility [Applause] Wembley Stadium was jammed there was a amazing moment he was lying in the van in the middle of the turf of Wembley with his arthritic leg up resting before the jump and he turned to to Frank Gifford and he said Frank there are more people in this Wembley Stadium and there are in my hometown of Butte Montana he was thinking of all of you of course we all know he didn't have a very good day that day but you know after the crash and after all that happened to him what did he do he used that to make a show to do everything he could to still make a show we remember it he was helped up on the buses and he looked out and heat this crowd and he says you wonderful people from this wonderful country you will never see Evel Knievel jump again I will never ever ever jump again three days later I'm in New York editing the phone rings at 5:30 in the morning he's calling me from his hospital bed Doug Doug this is evil Doug evil you know who it is right away don't you governor and he says he says he says you know what I said on top of the buses there you can't use that you're talking to a producer and director who's drooling with the crew of the stuff with the material I've got to make this show and I said yeah well I said I wouldn't jump again well what's wrong people nobody'll blame he said well I may jump again and I don't want to disappoint the kids disillusion the kids well he didn't fire me he just threatened to sue me and ABC and the half the world and he hung up and the show was good he liked it it was okay as one other little anecdote I'd like to share with you we all could talk for for 10 hours with stories about this incredible guy but it happened right here in Butte I came here with my crew to produce a program called Evel Knievel portrait of a daredevil it was a primetime show on an ABC network about about two weeks or a week or so before the Kings Island jump in Ohio and by the way the Kings Island jumped just just to step aside for a minute the Kings Island jump in the 43 year history of ABC's Wide World of Sports the Kings Island jump was the highest-rated show ever broadcast and in that yes not only that friends but in the top 10 shows the top 10 shows rated shows of ABC's Wide World of Sports Evel Knievel claimed seven of them so we came here to do the show you all welcome to our crew many of you helped us do a very nice show and at one point Evel Knievel took us with great pride over to his office building he'd made created a little office building proud of the made out of local rock and so forth he brought us into it was a one-story thing brought us in in the middle of it's freestanding was this huge stainless steel bank vault oh my goodness and of course there was prominently a bar and around the foot around the walls were pictures lots of pictures hanging and he left the room and I spoke to my cameraman Bob a Don shoemaker and and Jimmy Williams my sound man and I said let's have some fun because there was one thing I knew that Evel was obsessed by and that was lining things up straight he spent a lot of time on those ramps making sure everything was in order and dressed and covered and lined up so we went around and we tilted all the pictures just a little askew and waited and he came back in he got behind the bar and he began to get a little agitated and he was a little fidgety and he didn't know what was wrong and then he saw the pictures and it was like fingernails on the blackboard to him he sounded like Jimmy Cagney and mr. Roberts all right who did it and they went around immediately and he straightened them all out in the past couple of years I've been on the phone with Evel a number of times we had great conversations the subject matter of the conversations began to change and he started talking about spiritual things talked about Jesus he talked about lengthy conversations he said over the phone with Kathie Lee Gifford who is a woman of deep faith to talk to him about Jesus a religion spiritual thing he he tried to encourage me to read a book called the case for Christ that Frank Gifford had sent him and of course all that was culminated when he was baptized a few months ago by Reverend Schuler and the glorious Crystal Cathedral in California looking back over those conversations in the last couple years it is clear that he was lining up his life's picture frames again he was getting at all in order and he was making amends he was connecting with people he was lining things up because he knew he was going to move on soon well this time he made it across the river evil you were irascible you were irrepressible you were wonderful and we loved you [Applause] [Applause] I'm a Matthew McConaughey a fan and friend of mr. Knievel and no uh some of the family all right a celebration of a life you know you can feel it I felt it when I got here and you know different people deal with death in different ways but as soon as I got in the parking lot and walked in and everyone I I ran into he saw the sadness but above that you saw that the joy for a life and a celebration of a life and that makes it in a lot of ways easier sustained here now a motto of mine a compass of mine that I actually was given to me from the man upstairs my father passed away was I just keep living I was dealing with how to keep a relationship with him when he physically was no longer gonna be here on the earth but how do you keep a relationship with somebody that you love and just keep living so that's what it is for my father and this one that certainly applies here and it seems obvious around the room and with everything that everyone's had to say that there's a man there but a spirit that's also always gonna be right here that was just keep living so we're here today and we celebrate a man who did live he lived well he lived hard he