If you’ve ever strolled through the Bishop Arts District and in front of Zola’s Everyday Vintage shop, you’ve undoubtedly seen this classic 3-speed chained to the tree out front. We always wondered about it, and recently went in to ask the store’s owner, Annette, its history. She told us some details about a girl who has since passed away, but worked in the shop next door, which used to be a floral business. She mentioned that her name was Marie, and that she would carry her two small dachshunds in the rear panniers which she had lined with cardboard. Beyond that, there weren’t a lot of other details, but Annette promised to contact Phillip, the owner of the former floral shop, to provide more information. This weekend I received the following email from him:
I was in at Zola’s tonight and Annette said that you were interested in the story behind the bicycle in front of their store.
My partner, Don Allen, and I used to own Bishop Arts Floral. Gloria Marie (Marie) Clevenger was an employee of ours and it was her bike. She lived off of Center Street near Tyler here in Oak Cliff with her long time boyfriend…and she did not own a car.
When Marie was younger she had spent some time modeling and quite a bit of time as a visual design assistant to several photographers. We never did learn exactly what caused her to walk away from the fast paced life….but in about 2000 just before Valentines day she showed up at our shop and basically hired herself on. She said that she knew we’d be swamped…and she wasn’t a floral designer…but she had helped out in other shops…she could run the register, take orders on the phone, etc.. And she was right, we did need help….so she helped out for the holiday. For the next couple of years we’d only see her just before major floral holidays…and she’d work a week or so for us. Marie was very outgoing…she could (and would) talk to anyone. If we had a slow time, she’d stand at the door and beckon people inside. Then in 2003 she started as a part time employee. She worked 20 or so hours a week that year. Every day she worked she rode her bicycle…rain or shine. If we worked late for some reason, we’d load the bike into our van and drive her home, but her bicycle was her mode of transportation.
Marie had asthma…..and late in 2003 we got a phone call from her boyfriend saying that she’d died of an asthma attack in the ambulance on the way to Parkland hospital.
They had no money and she had no local relatives. So a few of the merchants in Bishop Arts, who were all fond of Marie chipped in to pay for her funeral.
By the time Marie passed, her bicycle was something of a fixture in the district. The girls at Zola’s (Diedra and Annette) talked with her boyfriend and we all agreed to keep the bike as a kind of memorial to Marie. So now whenever Zola’s is open, they put the bike out. It may be decorated for different holidays, or have lights on it at Christmas, but those of us that knew Marie always think of her when we see it, and it’s a good memory. Marie was a kind soul, a gifted artist and a poet and she touched us all.
I’d be happy to answer any more questions you may have, but the back story behind the bicycle itself is pretty simple. It was the way that she had to get around….and she made the most of it.
Thanks for your inquiry,
Phillip Wheless
Bike Friendly Oak Cliff 
wow- what a touching story. thanks so much for sharing it.
Wow, so that’s the bike. I’ve seen it but never knew it had a story behind it. God bless.
thank you for sharing this. what a touching and appropriate memorial. further proof of what a great community we live in.