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Last Ride | Melrose
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Fire Safety + PREVENTION
Learning the sounds of fi re safety
October 3-9, 2021
BY CAROL MOORMAN STAFF WRITER
Chances are Marv Kemper rode in 1952 Melrose pumper 509 responding to calls during his 21 years as a Melrose fi refi ghter.
On Sept. 1, he rode in it one last time. Following his funeral Mass at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Melrose, grandson Wes Kemper handed his urn to Joe Finken, Melrose Department chaplain, who handed it to fi refi ghter Corey Bueckers who then sat in the passenger’s seat of the red pumper truck with Kemper’s urn on his lap as Finken drove the truck to his fi nal resting place in St. Mary’s Cemetery.
Bueckers stared straight ahead, his gloved hand still on Kemper’s urn, as Finken drove the truck through the cemetery behind the Patton-Schad Funeral & Cremation van, followed by Kemper’s family
Chaplain’s dream comes true comes true
PHOTOS BY CAROL MOORMAN Melrose fi refi ghter Corey Bueckers (second from right) hands Marv Kemper’s urn to his grandson, Wes Kemper, Sept. 1 during Kemper’s burial service at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Melrose, while watching is Joe Finken, Melrose fi refi ghter chaplain, and Kemper’s grandsons, Colton Mueller (from left), Ben Kemper and Wyatt Kemper. Kemper was the fi rst retired Melrose fi refi ghter to be given a last ride to the cemetery. Pumper 509 was used by the Melrose Fire Department years ago for fi ghting fi res.
Melrose fi refi ghter Corey Bueckers holds Marv Kemper’s urn while sitting in pumper 509 Sept. 1 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Melrose. Kemper responded to calls in this truck when he was a fi refi ghter.
members. As part of this fi rst-time solemn ceremony, Bueckers exited the truck and handed the urn back to Wes Kemper, who carried it to the burial site. Minutes later, the fi re truck sirens sounded as the burial concluded. Finken was instrumental in locating and returning the 1952 Ford F-6 pumper truck, known as 509, to Melrose, with a goal of refurbishing it and using it in parades and to bring Melrose fi refi ghters to their fi nal resting places. The four-year process started when Melrose City Clerk Patti Haase located information from when 509 was purchased brand new by the city for $4,150, including an attic ladder. It was ordered March 26, 1952, and delivered on June 6, 1952. The bill of sale was signed by then city clerk Ignatius Lemm, also a fi refi ghter.
Finken estimated the tank held close to 250 gallons of water, compared to now when pumpers hold 750 to 1,000 gallons of water. Hoses were stored in the back and on the side.
Last ride page 2
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Back then, Melrose had two pumper trucks – one used to fi ght city fi res and the other to fi ght farm fi res.
“Melrose had a bylaw back in the day that no matter what, one pumper had to remain in the city limits at all times,” Finken said. 509 was a frontline pumper from 1952 until around 1970, when a new pumper truck was purchased and 509 was used as a backup.
In 1993, 509 was sold to Doug Mosch of Doug’s Auto in Marshall.
“This guy specialized in buying fi re trucks for the Knights of Columbus that were given to places in South America,” Finken said.
This pumper, however, stayed in the states. In 1997, the dealership sold it to vehicle collector John Albritton of Sarasota, Florida, who owned a fruit company.
Finken googled Albritton Fruit Company and found a phone number, which led to numerous “touching base” phone discussions. One year into the search, Finken was mailed a photo of the truck Albritton had and confi rmed it was Melrose’s ’52 pumper. During another phone call, Finken asked Albritton if he would like to sell it. At the time, it had been sitting in a shed untouched and undriven. Albritton said he had to think about it. Albritton passed away but his son, John, Jr., knew about Finken’s interest in the truck. In October 2018, Finken started pressing harder, calling on a weekly basis. Finally, during an early January 2019 conversation, Finken asked Albritton what price he would ask for it if he sold it. Finken explained to Albritton that Melrose had lost a lot of history in recent years due to major fi res and returning a piece of Melrose history back home was important to him, as mayor and a fi refi ghter. “He said, ‘You can have it. You just have to pick it up,’” Finken said. Finken had received the okay from fellow fi refi ghters and blessing from city staff to move ahead with this.
Excited to see this project come to fruition, Finken and his family took a vacation to Florida in June 2019 so he could see the ’52 pumper and visit with John Albritton, Jr., who handed him paperwork that went with the pumper. Finken returned home in time to see fellow fi refi ghter Ben Imdieke, who drove to Sarasota to pick it up, drive 509, on a fl atbed trailer, to the Melrose Fire/Ambulance Station June 8. 509, which had not run since 1993, was restored with work done by fi refi ghters and with donations, not using taxpayers’ money. Buffi ng brought the color back to life. A little revamping has to be done to the back of the truck so it can carry a casket, so Finken was happy to fi nd out fi refi ghter Kemper’s remains were in an urn.
On Sept. 1, Finken solemnly sat next to Bueckers driving 509 through St. Mary’s Cemetery; Bueckers’ hand rested on top of Kemper’s urn. 509 carried the fi rst retired Melrose fi refi ghter to his fi nal resting place, and a dream came true for Finken.
PHOTO BY CAROL MOORMAN Melrose honor guard members Bob Von Wahlde (from left), Ivan Blenker and Mike Schlicht stand in formation Sept. 1 as 1952 Melrose pumper 509 travels through St. Mary’s Cemetery in Melrose. Inside the truck, fi refi ghter Corey Bueckers was holding the urn of retired fi refi ghter Marv Kemper.
THANK YOU FIREFIGHTERS FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION
Melrose fi refi ghter Joe Finken (right) pushes the button to start the siren on 1952 Melrose pumper 509 while fellow fi refi ghters Leon Feldewerd (left) and Corey Bueckers listen during the burial service for retired fi refi ghter Marv Kemper Sept. 1 at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Melrose. Finken was instrumental in returning this fi re truck to Melrose in 2019, after a 25-year absence.
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Albany ...............................................page 3 Avon ...................................................page 4 Belgrade ............................................page 5 Brooten .............................................page 6 Elrosa ..................................................page 7 Freeport ............................................page 8 Grey Eagle ........................................page 9 Holdingford .....................................page 10 Long Prairie ......................................page 11 Melrose ..............................................page 13 New Munich ....................................page 14 Osakis .................................................page 15 Sauk Centre......................................page 16 Villard .................................................page 18
