Brookfield/Elm Grove Monthly

By Katherine Michalets Special to The Freeman BROOKFIELD — When Chester Zawalich was pulled over last year on his Harley-Davidson in Brookfield for making a turn from the center lane early in the morning, he started to explain his reasoning to the officer. The officer didn't seem likely to cut him any slack based on Zawalich's response — until he got a look at his driver's license and record. Zawalich was 99 with no previous tickets. After talking for a long time, the officer let Zawalich go with a warning. Zawalich celebrated his 100th birthday on Aug. 19 and at about the same time he bought himself a fixer- upper 1981 Harley-Davidson FLT Classic for $2,500. "I want to play around and see what I can do," he said. The problem so far has been that Harley-Davidson does- n't make the parts anymore so Zawalich will have to order them cus- tom made. Since he got his first Harley at age 16 in 1930, Zawalich has been fixing up motorcycles and selling them for a profit. It's even how he met his late wife and his current lady friend. It was love at first sight when Zawalich got to ride his first Harley at age 15. "I rode the first motorcycle built (by Harley-Davidson). The guy let me drive it around in a field a bit," he recalled Friday afternoon in the Brookfield home he shares with his grandson. When he got a job in 1930 delivering auto parts for a Bay View business, Zawalich delivered them in his Harley year-round, racking up 600 to 700 miles per week. For his work, he got paid 40 cents per hour. The way he afforded the bike was he swapped a 1928 Chevrolet convert- ible and $50. Through the years, Zawalich would find a good deal on a bike, fix it up — often making it more powerful — and would then sell it for a profit. While it's a Harley he loves the most, through the years Zawalich has owned Indian and Honda motorcy- cles. His late wife, Emily, said anything other than a Harley was too quiet. At age 25, Zawalich bought his first new Harley-Davidson. At about the same time, he met Emily. She would sit on the porch of her home at Fourth and Lincoln in Milwaukee and the two would wave at each other when he passed on his motorcycle. "I thought someday I am going to marry her," Zawalich recounted. Barbara Eash antiques column 3A $5 DAY PASS • $7 WEEKEND PASS CHILDREN UNDER 12 ARE FREE! The Wilson Center is located in Brookfield's beautiful Mitchell Park, just south of Capitol Drive. HiddenRiverArtFestival.com 2 6 2 - 78 1 - 95 2 0 2 013 2 014 WILSON CENTER ART FESTIVAL S E P T E M B E R 1 3 - 1 4 1 0 A M - 5 P M PHOTOGR APHY ∙ PAINTING JEWELRY ∙ FIBER ARTS PRINTMAKING ∙ DR AWING SCULPTURE ... & MORE! 238559006 OFFER C a sh R e w a r d 239854001 The FREEMAN Brookfield & Elm Grove This Month is free and will arrive in your mail the first week of each month. In each month's edition we will take an in-depth look at an issue, person or other story in the com- munity. We will also pro- vide other important information such as com- munity activities and updates on local stories. We encourage you to subscribe to the daily Freeman for coverage of Brookfield, Elm Grove and the rest of our area. To subscribe, to reach one of the editors with story ideas or for photo reprints, call 542-2500. We hope you enjoy this month's edition. – Freeman editors Hello, Brookfield & Elm Grove! INSIDE PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID WAUKESHA, WI PERMIT NO. 3 Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WaukeshaFreeman Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WaukeshaFreeman Focus on seniors 4A, 5A Calendar of events 4A Brookfield & Elm Grove T H I S M O N T H SEPTEMBER 2014 PREP FOOTBALL PREVIEW 8A See CHESTER, PAGE 5A Charles Auer/Freeman Staff Chester Zawalich talks about his 1998 Harley Davidson. 100 and riding strong Brookfield man still fixes up Harleys, has perfect driving record Chester Zawalich and his wife, Emily, then his girlfriend, sit on his 1937 Harley Davidson.

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