lives strong he lived full throttle for celebrating an American hero who talked the talk he walked the walk he rode the bike and he made it fly when I was a kid my older brother and I he was a big Evel Knievel fan and so I became a big Evel Knievel fan and we watch evil on TV or look at the pictures and we just be mouths again and just say wow he was somebody that we looked up to how does a man do that who is that is that really for real it was almost untouchable it was a man's flying on a bike and no one else does this we would build the big dirt mounds in the backyard when you value Texas and we jumping we had a plaque with both our pictures that was hung in the den it was called Knievel and Coe and he was Knievel he was an older brother because he was jumping the bigger jumps and I was Co so he'd have the pictures he'd be flying over the barbed-wire fence and I'd be catching it with my back tire just barely making it over but making it over then I got to meet Evel Knievel and everyone hears you know what you see is what you get with that man talk about the clarity of being black and white I mean thank you no forget the adjectives and adverbs you talk to evil it's a noun verb this is how it is either yes or no in or out it's great we need more of that that's for sure some straight talk I asked him why what is it inside you that the tick's tore why do you do what you do why did you ever want to do what you did I mean I've read the stories I'm learning them about you now but what is it and the thing that I remember the most it stuck with me is that he said he goes Matthew I've got to find a way to every day just sweat in my boots said I got to sweat in my boots find something everyday to make me sweat in my boots now we know and I'm not gonna bring out a lot of things but you did to make you sweat in your boots today but we know a lot of the things he did also do to sweat in his boots and he has a little bit higher threshold for what it takes to get a buzz than most of us you know there's a misconception as I've met people and talked about evil and they're like you know that guy who's just looking to die he's on a death wish and after meeting him especially that that's obvious that couldn't be more false it was just a man that's looking to live and did live every day as I said earlier hard also as I got to know him it seemed like it was the time in between the jumps that were the hardest in a lot of ways when he was on the ground you know on the earth sometimes was a lot harder than being in the air but when he saddled up put his hands on the handlebars rev the RPMs and took off if the random took flight all of a sudden there was a grace and he was flying the landings as you said earlier could be tough sometimes coming back down was a living hell sometimes but here was a man who was sacrificing his body for a spiritual high that he had to be turned on inside what he had to do to sweat in his food now the last six months from now we last six months from now we spoken a few times and everyone who's preceded me has brought this up there was a change in tone and subject matter in the conversations that we had relationship with God Jesus Christ as a savior came up quite a few times with that same black and white clarity and he tell you anything or that he tell the English it was a good thing that we did save their ass and he said you know he goes I'm not looking forward to moving on but I do feel like I'm ready when in his time he believed he'd be in God's hands and definitely be in God's heaven now today yeah there's some sadness and we mourn that the man that the people miss and a lot of people love dearly but we are really here to celebrate his final jump where he's forever saddled hands on the bars revving the RPM is flying at the ramp in that spot in flight he's forever in flight now and you know what he doesn't have to come back down he doesn't have to land doesn't hash - he's in that spot of grace for the rest of time in flight so uh here's to Evel Knievel just keep flying the event My name is Matthew - although you probably don't all know me um I'm Matt Vincent I'm evils father-in-law Eric's son-in-law excuse me it's not everyday I speak in front of this many people um so we've all heard the the titles that Evel Knievel has played in so many people's lives daredevil icon hero dad grandpa husband friend he was a good-hearted man who did what he said not just to gain attention and admiration which he certainly did but to give inspiration and hope to all of us that anything is possible if you're determined to try and keep trying he was a true believer also in the human spirit I am was very lucky to spend a lot of time with him over the last few years talking about the things that had mattered in life most to him I admired him and I grew to love him very much but for more than what what you would expect the enormous effort and courage it took for him to conquer the obstacles in the latter half of his life the part that few people saw and the parts that nobody saw on TV made getting up and walking away from those famous spills look pretty easy in comparison he was a very strong man and he was a deeply dedicated and caring man too he worked hard and as a result he took a lot of pride in his work he always did he told me that out of fear love and respect that he felt that was most important and comfortable to him to know that he was well respected above all because the respect is the hardest thing to earn he was also a great storyteller and he put a lot of work into that his last few years and I'd like to share with the saw the evils voice you read his headstone his seven words to live by I'd like to share with you two of them that I think were really dear to his heart his faith in Jesus Christ and his belief in following your dream so