Hello everyone,

It is with great sympathy that I inform everone here about the passing of my friend and FTE member FruitPunch. I received the sad news yesterday from her neighbor after I was unable to make contact with her over the last few days. Her neighbor informed me yesterday her passing was earlier in the week.

Let me take a minute and tell you who she was. FruitPunch - real name Janna Hickel had a passion for anything that had an engine and could run. At an early age she started riding motorcycles and loved helping her Dad tinker around on old cars in the garage and she would often help out. She loved Subaru cars, but her all time favorite ride was her love for Ducati motorcycles. She owned several bikes, but her last one was a yellow 900 super sport that she named LemonAid. I met her in June 2008 and she quickly realized my love for my truck OrangeJuice. She came into my life as I was doing an engine swap on my truck Juice. I was telling her that my truck would be a lot faster with this engine over the stock 360. When my truck got done and back on the road and we went cruising and she made the comment that Juice is pretty fast for and old Ford truck. We then found ourselves talking about a race with Juice vs her Ducati. I told her I was going to win - I guess standing tall and proud, fighting for the Ford trucks all the way! I knew going into this showdown that I was at a huge disadvantage, but I didn't care. Soon after our race started I was quickly overtaken and left way behind only to see this yellow dot in front of me get smaller and smaller...lol. She arrived at my place minutes before me and we had a good laugh and a beer over it. We both shared one thing that day...it didn't matter who won or lost, but that we had fun sharing what we both loved - her Ducati and my truck. After a few months she confessed to me that she was now an old Ford truck lover and she wanted one for herself. In Feb 2009 a 1977 F-150 was found on craigslist in Oregon. I called and talk to the owner and we soon decided to drive down to Oregon from Washington to look at it on a sunny Sunday. She decided to buy it and after a short time of owning it she wanted more power in it and wanted a 390 in place of the stock 351M it had. Now this is where the fun started. FruitPunch posted her engine swap last Saturday 1-2-09 on here to inform everyone of her project that she named FruitPunch. We soon found ourselves one again again in a simular and more evenly matched situation for me of cruising in two old Ford trucks together. She talked about making more improvements to her truck including a new paint job.

I can honestly say that she truely loved her Ford truck and her Ducati. Janna just turned 42 and left us too early. I'm left with the memory and all the good times we shared together, not only with her truck, but my family too. She'll be missed by so many people she touched. She may have passed, but her love for who she was and for her truck FruitPunch will live on. And I know her truck will be passed on to her family as a piece of memory.

Sorry for the long post, but I thought it was important for everyone to know who she was. This is what she would have wanted and I feel this is the least I can do for her at this time.

Thank You
OJ

 

I've only had the chance of speaking to her here on FTE. She seemed a very bright and intellegent individual that truely apreciated these old trucks.

I'm sorry for your loss...

 

Sad loss indeed and at such a young age, another reason to live while you can as I also loved bikes I imagine she lived good anjoyed it while she was here on this earth.
Very sorry to here it though.

 

Wow, a great happy, yet sad story. This would also would have fit into the Fond memories and dentside thread going on. Its such a shame a life that only lasted 42 short years.

I am sorry for your loss OrangeJuice, I know what it is like to loose a good friend, it never goes away.

But then again, neither do the memories!.........

 

Very sorry for your loss. Thanks for sharing such a heat warming story of the love for our FORD trucks.

 

Its great that yall two became good friends and shared some of the same interests. Sounds like her last couple of weeks on earth were good ones, as they should be. Maybe the family will keep the truck and continue to fix it up in her memory, sounded like she loved it alot. Best wishes to you and her family.

 

I can remember when she first joined and got that truck. I read that thread...

Sorry brother

 

My thoughts and prayers go to you and your families.

 

I'm sorry for your loss; and pray that healing strenght begiven. Hopefully as you and others in her town will continue to support her family in these sorrow times. Atleast you got cool memories that can make us all smile!!!!!

Mitch

 

Funny, as I stopped back to read the additional post since I last posted, Lynyrd Skynyrd's Free Bird started playing, and I thought how fitting. I guess no one should be sad because she is free at last,..........

 

RIP.... 42 is way too soon...

 

Thank You everyone for all the kind words, the thoughts and prayers you have sent me. And Thank You to everyone who read this tread and didn't know her. Maybe you can go away by knowing a little something about who she was. It was difficult to sit down and type this up about someone who was a part of my life. And to her friends on here: My Father...Old Rusty Wrench, Dr. Dirt and 76F350spercamprspeal...Thank You in sharing this passion with her as we traveled down this fun road. And like what Tees77F150 stated: She's like a free bird now...she's free at last.

Thank You
OJ

 

I'm so sorry...
She was a great person, we talked on here before.
She was the first person to contact me when she signed in...
I'll miss her, may the Lord Bless her & her family.
She wanted a 390 in her '77 Free Wheeler...
I have a tear rolling down my cheek...
How did she pass?

Thanks,
-Anthony-

 

Please accept my deepest condolences. 42 is way too soon to pass. May Fruitpunch ride her Ducati and her F150 forever. RIP

 

I am also very sorry for the loss of your friend. May the Lord comfort everyone that knows her.