Anonymous donor pays for couple’s RV taxes, license

RED OAK — When Linda Schaefer talks about Red Oak, she’s reminded of her neighbors in Denver, sort of.

“We lived in a place 15 years and didn’t know our neighbors,” she said. “When we moved here, we had strangers pull over from the street and ask if they could help.”

Linda and her husband Bob’s admiration of their new home was reinforced last week by another stranger who she refers to as a “genuine savior.”

“This isn’t much of a story, but its our story,” she said. “This person is a genuine savior to us. We appreciate him more than I can say.”

An Ominous Holiday

The Christmas holiday didn’t start merrily in the Schaefer household. On Christmas Eve, they received a certified letter indicating they were violating the city’s Nuisance Code.

In front of their home at 811 N. 3rd street sat an unlicensed recreational vehicle. The Schaefer’s purchased it from Bob’s brother and drove it home from Oklahoma.

But the RV’s fuel pump went out, and it literally died as they pulled into the driveway.

It hasn’t moved since, and the Schaefers, retired and on a fixed income, didn’t have the money to fix it or even license it. Then came the certified letter.

Robert went to the City Council meeting Jan. 8 seeking more time. He would work if he had to, but didn’t want to sell the RV, especially in the middle of winter.

The Council agreed to give him an additional 90 days to come up with the funds or sell the RV.

“We just didn’t have the money to get it licensed or fixed,” Linda said. “We are both retired and on a fixed income. Its not easy to deal with unexpected things like this when they come up.”

The Phone Call

The next day, someone who attended the meeting called the Schaefers offering to pay to license the vehicle.

“It was wonderful.” Linda said. “It was a person who was there and just understood our plight and understood how much we wanted that camper.”

While they know the identity of the individual, Linda said he requested anonymity.

“I think the whole world should know how good a guy this guy is, but he didn’t want everyone to know it, and I understand that,” Schaefer said.

Calling this man a “lifesaver” as well, Linda said people like him are what makes Red Oak an “amazing” place to live.

“I can’t say enough about this town,” she said. “There are some people who aren’t so great, but this town has some very generous and very giving people in it and sometimes we forget that.”

Up Next

With the vehicle licensed, the Schaefers are now directing their energy to replacing the fuel pump, which they have already purchased.

“All we have to do now is get it put in,” Linda said. “We were talking about selling it because we were having a hard time but now we can keep it and we are working on fixing it so it looks like it will be a great summer.”

Linda said they have a grandson who loves to fish who will be joining them.

“He’s a fisherman and his favorite place is Viking Lake,” Linda said of her grandson. “We’ve always wanted to go camping, and once we get this fixed, that’s what we are going to do.”