Memorial brings peace to community
By:
Jamie Hult, Staff writer
Among Ackerman family and friends who dedicated the memorial garden Saturday at Cassady Park were (from left) Brock Gulseth, Wendy Olson, Karrie Petterson, Jen Carlson, Dan Ackerman, Karen Ackerman, Marv Ackerman, Julie Hofer and Noah Hofer. Jamie Hult/BV Journal
What started as a single stone grew into a memorial garden of many stones and a lot of love.
On Saturday that memorial for late Valley Springs firefighter Steve Ackerman was dedicated in a simple ceremony at Cassady Park.
Around 75 family members and friends gathered, including several of Ackerman’s fellow graduates from the Brandon Valley High School class of 1995, which donated the memorial.
Wendy Olson, who spearheaded efforts on behalf of the class, described her amazement at how it all came together.
“It started as just a stone for his family, and we ended up getting donations from Germany, Colorado and Florida,” Olson said.
Brock Gulseth was not only Ackerman’s classmate, but also a lifelong friend.
“This gives us a place to go that’s quiet when we want to talk to him,” Gulseth said.
Ackerman died April 12, 2015, while fighting a house fire in Brandon.
“Not a day goes by that I don’t think of Steve,” Valley Springs Fire Chief Don Johnson said. “He was a great guy, a good friend, a hard worker – and we’ll really miss him.”
The memorial was completed in July with help from Earthscapes and Oak Ridge Nursery, both in Brandon.
