Gypsy MC International
Introduction
Gypsy MC has roots in the town of Maryville in eastern Tennessee. Simerly brothers, Lee and Chuck, rode motorcycles with their friends in the beautiful Smokey Mountains. Lee’s sons, Jack and Jim, watch as the riders would come and go from their home, a scene that would make a life long impression on the boys. Much later, in the 1960s, Jack Simerly would establish Gypsy MC and give credit for founding the club to his father and uncle. The club grew, first in Corpus Christi, then in Dallas, Oklahoma, Mexico, San Antonio, Houston, Austin, Del Rio and beyond.
Papa Jack maintained ultimate control of Gypsy MC from March 1968 until July 1994 when Erdin-Erdin became Chairman of the Board and Int’l President. Erdin remained in these positions until Jack passed away in May 1998. Shortly after Jack’s death, his widow, Jaynie and brother Hap shared the Chairman position. Hap assumed full responsibility as Chairman prior to Jaynie’s death in 2001 and became Int’l President when Erdin retired in May 2001. The club has expanded into Kansas and grown in Texas and Louisiana over the last ten years. Gypsy MC has stepped up to the challenge of supporting biker’s rights while maintaining the primary goals of brotherhood and the love of motorcycles.
Lee Simerly
Papa Jack Simerly credits his father, Lee and his uncle Chuck as the founder of Gypsy MC. Lee and Chuck rode motorcycles beginning in 1932 with their friends in Tennessee.
Simerly Family Moves to Texas
Jack and Hap with Mother, Estella and Father Lee Simerly following their move in 1941 to Harlingen, Texas from Maryville, Tennessee. Photo from the late 1940’s (the young girl is a neighbor’s child).
First Attempt to Establish the Club
Jack and Hap Simerly with Skip Kesterson – Jack’s First attempt to establish a club started and failed in 1966. Jack moved back to Tennessee and Hap moved to South Dakota. Jack would successfully establish Gypsy MC when he returned to Texas.
Wallfrin Industrys Decal - The Gypsy
“The Gypsy” decal was used for the original center patch graphic in 1968 (see patch at the top of the page). Jack thought that the name and the character would be perfect for his club. The rider was green, looked kinda like a pickle and tied his father and uncle’s group (the “sour pickles of society”) to his new venture, the Gypsy Motorcycle Club.
Papa Jack Simerly
Jack chairs a meeting of the new club and shows off his most recent racing trophy… note his new vest with AMA patch and Wallfrin Gypsy decal at the front of the podium. Photo from 1968 or 1969.
Early Gypsy MC Parties
The Oil Patch bar was a favorite hangout for early Gypsy MC parties. The bar was located over the Corpus Christi Harley Davidson dealership on Leopard Street.
North Beach Clubhouse
The North Beach Clubhouse was home to Gypsy MC from 1968 through 1971. This photo includes several charter Corpus Christi members shortly after the club was established in Texas, March 1968.
Good Times in Mexico
Boys will be Boys … Papa Jack and Hacksaw with a couple of “ladies of the night” in one of the border town hot spots. It’s been a long standing tradition for members of Gypsy MC to party in Mexico.
The Ancient Warrior
This 1956 Harley Panhead was the bike that Papa Jack rode for over ten years until the club gave him a new bike in 1978. Jack gave the bike to his little brother, Hap, who restored and rode it for about five years.
Jack's Other Rides
Jack also rode a British bike and an old Indian, generally these bikes were used in various flat track races that were held in Corpus and Rio Grande Valley.
Black Rocker Hacksaw
Hacksaw was one of the early member of the Gypsys and one of Papa Jack’s original Black Rockers. He served as National Vice President in the early 1970s and received the first Lifer awards (along with Dugger and Pusher) given by the club.
Super Pickle Establishes Chapters in Dallas
Papa Jack recruited Super Pickle into Gypsy MC in 1970 and charged him with establishing chapters in the Dallas area. Pickle was responsible for chartering Dallas, Seagoville, Oak Cliff and Fort Worth during the next ten years.
Gypsy MC Becomes International
The club becomes International when the Los Gitanos chapter was formed in Nuevo Laredo in 1973. O.B. Holder encouraged Jack and other members to visit Mexico for flat track races. Super Mex because the Gypsy Ambassador to Mexico, a Black Rocker and a member of Papa Jack’s chapter.
Buccaneer Days in the Early 1970s
Jack’s mother, Estella, would often visit Texas from her home in Tennessee. She was honored as the Queen Gypsy, complete with cape and Black Rockers and rode in the Buccaneer Days parade in Corpus Christi.