please this is evils voice he he wanted would wanted me to share this with you and he's very proud of the work he put into this for everything it's worth this has been my life yes I was a star but just like the galaxy millions of other people have been a part of it some are big some small some have been there all along came and went some gave while others took feel free to call it whatever you like but you can count on this I will stand by every word like a bolt of crazy lightning I came out of nowhere always fighting to break free I threw myself up from this giant hole on the ground a small mining town and into the winds of fate I was carried through the wide open skies of unlimited possibility I drifted and with me drifted everything else around me my family my friends my fortunes in my future I drifted for a long time high and low everywhere in between when I finally landed I shook the ground like thunder the whole country rattled from coast to coast as a performer and a life risk er I've been on top of the world and I've carried it's heavy weight upon my shoulders these old tremors still shake me when I think when I walk when I breathe even when I sleep but they no longer have the strength to move me very far I'm right back to the spot where it all began although my viewpoint is a world away different it is on this solid ground where I choose to end my story not without coincidence but also not too unexpected I want to leave you with something that will continue to move you hopefully in the right direction towards or away wherever it is you're heading believe it or not all that flying through the air the broken bones and concussions my triumphs and failures have made me a whole lot smarter let's keep it simple I think it's a safe bet that everyone no matter who he or she is wishes to have a happy and fulfilling life I've always been someone who hated to be told what to do so I won't try to lay down any laws by what she should have to live however because of my own stubbornness I've learned the hard ways and by this virtue the easy ways to approach many of the obstacles in life that's not to say there is an easy way to live a happy and full life nothing so great worth having comes easy the best I can give you is a guarantee you will save time and unneeded troubles in your search for happiness if you seek out and find the following things in life once you find them don't ever let them go this is what he had to say about his faith take a close look around you see the beautiful birds and butterflies the gallant horses and cute little puppies and the millions of other things that live and breathe with us look at the flowers the trees and up in the great blue sky at the Sun the moon and stars a person doesn't have to be a genius or an idiot to know this some kind of godly powers behind it scientifically it can all be explained how this atom grabbed onto that atom and formed some magical molecule and so on and so on but statistically the odds are impossible that everything happened without a little help from above believing that my friends is faith in its basis form but faith this simple is again only for the genius and the idiot faith and faith alone isn't going to get you far enough down the path to finding true happiness all of my life I've set aside my right to believe in God as I want to I have always said to anyone who has asked me what I thought about religion God is Almighty a great power and he has a place first somewhere he created all of us equal this is still a part of my belief for much of my life I spew these thoughts and I felt I'd found the answer to my own and everyone else's question I always stood firm that I did not believe in organized religion now I suppose that it's only natural but ever since I began feeling ill from my pulmonary fibrosis and other serious ailments I started thinking much more deeply about the afterlife it was almost as if I were preparing for a jump the intensity with which I read up on religion all different kinds I wanted to ensure my path was the right one then one day during the March of 2007 it hit me his unexpected is that bolt of lightning that sent me thundering into stardom only much much more powerful without watching it on TV without listening to it on the radio not reading it in a book newspaper or Bible without hearing it from anywhere I would ever imagine all of a sudden the truth of Jesus Christ being alive and near me and talking to me just totally encompassed my entire being it was a strange yet wonderful feeling like a whole new life had just entered my body I didn't know what to think no better feeling has ever come over me I was helpless just helpless I knew then and only then I had come with all my might to believe in Jesus Christ and that I would never ever let him go for me I wanted him to be within my heart brain and soul forever every day since that day my life has changed I absolutely feel so wonderful about what has happened to me in retrospect two things had to have caused my sudden epiphany in Christ one is the power of prayer there have been thousands of people who have prayed for me and asked that Jesus be let into my heart over the years whole churches were praying for me all over this country Eldon Wright a friend of mine with the New Hope Church in Portland Oregon the Assembly of God Church imbued in my daughter Tracey's Church in Manhattan to name just a few or it was the second it had to have been Jesus himself Jesus finally said to God we've helped this Robert enough we've kept him and kept him alive we've kept him in our arms through all his sin and sorrow we need to go tell him we've had enough of this this fooling around it's time that we needed to give his life to us and so it happened my body filled with an overpowering spirit was a feeling so good that