eBay listing drives man's history hunt to Le Mars

(Photo contributed) With the 1929 Chevrolet Coupe loaded up, Lynn Nuebel shakes the hand of the car's new owner, Mark Jonas, of Dousman, Wis. Jonas first saw the car listed on eBay and later bought it off the lot of Nuebel Chevrolet in Le Mars. [Click to enlarge]

It had 31,000 original miles, original paint and original engine.

And it was from 1929.

The Dousman, Wis. man traveled to Le Mars a few months ago to pick up the car from Lynn Nuebel at Nuebel Chevrolet.

Although Jonas first spotted the car on eBay, he later ended up buying it from Nuebel in person.

Even though Jonas took the car back to Wisconsin, his journey into Le Mars history was only beginning.

He wanted to know who took such good care of the car for close to 80 years.

His research brought him to one woman.

Jonas found that he was only the second person to buy the Chevy Coupe off a Chevrolet lot in Le Mars.

Originally, a local young woman named Verna Gearke drove the maroon and black Coupe off the Nicholson Motor Company in Le Mars, probably in the fall of 1929.

Nicholson, who started the business in 1913, was the first dealer in the United States to hold the franchise for the sale of Chevrolet. That dealership would eventually become Nuebel Chevrolet.

Gearke drove the Coupe for nearly 70 years. In fact, many locals recognized her by the little maroon and black car she drove almost until her 90th birthday in 1988, according to Betty Winterringer of the Northwest Iowa Genealogy Society.

Jonas called on Winterringer to help him with his research.

They discovered that Gearke lived in Le Mars her whole life and worked at the family's Gearkes Meat Market.

She used the car mostly to drive around town.

"She was never married, but she loved that car," Jonas said.

It's condition, he said, proves it. Jonas also owns a 1931 five-window coupe and a 1935 two-door sedan.

"I find it really intriguing that someone loved her car so much she kept it around for 70 years," Jonas said. "That says something about a person."

He paused and chuckled.

"Maybe she didn't like change," he said. "Her father had a horse and carriage he kept late into the '20s, so maybe their family kept things for a very long time."

Jonas said he feels compelled to dig up the history on any car he owns, and this car especially.

"To me it's worth everything, just because of the love someone has afforded this car," Jonas said. "It (the history) really makes you bond with the vehicle."

Jonas bought the car after only seeing pictures of it.

"I'm a '30s and '40s guy. I love that era," he said. "It was really a nice time in America. People helped each other."

The car, he said, seemed to be a good specimen from that generation.

"I could see in the pictures, even with the dust, that it appeared to be the original paint. I do 100-point restoration on 1930s and '40s Harley Davidsons. In that arena original paint is king," Jonas said. "I took the chance."

The risk paid off.

The maroon and black paint, with orange accent pinstripe, was original as he had guessed.

"It took nine hours to polish the car out by hand. It's just in wonderful shape," Jonas said. "It's gorgeous, I think."

He's doing small renovations, bringing every part of the vehicle back to the original 1930s design. He discovered the hand crank for if the battery ever died and found the original tools for the car under the seat.

Jonas has been driving the car around -- but not too fast.

"It can only comfortably go 30-35 mph," Jonas said. "Back then they had no asphalt. Transportation was in its infancy. Everything was dirt, potholes and ruts. It was a mess."

But Jonas is fine with keeping the speedometer right there, anyway.

"We spend so much time going 70 (mph) we don't have time to look around," he said.

If he could meet Gearke, he'd ask her why she kept the car for 70 years. And he'd assure her the 1929 Chevy Coupe is in good hands.

"I'm sure she's pleased," Jonas said. "I'm a real purist. I'll keep it until the day I die, and then I'll pass it on to someone who loves cars."