Friends, neighbors harvest fields of rural Dows farmer battling brain cancer

Brian Butt this month has seen first hand the strength of rural communities when a neighbor is in need.

Brian’s brother, Jerry, who is a farmer in rural Dows, was diagnosed with Glioblastoma, an aggressive, fast-growing terminal brain tumor, on Sept. 17. The diagnosis came after the discovery of a tumor on the left side of Jerry’s brain on Sept. 9 and six hours of surgery on Sept. 15 to remove the tumor.

Jerry, 54, is currently at Brio of Johnston, in Johnston, Iowa, undergoing physical, occupational and speech therapy and will begin chemotherapy and radiation soon.

Jerry’s diagnosis and subsequent battle coincided with the beginning of harvest season. As his treatment took him away from his fields, Brian said the family only briefly wondered how his crops would be harvested until Jerry’s friends and neighbors stepped forward with a plan.

Just a matter of days after Jerry received the news, family friend and neighbor Arne Anderson and a group of volunteers offered their time and services to first harvest Jerry’s soybeans in early October and then his three fields of corn last Thursday.

“(Arne) is a neighbor, a good friend who when this first happened told us not to worry about harvest and pretty soon, people started reaching out to him offering to help,” Brian said. “He coordinated it and figured out on what day they’re doing corn and what day they’re doing beans.”

Brian estimated that 20 people showed up to combine corn and removed Jerry’s 200 acres in less than four hours. United Bank & Trust also donated lunch for the crew. He said the show of support exemplifies the values of rural Iowa and the mentality that no one faces adversity alone.

“It was very heartwarming and we’re so thankful and appreciative,” said Brian. “That’s the way things work in rural America. People bond together and help people out when they need it.”

Brian, a former resident of the area who now lives near Brio of Johnston, said he was able to stop by the effort on Thursday and saw many familiar faces that he knew as friends before moving to the Des Moines area. Seeing them volunteer their time, energy and resources in order to help out his family, he said, helped him know that the job was in good, caring hands.

“I lived up here for 10 years before moving to Des Moines, so I knew all these people that helped,” he said. “It felt good that they would take part of the day to help when we needed it.”