Tiger Red and Estella Simerly
Tiger Red as one of the first women to ride with Gypsy MC. In this picture, Tiger poses with Jack and Hap’s mother before leaving for the ride from eastern Tennessee to south Texas. Tiger rode with Papa Jack and Pusher on this trip.
Hacksaw Gets New Colors
Black Rocker Hacksaw being presented with new colors at the 1977 Mandatory. Apparently he’d worn his originals for too long and Papa Jack thought he needed to look more presentable … Yeah, Right!!!
The Brownlee Clubhouse
The club finally settled at a clubhouse located in Corpus Christi on Brownlee Street. The North Beach clubhouse was vacated after Hurricane Ciela struck the Gulf in 1971. A local bar, the Coach House, was used as a meeting location for a short time.
Black Rocker El Hombre
El Hombre, or just Hombre, joined Gypsy MC in 1973 and was Int’l Sergeant-at-Arms and Int’ Vice President under Papa Jack. Hombre was shot in an altercation at the Brownlee clubhouse in Sept 1977 but survived his wounds and is now a member of the Retired Lifer Chapter.
Gypsys in the mid-1970s
The club continued to grow throughout Texas and Oklahoma. By the mid-1970s chapters had been chartered in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Austin and Del Rio. Chapters had also been established in several border towns in Mexico.
Gypsy MC Dallas
The first Gypsy MC chapter and clubhouse established in north Texas was Dallas. Seagoville and Oak Cliff chapters were established within a short time. The Dallas chapter shut down but was re-chartered as Big “D”.
Tiger Red Develops San Antonio Area
Tiger was responsible for establishing the San Antonio area chapter in 1973. She was later appointed to the Black Rocker position of secretary. She’s pictured here with Hill Climber (Monty Mann), one of the legendary Gypsy MC members from San Antonio.
Gypsy MC Gets a New Graphic
In 1978, Gypsy MC and an MC in Northern Indiana recognized they had both been using a back-patch graphic originating from the same source (Wallfrin). Leadership from the two clubs met and resolved use of the graphic, both changing various characteristics of their patch. The Gypsy MC “Pickle” was later protected by trademarks and copyrights.
Papa Jack's New Harley
Hacksaw hatched the plan to buy Papa Jack a new Harley in 1978. Donations were collected from members and the bike was presented to Jack at the Texas 300 in San Antonio. Jack is pictured here with girlfriend Bubbles.
International Vice President
As the club grew in the 1970s and 1980s Papa Jack relied on Black Rocker Rene to help him manage chapter throughout Texas and Oklahoma. Rene would remain Jack’s number two man throughout most of Jack’s leadership years.
Tom Cat and Hill Climber
The club has had a number of “interesting” characters throughout the years. Two San Antonio members, Tom cat and Hill Climber are examples of the most memorable.
Baytown Chapter Established by Hap Simerly
Jack’s brother Hap Simerly first joined Gypsy MC in the late 1970s as a white rocker in Baytown, Texas. Hap (at the far left) started the Baytown chapter and later served an Area Vice President and International Vice President.
Gypsy MC Hall of Fame
Fat Cat pictured with Tom Cat, Estella Simerly and Hill Climber (Monty Mann) at the first Gypsy MC Hall of Fame Induction in 1979. Crazy Indian and Papa Jack are seen in the background.
Erdin-Erdin Begins to Rise to Gypsy Leadership
Erdin-Erdin, with Oh Baby and daughter Andrea at a Gypsy run. Erdin joined the club in 1974 and started the Del Rio chapter, became the Area C Vice President and then International Vice President in 1985.
Hap Simerly in Black Rockers
Hap Simerly shows his Black Rockers at a Gypsy run in the early 1980s. Hap hung up his colors in the early 1980s to care for mother Estella but returned to the club in a leadership role following his brother’s death.
Simerly Family Picture
Hap and Della with Estella, Jaynie and Papa Jack. Estella moved from Tennessee to Harlingen, Texas where she lived with Hap and Della until her death in 1990.
Papa Jack and Jaynie's Wedding
Jack and Jaynie were married in May 1979 and changes soon began to happen within the club. In June, Jack called for a vote to decide whether the club would go “outlaw” or remain a “family” or AMA club. The vote was decided in favor of family. Jack began planning to transition leadership of the club and would also move to Oklahoma in about 1983.
Red Rockers at Port Bolivar
The Port Bolivar Mandatory in 1982 marked the change from black rockers to red as well as Papa Jack’s first attempt to transition leadership of the club. Crazy Indian’s appointment to International President and Gray Fox as International Vice President was announced at this Mandatory.