I wanted to share it with the world and on Palm Sunday I flew out to Garden Grove to the Crystal Cathedral to profess to the world that I had given my life to God and Jesus Christ my many friends had come to see me at the church when I told them I would be there as I stood next to dr. Schuler on the stage I looked out through the light pouring in the windows at the faces looking at me I can remember standing on my takeoff ramp before some very big jumps like the one at Wembley stadium in England and actually being able to feel the thoughts and prayers of 80,000 fans there were only a few thousand at the Crystal Cathedral that Sunday yet I've never felt more power and joy than I felt inside that magnificent house of God I wanted to cry out my love to every single person and thank the Lord that I was alive to enjoy that moment every day since in such a wonderful day without a doubt finding and embracing my faith has been the most important thing in my life you'll never know until it happens to you what a wonderful feeling it is to accept Christ into your life and to share it with others when you do you will never forget it as long as you live it is the truest happiness you will ever know I know that I will surely dwell in this feeling of God in Christ about me and that I will never let it go from now until eternity now that this is all over here I am and some people look at me and would think I'm all alone but I am NOT since I've accepted Jesus Christ as my savior I do not feel alone no matter what I do no matter where I go I know that I will always be with Christ and God faith really hit me let it hit you - your life will be so much more peaceful knowing that you were in God's hands people have said to me time and time again how did you ever have enough guts to jump that motorcycle such a great distance weren't you afraid from now on I will say no I wasn't afraid faith was riding with me and the fear went away and last would be his belief in following your dream don't be afraid to dream more importantly don't be afraid to go ahead and make that dream happen no matter how crazy it sounds if you truly believe in it and if you're willing to work for it it will work that's the combination of positive mental attitude and guts that made me who I am forty some years ago there wasn't but one single fool on earth who thought he could make a career out of jumping motorcycles over cars Chuck's mountains and canyons that lonely fool was me I went on to make millions of dollars capture the attention of half the world and all of a sudden the average person believed if only for a short time that anything was possible now there are guys on motorcycles doing back flips over fountains anything that's ever been dreamed or done before seems until one brave soul has the courage to change our minds I can't stress enough how vital it is to the human spirit to dream and then pursue it there is no doubt in my mind that if I ever never would have pursued my own dreams I would have wound up dead or in prison sometimes the dreams you might not have the guts to try are the ones the world is awaiting they also just might be the dreams that save your own life I never would have found that out had I not had the courage to try the first one every person has dreams but it's the happy ones who have the courage and conviction to make them come true you don't have to jump a canyon start small but I promise you whether you're young or old once you get that first sweet taste of satisfaction that comes with accomplishing a dream your life will be changed forever and from that day on anything is possible as long as you believe it god bless evil [Applause] [Applause] I'm Minister Schuler and my dad's off the oxygen I was thinking he might need it about now ah my dad being in the army I would think he would want me to think our real heroes right now those troops of our country world war one world war two the Korean War of Desert Storm Iraq if I miss one sorry I'm only forty five got it together I'm nine and I keep acting like it anyways god I hate coming back here I used to play hockey too and got nailed in this wall right here and I spent a lot of time in the county jail but that brings me our two heroes - my hero which was my father he would take me and Kelly duck hunting at 20 below zero we'd freeze our ass off defrost bed but he made that time in his prime time he would take me and Kelly hunting he would make time for us to go fishing he would make time for us to go huntin and fishin and pluck ducks and go hunting and fishing and plucked more ducks so mom could stuff him with apples and we could eat their oily little skin and the pellets remember all that mom and then we discovered Thanksgiving so we bought turkey anyway he did in his prime time he made time for me and Kelly I mean there was a day I'll never forget where he took me and kill you and I was oh well there is hey kill you how you doing your hair is getting a little great Oh see I lost my comb and my head wrap today because Kelly didn't want me to wear one anyways he took us in his v12 convertible Ferrari fishing one time down a dirt road and Dillon Montana you remember that oh my god and he took us for a lot of rides in them Ferraris at 180 miles an hour when the tires started killing off and flipping off going to golf tournaments in the gold Ferrari coupe going to Bozeman and we pulled over and we had to get Michelin tires because the Pirellis weren't good enough anyways I remember all empty I remember a lot of things and one thing I remember the most is my great-grandmother Emma were died at a hundred and three and I think a lot of you know that but she used to sit with me and tell me stories and talk to me and one time I videotaped her and I don't think she even knew it because you know she was in her