It’s a bit strange, but true. Herman Ostry, of Bruno, Nebraska moved a nine ton barn by hand! But, he didn’t do it by himself.
After buying a farm and a barn, a nearby creek rose, and the barn was flooded. He half-jokingly said to his family, “I bet if we had enough people, we could pick up that barn and carry it to higher ground.”
His remark prompted Ostry’s son Mike to think. He counting the number of boards, timbers, and nails and estimated the barn weighed about 19,000 pounds. Mike figured three hundred forty-four people would only have to lift about fifty-five pounds to carry the barn to higher ground.
But how do that many people get a grip on the barn to lift it? Mike designed a grid of steel and attached it to the barn. This provided handles for the barn raisers. Herman Ostry then suggested a barn moving event as part of the Bruno centennial celebration. Word of the “barn walk” spread far beyond Bruno.
On July 30,1988, nearly four thousand people from eleven states showed up. When everything was ready, Herman gave the signal and 344 people lifted together. The barn rose like nothing at all! The crowd cheered as the nine-ton barn walked fifty yards up a hill in just over three minutes. You can check out what happened on YouTube.
At River Hills we believe life is a team sport. We are on mission for God together. We are one team. Jesus is our captain and our goal is please him. As we all lift together we are seeing God’s Kingdom come.
-Jeff Metzger
Lead Pastor RHCC
