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Trenton Car Show remembers Fallen Angel
Car enthusiasts and community members enjoy seeing friends and family at the annual Trenton Car Show
TRENTON — Hundreds of vehicles filled Trenton Park for the Sixth Annual Trenton Car Show last weekend, which honored original Angels of Trenton car club member John Campbell.
Every year the Trenton Angels memorialize a late member of the Trenton Angels at the Trenton Car Show.
“Back in the ‘50s they had a car club here, they actually had a clubhouse, which is the Angels of Trenton,” Trenton Angel Terri Bain explained. “When we put our organization together, we chose Trenton Angels because we like to do good things for the community and honor them.”
This year, they recognized John Campbell, who passed away in October 2023. Known for his love of cars, John not only owned his own business, John’s Rods and Repairs, but he also frequently attended and participated in many car shows, specifically with his favorite vehicle, a 1928 Essex.
“He went to car shows in Quincy, Muscatine, Kalona, Richmond, Mt. Pleasant,” John’s brother Walt Campbell said. “He went all around and he never ever hauled it. He said cars aren’t for hauling, you need to drive them.”
Keeping with tradition, that’s exactly what Walt did. He and his grandson Brayden drove the blue 28 Essex to Trenton and proudly showed off the car that meant so much to his brother.
The Campbell family were not the only ones with a rich history at the Trenton Car Show. While the Trenton Angels have only put the show on for six years now, members and fans of the original car club from the 50s are always sure to show up early and get the best spot in the park.
While not original Angels of Trenton Car Club member, Gene and Sandy Christner have shown their 1969 Chevrolet Camaro at all six of the shows.
“My dad said I couldn’t belong to a club,” Gene shared. “At 15 years old he wouldn’t let me join.”
That did not deter Gene’s love for cars and over the years he has built many friendships with others that share that love including original member Dean Aicher and his wife Doris.
Dean joined the Angels of Trenton Car Club in 1964 at just 16 years old. Through his membership they would get together at their clubhouse, work on cars together, and put on events to benefit the Trenton community. For Dean and many club members, Angels of Trenton was more than just a car club, it was a real community club. So, pulling up his 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle to the park each year for this show beckons back to the time of coming together as a community and chewing the fat with other car enthusiasts.
It is the sense of community that brought David Van Dorin into the classic car fold, though he was not around Trenton at a time to be a member of the original club. According to Van Dorin, original member John Messer was a huge driving factor in his even showing his 1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS 396.
“I bought this car with no motor, no transmission, and it’s just got primer,” Van Dorin said. “I thought I was just going to put a motor and transmission it and be done.”
Seeing his beautifully restored Camaro SS, however, just goes to show just how much further Messer was able to push him to complete the car. Van Dorin says Messer would stop by his shop nearly every other day and encourage him to finish it.
“He just kept after me, and it was a God send, honestly,” Van Dorin said. “He used to say, ‘If you’re going to New York, you can’t stop at Chicago and call that good. You got to New York.’ That came from Gene Christner and he used it on Messer and Messer used it on me.”
From there, Van Dorin says he used Messer’s knowledge to help him out restoring his vehicle to its current state and he is always eager to lend a hand whenever needed in return.
“Usually, you go to a show in like Burlington or Keokuk, and you hardly know anybody,” Van Dorin said. “Now here, you hardly have time to sit down. It took me two hours or better to eat my brisket sandwich!”
Van Dorin says he was more than happy to set that sandwich down each and every time to catch up with friends at the Trenton Car Show.
“We’re just show and shine, low key, come show us what you got,” Terri Bain
With such a laid-back atmosphere the Trenton Car show attracts many car enthusiast, though, Bain says not all of them register. Approximately halfway through the show Bain says volunteers counted 140 registered vehicles, but a total of approximately 210-220 parked around the show.
Money raised from donations and raffles at the Trenton Car Show will go toward a new shelter in Trenton Park.
Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com
