A Tessier area farming family, and long time residents of Delisle, were recently wowed by support at a simple garage/moving sale. Betty and Stewart Hanson recently made a move in an effort to downsize their home. In preparation they hosted a sale to clear out a few of their belongings.

"They just need a little bit more help, and they’re moving into a different phase of their life. Dad turned 90 this summer and mom is 87," son Lindsay Hanson shared. "We needed to get house ready to sell, and it had to be cleared out, emptied out."

A sale was a great way to clear out the things that Betty and Stewart would no longer need, but they also had another idea. The family thought it would also be a great way to raise a few funds for a cause close to the family's heart... the Tessier Cemetery.

In recent years a project has been ongoing with the cemetery. A small group is working to clear up cemetery records, and replace some missing or extremely aged markers.

"Mom and Dad left the farm near Tessier and retired to Delisle in 1998. They had 23 good years in Delisle. They were very involved in the community and they maintained their contacts with the Tessier area. We have lots of family laid to rest in that cemetery. Right back to great grandparents, uncles, cousins, my sister has been laid to rest in that cemetery," Lindsay said.

So the signs for the sale went up, and the alert sent out. The family joked that they might raise a few hundred dollars for a donation. They couldn't have been more wrong. Not only did neighbors, friends, and family show up in great numbers to the sale, some show up to just make a donation to the cemetery in a show of support for Betty and Stewart. The response to the sale was overwhelming.

"We had people come to the garage sale over Friday and Saturday that didn't go home with any merchandise, but it they gave us cash donations for the cemetery and that was amazing," Lindsay said. "We were overwhelmed when we opened up the sake on Friday. We probably had over 100 people there. It was crazy! They would ask us how much for an item. We just said whatever you’re willing to donate to the Tessier Cemetery. So that created a lot of momentum."

In the end a little old 'moving sale' manage to raise an impressive total of $3000. All of which will be donated to the Cemetery's maintenance fund.

"We just really, really want to thank the neighbors, the Friends, family, communities, that came out to support us. The friends of Mom and Dad, friends of myself and my sister Valerie and my sister Noreen. It was overwhelming and we’re just very grateful to be able to make the donation to the cemetery. It's important to us to have the cemetery well maintained."

Betty and Stewart Hanson. (Photo Lindsay Hanson)Betty and Stewart Hanson. (Photo Lindsay Hanson)