late 90s but she would talk and talk and talk and I have that tape and I promise I will get a copy to the family because Kathy firown' he just got it out of my house when she moved everything out of it cuz I'm selling my house and I'm gonna die in an RV cuz I love our because my dad did and I have a house everywhere now and houses are down so sell it get out of it take the cash and run and get a nicer RV and have a house everywhere anyway I always loved watching football with my dad so ever since I was a kid he me and Kelly we'd watch football together and Tracy and Alisha they were the girls Tracy was always wonderful and beautiful and Alisha I love the cheese because she wasn't born until 1980 my dad was broke and I say you never saw the yachts Ferraris Learjets and all that stuff too bad but you know what an Alicia was born in 1980 Alicia there was never too many Ferraris too many yachts or too many Lear Jets for dad to give you as much love as he gave you he gave you more love than he actually gave us probably but he gave us a lot of love but he loved you to death so forget about the Ferrari Johnson Lear Jets because you got all his love he loved you to death and we love you to death Cristal we love you to death my dad's one of only women he said - he loved in his life for more than a day or two and my mother of course the most wonderful mother in the world I I just I want to acknowledge my good buddy bill RINO puts on evil days and I will be here for evil days next year thank you my buddy Jim dick Bill's wife Devine Raygun broke-ass Tina Brenda I mean Louie Markovic mark says everybody that you know I can't name everybody mr.reddy Gossage came from Texas motor speed up Wilson you phony cowboy hats kenny brown my old managers here is girl sandy i mean my aunt rusty my uncle Nick who I love to death my dad's only real brother all my cousins all my aunts and uncles all as I want to say is I am NOT the greatest daredevil in the world I am the little brother of the biggest best brother in the world I am the best son of the best mother in the world I am the father of the two greatest daughters in the world I am a nephew of the greatest aunts and uncles in the world and I am the sister and brother to the greatest sisters in the world and I love you all and I am NOT the greatest daredevil in the world I am absolutely not I am the son of the greatest daredevil in the world and I will remember him forever and I hope you do too and dear God my dad had all the guts in the world to do everything he did and the last thing the devil wants you to do is did what he did and that was accept Christ I'm not a preacher but I should be there's something in Acts that says your whole family will be saved God never lied to me I love you God and I love you dad I love you daddy I miss you I'll love you forever [Applause] I'm Kelly I'm the oldest son when I was a little boy I remember walking somewhere with my mom I don't even remember where we were and I remember my mom was walking she was walking fast and she was taking great big steps and I was a little kid and I looked at her and said mom why are you taking what why are you walking so fast and she looked at me just when my dad Square was first starting and she looked at me and she said I have to keep up with your father my son and through through fifty years of good and bad and highs and lows my mother has held her head high with dignity and humility and your kids love you for it [Applause] somebody dad's been in a lot of pain for the last probably for the last year he's really been in a lot of pain and he would call me and he would say Kelly I'm in a lot of pain and I would think of things to tell him and we talked about football and I try and take his mind off it and I asked him if he remembered one of my high school friends uh Danny McGrath who was right over there and I said yeah I remember Danny I said well you know Danny's father died of the same lung disease that you have and his his grandfather is reputed to be one of the jailers that gave you the name Evel Knievel so then I explained him about how Danny had Lou Gehrig's disease and all the limitations and all the battles that Danny had to fight and I called my dad back the next morning I said so how you doing today and well I've been thinking about what you told me about about your friend Danny McGrath he said and I love pain so what he was talking about he was always talking about how to overcome adversity and how to make your mind think better and be more positive and he used to take me out on the golf course and I was a young man and I could not you know you hear you're hitting good shots and you can't figure out how to play and the right shots to hit and I'd say dad what am I doing wrong he said Kelly doesn't matter what you're doing wrong figure out what you're supposed to be doing right and concentrate on the things you're supposed to be doing right in your life don't worry about the things you do wrong and that's pretty much how he lived his life always trying to do things better and bigger and more right and not being afraid to do things wrong and I think that time I've ever seen him the proudest both times were at Caesar's Palace before Robby's jumped the two people that tried to jump at Caesar's Palace or all three previous people my dad and Gary Wells and Joanne were and they all got hurt really bad and Robbie was making his practice runs and I was looking at my dad and I don't think I've ever seen my dad afraid before but it we were really nervous and my dad looked over at me and his bottom lip was quivering because the tension was so high and I was crying I just couldn't help crying and my dad looked at me he goes keep it together and I think he was talking to himself and he was trying to blame it on me more than anything else but