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Helping A Neighbor

Neighbors and friends were supposed to start showing up at 8 a.m., however, there were tractors pulling onto Raymond Lapp's farm shortly after 7 a.m. Saturday. "Raymond is one of the most well respected and liked citizens in the community," Betaseed salesman Todd Weglin said. "He's been there for others when they needed help, today it's his turn."

Two weeks earlier Raymond suffered a heart attack. Though he is doing well, he was unable to get out into his fields west of Torrington. The job of preparing the fields for planting would have fallen completely on his son, Randy.

"He would have had his hands full," Raymond said. However, friends and neighbors came together to prepare the majority of the Lapp's farmland in less than a day.

"These guys are great," Raymond said. "You can't have better friends."

The crew was brought together by neighbors, Terry Lofink and Larry Miller.

"It took us a long time to organize things," Lofink said, "about 10 minutes."

A few phone calls and word of mouth, "it usually doesn't take much," Miller added. "People around here are great at coming together to help when someone is in need."

"I know" from experience he said.

Last fall his daughter was in a car accident and the neighbors, including Raymond, where there to harvest his crops.

"Raymond and I have been friends since he was that big," Lofink said holding his hand about waist high. "We've been good friends forever."

Friends came together and put 13 plows, four disks, and four packers into the fields. There were as many as eight plows in one field at a time, making short-work of preparing the Lapp's fields.

"We had more people wanting to come and help," Randy said, "but we had too many already."

As noon drew near the work was almost finished. In a neighbor's quonset, the crew came together for lunch prepared by friends.

Ladies in the community came together to prepare the meal. Businesses donated services, equipment and money - all to help a friend.

"When people are in a bind," Lofink said, "you go help 'em."