Ride in antique auto a wish come true for Kingston’s Whittenbarger

Inspired by the movie, “The Bucket List,” a Kingston woman has made a similar list of interesting things she hopes to see or do during her lifetime.

Rex Walls takes the wheel to give Wendy Whittenbarger and her father, Jim, a ride in his 1953 Cadillac convertible. Walls helped Wendy Whittenbarger mark an item off the list of things she hopes to achieve in her life by giving her a ride in the car that was used in “The Last Ride.”

The Whittenbargers pose beside the antique auto, which is like the one Hank Williams Sr. owned in his last days.

With the help of Rex Walls of Harriman, Wendy Whittenbarger recently marked off one of the items: a ride in an antique car.

At 40, Whittenbarger has many years ahead to realize her list, but she was eager to get started. While cerebral palsy has limited her from some things, she has an adventurous spirit and is always eager to learn and experience something new.

Walls heard about Whittenbarger’s dream, and decided to take her for a special ride in a special car — a restored 1953 Cadillac convertible like the one owned by Hank Williams Sr. when he died in January 1953.

Walls’ car was used in the movie “The Last Ride,” filmed earlier this year. A release date has not been announced for the film, which tells the story of the last, lonely days of Williams, who died at 29.

Some scenes were shot in Harriman, and Walls has a cameo role.

Whittenbarger said she had a wonderful afternoon riding to some of the historical points in Harriman.

“Now, this is living,” she said, her hair blowing in the wind.”