BANGOR (AP) – The theft of a rusty 1977 Ford pickup truck that served as a makeshift memorial in northern Hancock County to a man who died in 1993 at age 25 has left his family baffled and saddened.

“It probably means nothing to whoever took it, but it means a lot to us,” Roberta Violette, 50, of Indian Island, said of the red and silver truck.

For some 14 years, the vehicle had been parked outside her family’s camp in Amherst, along a dirt road about five miles off Route 9. Next to it was a large stone and a plaque bearing the name of Violette’s brother, William Blanchard III.

“That was Will’s truck, and the camp was his favorite place,” said Violette, who did not wish to discuss the circumstances of Blanchard’s death. “So we took it back up and left it there. It became a symbol of him.”

Over time, the truck became a target of vandals and could have been mistaken for junk. One year the tires were taken; in another the brake line was cut.

The ultimate blow came when a family member visited the camp last fall and discovered that the truck was gone.

Blanchard’s father, William Blanchard II of Orono, contacted police, but the truck’s wheeabouts remain a mystery.

Violette said that if those responsible for the truck’s disappearance knew that they were stealing a family’s memory, they might understand the extent of the loss.

Blanchard said that at age 79 he isn’t hopeful of ever seeing his son’s truck again.

“I would say I’d be surprised if it was found,” he said. “And I’ll tell you what: I wouldn’t let it out of my sight.”

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Information from: Bangor Daily News, http://www.bangornews.com

AP-ES-02-21-07 0216EST

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