International President Crazy Indian
Papa Jack moved to Oklahoma with wife Jaynie in 1983. Jack appointed Crazy Indian International President. Indian and Erdin are shown here at a Gypsy rally.
International Vice President Gray Fox
Jack appointed Gray Fox (seen here with Jack’s wife Jaynie) to the International Vice President position under Crazy Indian. Their tenure as Gypsy leaders was short lived – Jack and Rene returned to leadership and would remain President and Vice President until 1985.
Gypsy MC Established in Germany
The club established the first Germany chapter in 1983 with what the Germans called “Chapter Göppingen”. Members in the U.S. Army and stationed in Germany were the original members along with several German riders they had become friends with.
International President and Vice President
Papa Jack and Rene had led the club through the formative years and the most important period of growth and expansion. Jack had married and moved to Oklahoma and felt it was time to transition leadership. After a failed attempt to transition the Int’l President & Vice President positions in 1982 the transition was accomplished in May 1985.
Pappy Jim Becomes International President
Papa Jack announced the appointment of Pappy Jim as International President and Erdin-Erdin as International Vice President at the Fort Cobb, Oklahoma Mandatory. Jack would remain Chairman of the Board and Rene would be President of the Board, the highest ranking position in Texas.
International President Pappy Jim
Jimmie “Pappy Jim” Davis was Int’l President from 1985 until July 1994 when Papa Jack attempted to retire him and appoint Erdin-Erdin Int’l President and Roger Ross Int’l Vice President. Jimmie refused to give up and a very public court battle ensued.
Gypsy Mc Leaders in Tennessee
Gypsy leaders travel to Maryville, Tennessee in 1990 to attend Estella “Queen Gypsy” Simerly’s funeral. Jack and Hap’s mother, Estella, is buried in a cemetery next to her husband and several other family members.
Family Founders Gravesite
Lee and Estella Simerly, parents of Jack and Jim (Hap) buried in Maryville, Tennessee.
Erdin-Erdin Appointed Gypsy President
Jack attended the Calallen Halloween Party in 1994 after appointing Erdin and Roger the leaders of Gypsy MC. Jack spoke to members on Sunday morning, told stories of the origin of the club and gave Erdin a huge vote of confidence.
Erdin-Erdin vs Pappy Jim
The club was forced to pursue a decision in the courts because Pappy Jim had incorporated the club in an effort to maintain control. The court decided club leadership would be elected by a majority vote. Erdin was elected President and a new era in Gypsy history began. Erdin held both the office of Chairman of the Board and President until 1998.
Chuck, Roger and Shiek
Papa Jack’s Warriors – Chuck, Roger and Sheik were Gypsy MC members who very actively supported Erdin-Erdin and Papa Jack during the 1994-1995 struggle with Pappy Jim over control of the club.
Snuffy and the Gypsy Pickle
Papa Jack chose Area C Vice President, Snuffy, to register and protect the Gypsy logo during the Pappy Wars. Snuffy registered the pickle patch and maintained ownership until Papa Jack passed in 1998. Ownership of the logo was then transferred to the Simerly family.
Erdin, Oh Baby, Roger and Elite
Erdin and Roger led the club beginning in July 1994. Roger remained Int’l Vice President through the court battle until January 1996 when he retired into the Life Chapter. Erdin chose Area A VP Burrrr as Int’l Vice President.
Erdin-Erdin and Burrrr
Burrrr became Erdin’s Int’l Vice President in early 1996 and held that position until December 2003. Burrrr served both Erdin and Hap before retiring to the Lifer Chapter. Oh Baby, Erdin and Burrrr are pictured with other members receiving a recognition from the Mayor in Goliad, Texas during Mandatory 1997.
Papa Jack Simerly Passes
Family founder of Gypsy MC, Papa Jack, died from a heart attack on May 6, 1998 on his farm in Oklahoma. He was buried on the land he loved with full Gypsy honors. Brother Hap and widow Jaynie were appointed Co-Chairmen of the Board shortly after Jack’s passing, thus returning management of the club to the Simerly family.
Co-Chairmen of the Board
Jaynie and Hap Simerly, pictured here with Area C VP Chuck and Shotgun at the 1999 Crawford Mandatory. Hap assumed sole responsibility as Chairman and became International President in May 2001.
Crawford Mandatory 1999
Erdin served as International President until May 2001 when he retired and Hap assumed the role of Chairman and Int’l President. Hap Simerly continued to maintain both leadership positions in Gypsy MC.
