APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV) – Asja Graper’s late husband, Bruce Graper, served in the U.S Army during the Vietnam War.
“In Desert Storm, he was the ammunition storage dump specialist, he was king of the dump,” says Asja.
After spending time in the reserves, Bruce came home. Then, five years ago, he passed away, but his legacy for helping others in the community lives on.
Hometown Heroes: Coast Guard veteran Jorel Wester finds hope and healing with service dog
“When my husband told me what he planned on doing when he retired, he was filling his pickup truck and helping others, well, he didn’t get the opportunity to do that, so this is coming around in a different sort of way, with people helping.”
Greensville Lions Club partnered with American Quality Homes after Asja said all she needed was a new roof for the family home. The club is grateful to find the connection and give back to a family in the community.
“This family was refereed to us and I contacted her to ask what they needed, and she told me that the only thing she needed was a new roof, and I said that is kinda out of our wheelhouse to do something like this, but then brought it up at one of our meetings, and through various contacts we got in touch with American Quality Homes,” says former leader Robert Hilton.
AQH has done this before this year in Mattoon, but felt something different with this one, calling Asja “the sweetest woman.”
Hometown Heroes: Athelstane’s Rodney Johnson embraces life challenges, surfs for first time
“To be able to give something to us that is so small, but so big to her, is just a blessing,” says co-owner of American Quality Homes Mike Ebben.
The Graper’s know that Bruce is watching down, and smiling, knowing that his family is being taken care of by people in their neighborhoods.
“Bruce would probably be ecstatic, and he would be really grateful that we are taken care of and that I wouldn’t have to worry about it. I can tell he would be like thumbs up.”
American Quality Homes has other projects lined up before the end of the year, and the Lions Club in Greensville has been helping communities in the Fox Valley for over 50 years.
