Posted: 10/2/07
Dorchester man learns the
true meaning of generosity
By Tom Hammell
Special for the Caledonia Argus
Jim Scott was overwhelmed when he watched his mobile home light up like a torch, but not as overwhelmed as he has been at the generosity shown to him.
On Aug. 27, Scott watched as a propane tank from another home in the Up The Creek Campground in Dorchester floated into his when the campground flooded. The pilot light ignited the propane and firefighters could do nothing to stop it because of the rising waters.
"I knew there was nothing I could do about it," Scott said.
He lost everything.
He lost a set of antlers from a deer his father killed. He lost the only picture he had of his deceased brother. He lost his Vietnam war photo album. He lost his books from his years as a steam engineer.
Having been through two floods in the campground before, he knew of the dangers to the mostly retired residents of the campground, so he was outside to warn them.
"A foot of water has got so much force, it will take the feet out from under you," he said.
Within hours, people started giving him clothes to replace the one set of damp clothes he was wearing.
On Friday, Sept. 21 he was in for another shock when a large mobile home was pulled into Dorchester with his name on it.
JC Nerstad, the owner of the campground, called him and said a donor had given him a new mobile home. Nerstad said Scott told him he didnít cry when the trailer burned down, but did later because of all the generosity showed him.
"That really caught me off guard," he said Thursday afternoon. Scott still hadnít moved into his home, waiting for the electricity and utilities to be connected.
Norm Snodgrass, of Caledonia, still hasnít met Scott, but he heard about Scottís situation and wanted to help. Snodgrass was dealing on a mobile home when he asked the owners if they would donate the trailer to someone who lost a home to the floods. They sold it to Snodgrass for a dollar.
Nerstad organized the transport of the trailer from Caledonia to Dorchester and paid back rent on the home.
"Even though I never met the guy, I wish I could have seen the look on his face when JC told him heís got a trailer coming," Snodgrass said. "Itís pretty amazing how everybody just came together."
Nerstad said a large group of people helped dismantle the old house because of what he says is Scottís concern for his neighbors.
"Heís always been kind of the good old boy around the area, and heís always helping out," Nerstad said.
Scott said he has lived in Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota and other parts of Iowa, and has never seen this type of generosity.
"It does make you feel like youíve come to Godís country," he said.
Since footage of his burning home was on the news in Waterloo, Iowa and on CNN he started getting phone calls from people he knew.
A former resident of the campground called and said he could stay at a trailer he had just up the hill until he was situated.
The Eitzen Lionís Club even pitched in to help him, giving him $1,500 to help get back on his feet. Having been burned out of his home three years ago, Lion Bob Walters knows what it is like to be left with no money or even identification.
"We do that for people who have emergencies in our fire district, and Jim certainly qualified with his loss here," Walters said.
Snodgrass was involved in a fundraiser at the Back 40 Supper Club in Caledonia and said he was impressed by the number of people that came out, a benefit of living in a small area.
"Weíre all a little bit more tightly knit than we think," Snodgrass said.
Caledonia Argus
314 West Lincoln St.
P.O. Box 227
Caledonia, MN 55921-0227
507/724-3475
E-Mail: editor.argus@ecm-inc.com