By BRANDON
L. SUMMERS
Messenger staff writer
Tim Schultz, Vincent, was recognized Monday by the Webster County Board of Supervisors for his efforts in restoring a portion of Oak Grove Cemetery near Lehigh, where heavy rains in 2009 caused an area to slide downhill, leaving coffins and bones exposed.
For Schultz, the effort began with a post on Facebook and what he thought was a Halloween prank.
"Someone was saying 'exposed bones' and 'caskets', and I though it was a joke," he said. "So I went out there to took a look, and it wasn't a joke."
A hill at the edge of the cemetery had deteriorated, down steeply into a ravine. Its edge had a flimsy police tape cordon. A vault was exposed. Seeing the situation, Schultz decided to act and construct a retaining wall for the hill.
"I knew I didn't have money in my business account to take care of it, so I just started making phone calls for donations, explaining to everybody what was going to be needed and everybody came through," he said. "Everybody came through."
A road into the ravine was constructed, and from there a wall was built, 18 feet high and 77 feet long, Schultz said.
"To build the road we had to take out 10 or 11 trees. Then we just had to dig a footing for the wall itself. The footing is 4 foot deep, 2 foot wide. Its got 3-inch rock at the bottom of it. The wall started from there. You just backfill as you go up."
The project, started Nov. 27, was completed Dec. 1, Schultz said.
For the project, Schultz received donations of materials and money from across the county. Marquart Concrete Products, Clear Lake, donated $20,000 worth of blocks for the wall, Fort Dodge Asphalt helped with hauling rocks, which were donated by Martin Marietta Aggregates, and K-9 Alliance offered cadaver dogs to find remains, among numerous other contributors.
"It took six weeks to get everyone lined up for the donations and schedules, but only took three days to build the wall," he said.
Schultz said he was impressed by all of the generosity he received during the project.
"It's unbelievable the amount of people who could have said no, and didn't," he said. "I'm just overwhelmed by the amount of donations either from business or just from citizens that went towards the materials for this project. Without it, it would be the same as before it started, because the total cost would have been $160,000 or more. It would be a phenomenal amount."
The end result is satisfying, Schultz said.
"I've drive out there probably 10 times since it was done and I just look at it, make sure everything's staying where it's supposed to be," he said.
Schultz said he will go back this spring to put cap on the block. It was too cold for it at the time, but will only take an hour. Then, he will put some wildflower seed between the fence and the wall "and call it good."
Bob Singer, Board of Supervisors chairman, said the accomplishment deserved the county's recognition.
"The American spirit lives," he said. "This guy took it on his own shoulders and said, 'Hey, somebody's got to do something.' The county was powerless to do anything. Yet this individual recognized, whether there's money or not, we have to get this thing done."
Singer said he, too, was astonished by the generosity shown in the completion of this project.
"I personally was touched by an individual going out and doing something when, in essence, no other body could step forward and do it," he said. "It seemed to me only appropriate, if not our responsibility, to say thanks."
Contact Brandon L. Summers at (515) 573-2141 or bsummers@messengernews.net