Headstone Placement at Simerly Grave
Following Jaynie Simerly’s death in 2001, Chuck Bailey organized an effort to raise funds for purchase of a fitting headstone for Papa Jack and Jaynie. A group of Gypsy members traveled to Oklahoma to set the headstone and renovate the gravesite.
Jack & Jaynie - Together for Eternity
Gypsy MC members have continued to maintain the Simerly family gravesite located in the family cemetery in Oklahoma. Members, new and old, make the pilgrimage to show their respect for the founder of Gypsy MC.
Black Rocker Reunion at 2003 Mandatory
Members of Papa Jack’s chapter, the Black Rockers, served as the club’s first management. Left to Right: Super Pickle, Dugger, Rene, Hombre and Dyn-o-mite.
President's Meeting at 2003 Mandatory
Gypsy MC management, including the executive board and chapter presidents meet during annual Mandatory Rally.
President's Meeting
International Secretary, Elite; Chairman and International President, Hap; and International Vice President (1996-2003) Burrrr at the December 2002 President’s Meeting.
Hap and Giddy-Up Go
Chairman and International President, Hap Simerly with wife, Giddy-Up Go at 2002 Monty Mann Memorial Run.
International Vice President
Area C Vice President, Chuck, was appointed as International Vice President in December 2003. Chuck is pictured here with wife, Silhouette.
Black Rocker Reunion 2004
Top Row (L to R): Dugger, Pusher, Tiger Red, Super Pickle, Rene, Nite Owl, and Hombre
Bottom Row (L to R): Super Mex, Dyn-o-mite and Blue
Lifer Chapter Coordinators
Silver Tongue and Rebel coordinate communications within the Gypsy MC Lifer Chapter. After many years of continuous and active chapter membership Gypsys can “retire” to the Lifer Chapter – Motto: Retired, Still Serving.
Wichita Chapter Patch-In
Gypsy MC International opens chapter in Wichita, Kansas in 2005. By 2011, a total of five chapters have been chartered in Kansas.
Gypsy MC International Executive Board
Executive board members at Mandatory 2006 (Left to Right): Toolman, Kitchen Man, Ten-Forty, Oh Baby, Hap Chuck, Elite and Noggin.
Nacogdoches Gypsy Pig Roast
Gypsy MC members from 2008 Nacogdoches Chapter Pig in da Ground party … held annually (in February) at the Nacogdoches clubhouse.
Gypsy MC International Museum
The Gypsy MC Museum was officially presented to the club at the 2008 Mandatory. Hap and Oh Baby describe the museum project and invite members to visit. In addition to Papa Jack’s bike, the museum contains artifacts from Gypsy leaders throughout the club’s history.
Gypsy MC Women 2010
Women of Gypsy MC at their annual “Girls Not Lake Trip” … This event gives the gals a once a year retreat from the guys … they camp out, float the river and do a bit of sensitive female bonding! Guys are not invited!
Black Rocker Rene
Rene Benavidez, retired Gypsy MC Lifer, former International Vice President and President of the Board. Rene died in January 2010, a 40 year member of Gypsy MC – a true Gypsy MC icon.
International President Erdin-Erdin
Bert “Erdin-Erdin” Lynch, former Gypsy MC Int’l Chairman of the Board, International President, International Vice President, Area Vice President, Del Rio President passed in November 2010 – another true Gypsy MC icon.
Gypsys at the State Capital
Gypsy MC has always been supportive of bikers rights. The club was one of the founding member of the Council of Clubs (TCOC&I) and Erdin appointed Toolman Legislative Officer to organize our efforts. Members are pictured here at the State Capital during 2011 Legislative Day.
Gypsy MC Change In Leadership
In May 2014, Hap Simerly retired and appointed his son Roadrunner both Chainman-of-the-Board and in June Roadrunner became International President. Pictured above is the Executive Board at an August 2014 E-Board meeting.
And the Road Goes on Forever
The story of Gypsy MC is still being lived and will continue to be written by the members who love this club. The club continues to grow, which is a true testament to the vision established by Papa Jack and the early members of this club. Gypsy MC has been referred to as one of the “pioneer” clubs in the history of traditional motorcycle clubs throughout the world.
This pictorial history of Gypsy MC was made possible through the contributions of so many members who offered their photo archives and their memories. To these contributors, I truly appreciate the time and effort that you took in sharing your photos and your recollection of the history of Gypsy MC with me. I’ve tried my best to distill the thousands of photos that I’ve harvested during the last eight years to bring this presentation to you.
Love, Loyalty and Respect,
Raoul – December 2014