LAHARPE — Faced with having to move out of his home because of faulty water lines, a LaHarpe resident was treated to some hometown generosity.
The resident, who asked not to be identified, is a retired veteran unable to afford repairs to his home’s aging water lines.
That led to a cascading number of increasingly dire situations.
First, the lines connected to his hot water tank had leaked, then, corrosion buildup inside the tank caused it to rupture.
Marilyn Boyd, who lives down the street from the resident, began a grassroots effort to see who could help.
She reached out to the LaHarpe Veterans of Foreign Wars post to see if they could lend a hand, and began approaching friends and neighbors for financial contributions.
That led to a weekend-long effort, spearheaded by local residents Kenny Decker, K.C. Cline and Mike Hedman, to work all day Saturday and Sunday to replace pretty much all of his water system.
“It was truly a collaboration,” Boyd said. “It took all of them.”
First, they dug out the old water line, then redid the resident’s restroom floors, which had rotted because of the leaky pipes.
Next, a new breaker box was needed to handle the larger hot water tank.
As of Monday, all that remained were touch-up items, including a new bathroom sink, Boyd said.
Decker and Cline, in particular, were singled out by Boyd for their efforts. Hedman, who works as LaHarpe city superintendent, offered use of his personal equipment to help dig the trench for the water line replacement.
The resident was moved to tears after he had learned of his neighbors’ generosity.
“That’s what being in a community like this is all about,” Decker said. “Otherwise, why call LaHarpe the Heart of Allen County?”