but then Robbie wouldn't made the most spectacular jump he could have conceivably made he made it look so he made it look easy he made such a beautiful jump and so we're in the press conference after they land my dad is beaming from ear to ear cuz I think he first of all I think it was like a big reflection on him which he really liked the most and he was and then the second most proud moment of his life also happen to Caesars Palace and that was when you married Krystle and he had on a blue suit and he had a flower in his pocket which and he drove up on his motorcycle and I can't think of a more intelligent person more fun person with the strength of character for my dad to spend the last 15 years of his life with she has been it's wonderful and I know he loved her dearly and as I came up the evil Knievel days this summer and I look around the Civic's internet and everything that the city of Butte is meant to my dad I know everybody always says that the character of Butte and the history of Butte is helped forge the character of Evel Knievel I look around at the people and what's gone on with Evel Knievel days and I know that's just going to get bigger and better and I look around the Civic Center and I look around to hear it everybody today and it it appears to me that some of the character of Evel Knievel has rubbed off on the city of viewed and the family appreciates that and we appreciate your support we'll be here to do every single thing we can for you and I thank you for coming today [Applause] of gee is Sullivan in 19 wait 1969 evil Knievel came to San Francisco my father was the chief sports writer for over 50 years and knowing about Evel Knievel Evel Knievel at that time was not a sports figure and evil called my dad and wanted an interview so my dad called me I just gotten out of the Navy I had been to Vietnam for two tours and I was a professional bodyguard at the time and so he called me up and he said you know I'm interviewing a guy named Evel Knievel and he said I've read some things on him would you mind going with me to the interview there was hilarious so we go down to the San Franciscan and we sit down and Raygun was there and we got this till my dad got his story and I'd heard of Evel Knievel one time on the flight deck and this kid was telling us he said yeah he says if you ever heard of this guy Evel Knievel I said what what what's an Evel Knievel he said no no it's a guy it's Evel Knievel he jumps motorcycles he was jumping and I thought this is probably not true but this one he told me he said he was jumping for a bunch of a ladies luncheon and and he told him he got up on there and he said you know I can't make this jump but I don't want to disappoint you lady so I'm gonna jump anyway and he said he jumped and he crashed and all the ladies screamed and ran out and he said it's okay I'm all right I said I gotta meet this guy well I'd forgot about him so I'm down there dad gets the interview I stay get drunk with Knievel he says once you go to Cal palace with me and he'll pray and I out I'm just kind of a big dummy you know I mean that's Irish I was Irish back in those days you know what that's like here right so I I go down there and the announcers half in the bag and he says if Knievel makes this jump tonight he'll set the Hells Angels back a hundred years well you know that's not a bad idea but the Hells Angels were there and they weren't interested in being said back 100 years and so after they will made the jump they attacked him so I thought oh that's my job so I got involved stood in harm's way had a great time dragged him into the trailer we had Wild Turkey while we watched Hell's Angels get beat up and so I went on the road with him and I was on the road with him for a couple of years and in 1972 I left him when he was working on the canyon thing I left him and a month later I found Jesus he found me Irishmen don't find Jesus let me just clue you he has to find you [Applause] so true so I left him and in 1978 I started jumped for Jesus International because of Evel Knievel and I called him up and I said I said you know Evel Jesus Christ is the way the truth and life and nobody comes to God but by J Jesus it was my revelation I thought it was I thought he liked it click so uh I was on the 700 club and I was being interviewed by Ben Kent slow back in those days and he's we're talking and he said so how did you come to Jesus and and how did you leave the life that you were living you know the whole dramatic thing I looked at him I said well Ben you know what the scripture says when you come to Jesus you depart from evil well I thought it was pretty funny but I'll tell you what it really offended he and he didn't talk to me until 2005 and I was coming through butan it was just before Knievel days and he called me up he said gene I like to see you and so I was scheduled to see him at 10 o'clock in the morning and he fell down and hurt himself in the trailer and so he called me up he says I'm on my way to the emergency room I'd like you to see me there I said okay Evo I'll be there and I want to pray for you silence over phone no we're not doing that we're not doing that I'm not going there you're not doing that I have my own beliefs we'll have to see each other some other time click so uh okay well in March he also called me Judy he called me up and he said gene Jesus is the way the truth and the life and while I was being moved upon he said and by the way why haven't you ever been to Evel Knievel days I mean talk about you know you ruined my moment evil I said well I've been booked a night right you know he says well I want you though this year said I promise I'll said everything said I'll be there and I just need to tell you thanks to Bill Billy Rundle and everybody in Robbie over the years and I came