Page 16 - Abraham Lincoln Hearse Narrative

ERIC HOLLENBECK A
Eric Hollenbeck, Eureka, CA native, is the old school expert craftsman and lead builder of
Phase II. Hollenbeck is a Vietnam combat veteran, who served with the 101st Airborne during
the TET offensive. In 1973, he set out to form a salvage logging company in the Redwoods with
three partners and a $300 bank loan to purchase tools, gas and a little blue truck. But it did not
take long for his hard work, great skill and respect for the natural
habitat to earn himself an outstanding reputation in Northern
California. He collected antique mill and woodworking equipment
and over the next 41 years he and his wife, Viviana built a nationally
recognized custom Victorian Millwork shop.
The Blue Ox Mill customers include hundreds of homeowners,
governors’ mansions, national parks, historic cathedrals, and the
President of the United States. The company’s millwork craftsmen
meet the custom demands of restoration projects and new
architectural designs nationwide. Eric, What Did I Just Do.
Hollenbeck recalls, “I received the call of a lifetime from Jack
Feather in spring 2014. He was searching for an old school craftsman
to recreate the Abraham Lincoln hearse. With no hesitation and a
lot of enthusiasm, I told him that I would be honored. This project
was just the thing I needed to engage a group of returning veterans

Viviana, Eric’s better half. who served on the front lines in Afghanistan and Iraq.”
The Blue Ox Mill Veterans program focuses on helping combat
veterans reclaim their lives. “I know what these veterans are going through and the need to
do something positive,” Hollenbeck added. “This timely endeavor is just the project that these
veterans need to rally behind. Having a part in making a positive historical impact within the
great nation they fought for is priceless.” Please visit BlueOxMill.com

JAY JONES A
Jay Jones, of Nicholasville, Kentucky, is recreating the rolling chassis. Jones is a three-tour
Vietnam combat veteran. He is President of Custom Wagons, LLC
based in Kentucky working with Jon Myer, General Manager, at their
shop in Pennsylvania. Jones’ company made the catapults, which
debuted in the Dunkin’ Donuts commercial as well as fabricates
four to five hundred wagon wheels each
month for customers around the world
as well as the Amish communities in the
east. You can find their wagons, wheels
and axles in the movies (Paramount, DreamWorks, Warner Brothers
Pictures, Disney, Turner Films), on TV (Trading Places, Into The West,
Myth Busters), on the beach at resorts, on Broadway, in university
theater groups and major theme parks (Disney, Six Flags, Silver Dollar
City, Kennywood, Tweetsie Rail Road) all across America. Please visit
CustomWagons.com
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