Dozens of fire engines and emergency vehicles drove through New Sharon Thursday to honor Gary DeCook, the Barnes City volunteer firefighter who died suddenly Aug. 27. After the funeral, fire trucks drove the procession to the cemetery. “You’re not just a firefighter. You’re a brother,” said Michael Cox, who is also with the Barnes City Volunteer Fire Department. “It’s a brotherhood.” DeCook’s fellow firefighters found a special way to honor him by driving the fire truck he helped convert from an army vehicle. “Making it work today was a really big thing for us because it took a bit of work,” Cox said. “But we spent the night here and we got it.” Those who knew DeCook well describe him as having a passion for helping people. And the community gave him thanks by showing up in large numbers. “Every fire department from a few counties was represented here,” said Mahaska County Sheriff Russell Van Renterghem. “And it was also an honor for Gary. Just to show how respected and loved he was.”
Dozens of fire engines and emergency vehicles drove through New Sharon Thursday to honor Gary DeCook, the Barnes City volunteer firefighter who died suddenly Aug. 27.
After the funeral service, fire trucks drove the procession to the cemetery.
“You’re not just a firefighter. You’re a brother,” said Michael Cox, who is also with the Barnes City Volunteer Fire Department. “It’s a brotherhood.”
DeCook’s fellow firefighters found a special way to honor him by driving the fire truck he helped convert from an Army vehicle.
“Making it work today was a really big thing for us because it took a bit of work,” Cox said. “But we spent the night here and we got it.”
Those who knew DeCook well describe him as having a passion for helping people. And the community gave him thanks by showing up in large numbers.
“Every fire department from a few counties was represented here,” said Mahaska County Sheriff Russell Van Renterghem. “And it was also an honor for Gary. Just to show how respected and loved he was.”