and my team came and we did a jump on Sunday after Evel Knievel days he came to it he brought his Bible somebody said where you going he says I'm going to Gene's Church I thought I never figured saw it really that way jump for Jesus Church but he came he enjoyed it we prayed together and he basically gave me three things to say he said tell him I loved your dad Prescott Sullivan was the first major sports writer that put me on the front page of the sports page and he says I owe a lot to him because today jumping motorcycles and BMX bikes and everything has to do with skateboards evolved from Evel Knievel and it's a major major worldwide Olympic sport now and Evel Knievel started it the other thing was and you've all heard this so I'm not gonna be labor it but he said Jean first thing he said to me in March he said Jean I want you I know people will listen to you because of your history he says I want you to tell them what happened to me because what happened to me happened to you and he said I haven't been going to church I haven't been listening to people I haven't been praying or reading my Bible but he said Jean I've been smitten by the Lord Jesus Christ and he said I've I all the doubts that I used to have he said I cannot find one doubt in my spirit anymore of the reality of Jesus Christ I said how in lujah and then the last thing was and this was rough but he said you know Jean please tell him this I've offended a lot of people in my life he said I was evil knievel to a lot of people and he said I evil knievel a lot of people and he said a lot of people didn't know my heart he said please just tell him if I offended you I'm sorry forgive me so those are his words god bless you I carry with me memories of Evel Knievel but none face-to-face hand-to-hand I was impressed with him early on and I want to tell you that story I always have a television show have had it for we're going on our 39th year and we have very famous or powerful people with a message guests on our thousandth telecast I had five living US presidents on my show so I was pressed by JC agajanian who was mr. racer in America you always saw at the Whitehead at Indianapolis 500 I invited JC to be my guess too became and at the middle of the interview I saw a gold chain hanging from his pocket and on the gold chain was the gold medallion about the size of a half dollar hanging from that half dollar gold medal was a small gold verdict H and in it was a solid gold nugget JC what's this all he said that's a good story to tell you he said then this guy came up to me some years ago I was having races every Saturday night here in Long Beach and he came up to me some sanga's alien I want a race in the race Saturday night and I said to him whoever you are I don't you thank and I dismissed in Feb when he got to the door he turn around he said to the SAG stadion here's the deal that be put posters of myself riding a motorcycle by the fence around the race and my name on there and I will pay you or you will pay me a dollar for every added person that you have to the highest Saturday night so Jesse said to me that I couldn't lose I said okay come on in Newburgh race and I'll pay you $1 for everybody more than I've had in my highest kate well he said this guy came up to me after the race and he was a good racer and I checked he had 54 Ward C soul than I had never seen so I said to my secretary write up a check for $58 he came and she gave him the check made out to Evel Knievel for $58 there was only a moment later she came running through the boss JC it said he won't go he's very upset send him in so he came in and he said mr. agajanian you broke a promise you promised me a dollar for every added car to the highest you ever sold this cerise and he said you didn't keep your promise you should have made the check for $58 and you made it for $100 she said how do you know how many I had he said I had my men together gates so well JC said what happened was I thought you were good there is something about you I I like really like so I told my secretary give him a tip make it on resemblance and it wasn't long after I got a gift from Jesus from the evil Knievel and in it was this gold coin which says to JC agajanian your word is as good as gold and hanging from it was a little gold birdcage and in a solid gold nugget that's how I was introduced to the character that would become known as TC as Evel Knievel but I never connected with that because we were at separate pages and the page he was on really wouldn't encourage me to take you as a guest on the hour of power I'll put it that simply then that night early this year globally the secretary says Evel Knievel he said so he says he is I said I'll take it his children this is Evel Knievel I need your help said make it short I want to be a guest of their show he said I've been watching you now Levin for well over 30 years and people believed in you you've got something different I want to be a news show because I've got a story to tell and I want to reach the most people in the world of this show that's you did 20 million a week for languages Russian Chinese sentiment still I've been converted all my said you have yeah I said who converted you he said no preacher no television evangelist it was Jesus Christ himself he stops walk across my living room one day and suddenly I had a strong message go through my brain it was either good evil all the prayers you have till your dying breath none of them are going to be answered until you accept by sudden Jesus as your Savior the died of the cross before you that even you need a Savior he said weird it's not where I was it'll go away it'll be gone tomorrow morning he's just about burning it wasn't gone it became the most moving memory is my breathe and I heard the message again and again evil never you praise never gonna be absolute unless you accept my son and the next day so I fell on my knees and I accepted him and it felt so good I had a piece of buying I never had before it I feel or I know you know quite a bit about you I know you're a psychologist I told you to theologian I know you're a church and people believe in you he said I want to go to your show let's get the biggest thought is I want to go on your show to tell the people that Evel Knievel is anymore what he's been all his life how do I do that I want you to have me as your guest so I could tell people what really happened where I am today I said well evil sounds beautiful I'm sure we could work it out let me call you back I was going the next day to Dallas for a speech you know I was at Dallas I called evil and said hey here in Dallas can I flop over to Florida and he's insured so that actually I flew to Florida he met me at the baggage claim with his oxygen tank McCain and Bishop fans who are boy he said let's go to follow him he went into his car which he drove we went to the parking lot of a hotel I asked the questions I don't remember why I did this maybe because he answered the before I can ask them was that sort of like invisible well I've never been a before so I didn't know that but I was impressed and I saw his eyes it's almost impossible for anybody to lie in there I can't fly very easily through the eye that's right train that's what I had experienced and I studied his eyes for the one hour 20 minutes we talked I was overwhelmed by the fact that this unheard-of type of conversion was real and so I said we'll have you on the show we picked a week two weeks later spawn Sunday I was just blown away and still am blown away by it and I never doubted it was real but when he said came to the church and said baptized I had never baptized someone live alone in a Crystal Cathedral it's not our tradition so we baptized him my son who was a success succeeded me as the senior pastor of the crucible Tito helped got a band boots of water than my baptized I baptized and of the son and of the Holy Spirit a bad the tears were real and I had to take him downstairs because he had already she had 20 minutes talking or he could talk and it was so moving that my son saw up in two people in the front row that he thought for booze so my son said as I was taking evil downstairs maybe I think I see a couple of people who would like to be baptized and confess their faith like was just done you make him up it up that pays you they came from there 700 people climbed out of their seats and were baptized as something of a piece of church history unbelievable did you finishing baptizing but somebody yelled out I want to be baptized too and he came running down the aisle he was what's his name triggered I'm triggering I miss accessory to me he let the world know where he was at and the world listened and he's one of the most successful persons in leading people to become believers and he'd want me to say to you if you're not a believer of Jesus Christ you haven't got the biggest thing yet take it well but do I save you first of all to all of you here I want to say thank you evil would not have lived the life he lived at its best without you at Butte Montana I found that out when I came here last night I said to probably 50 press people before this PB people are the most important people and I said I know he was telling the truth I know it without a doubt because the eye does not buy and that as I turned activist Congress to leave I made a statement I said with a man puts the name of Jesus Christ and adds it to his tombstone you can bet your life he believes it and that happened this past week that happened this past week and he told me after the baptism that he was going to do that and Jesus Christ he had of the word the verb believe in Jesus thank you that deserves to be the last word thank you very much [Applause] food oh yes the good foundation and a good footing this is what I said and I leave it with you [Applause] his foundation of faith is not the last word after all when you build a building in I've done that the first thing they do is take a hole at Port of the cement and I said boy it's a pretty wide foundation they said to me it's another foundation sure it's only the footy and I said what's that they said the foundation has to last at last at last to last and it won't last at last unless unless you put a strong footing first so they pour the concrete why did they pour it deep that's not foundation and he got his footing here yet this town yes you're the funny from childhood up you're the funny on that he built quite a foundation and think very much and I've been asked to close with a prayer dear God some unbelievable things have happened from people in this town of my goodness I'm looking in the faces quiet silent but they've heard something today they never expected to hear from probably their most famous son and I pray that you would bless these people for courage and now for letting him share his faith so boldly without blocking him but missing Jesus I could feel your thoughts moving around there bless you keep it up Thank You concludes our service [Applause] thank you sir I wanted this please leave a message our telephone number thank you this is on how do you turn that on that turn that off can you turn on I just wanted to take Jill crazy this would be nice Joe the spiritual man mr. Jill favor [Music] [Applause] you

Channel: My Collection

Views: 6,882

Rating: 4.8000002 out of 5

Keywords: Evel Knievel, Evel Knievel Funeral, Evel Knievel Butte Montana, Harley Davidson, Stuntman, Daredevil, Motorcycle Jumper, 1970's, American Hero, American Icon, Matthew McConaughey, Robbie Knievel

Id: 4YeRprrCVzE

Length: 93min 55sec (5635 seconds)

Published: Wed Jun 17 2020