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« Michael's Extreme Makeover Blog
November 19, 2006 Episode: The Koepke Family
So this week we found ourselves in northeast Wisconsin in the small town of Dundee (population 61) and we're here this week to meet the Koepke family — Matt Koepke, his wife Chris and their four kids. Your classic American family just doing the best they can, making ends meet. They didn't necessarily have a lot of money, but they had family, they had love, and they had a 130-year-old farmhouse that Matt's great-grandfather actually built.
Matt's goal was to take this house and to fix it up and make it a place where his family could live, grow up, be safe, happy and healthy. He was doing just that until about five months ago when Matt was stricken with a very rare form of cancer. The doctors gave him five years to live, but unfortunately, he died four months later. It's insane to think that everything can be going along smoothly and then — bam! — it changes drastically.
Matt had a dying wish. He wanted us to come and rebuild this house for his family and restore the Dundee Mill. I think he knew in his heart of hearts that he wasn't going to make it. So, we did something we have never done before: Ty actually called Matt in the hospital, and they put the phone up to his ear and he just let Matt know that we'd fix this house no matter what.
So Paige was taking care of the girls' rooms, and Preston was taking care of the boys' rooms. I had a different plan. I know that Derek, one of the boys, likes to give back to the community, like his Dad. And what he does is mows the lawns in the neighborhood. So, I got him the baddest, meanest, right-on lawnmower that they had and he's going to love it.
I had an awesome opportunity this week. I went to Kohler, where all of the sinks and the toilets and the tubs and the showers that we use are made. I actually met David Kohler, he's the third generation of this family-run business. He could totally relate to this story because he's in a family and he's part of a family business and when they heard about this story, they just said, "Please, come here… what can we do to help?" I got the pick of the litter. I got to go nuts. And they've got this amazing design center and I got to run around and handpick everything I wanted.
I'll say something about the workers. We've done a lot of these projects and these people who are working on this house, the guys that you see in the blue shirts, they're amazing. They're so excited to be a part of this. I think they probably all knew Matt, but I've never been around such an energy and such a drive to get this done — and through the chaos, the fatigue and the weather, they just kept working and were so excited to get this house done... it was an amazing week.
This week, we were able to fulfill a dying man's wish, and I felt so fortunate to be there to keep a promise to this incredible family.
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Nov 17, 2006 4:48 PM
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Another historic home bites the dust!!
I'M sure that man wanted his family home torn down..
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Nov 19, 2006 10:13 PM
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Awesome job, Michael! I'm sure that you were all saddened, as I was to lose a historical home, but it wasn't hard to see that it was beyond repair. And I'm sure Matt passed away happy, knowing that his family was going to have a safe home that won't fall down around their ears.
Thanks to the Kohler people for their donations, and to the great people who made this happen. I loved all of the furniture and decorations - awesome job to you, Preston and Paige. Also, a big kudos to the people who helped Preston get the mill running again. Love and hugs to you all - see you next time.
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Nov 20, 2006 8:04 PM
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Michael,
So far nobody has disclosed either what Matt and Christine do/did for a living, or what these so-called good deeds of Matt were. Care to elaborate? Or are the claims of Matt's good deeds just a load of bs? And were they unemployed? They say charity begins at home.He should have cared enough about his own wife and children to fix up his own unsafe house before obsessing about a mill.
By the way, The Dundee Mill Committee said in an article that you guys "left them stuck with a $9,000.00 repair bill for the turbine." They said you guys told them they needed to have that turbine ready to fire up in time for the filming, so they assumed you would be picking up the tab. Then you guys left afterwards and now they have to empty their account to pay for it. They said that if you had been more clear, they would have said NO and waited until they could hold fundraisers to get the 9,000 before sending it out for repair. Later they wrote a letter to the editor and claimed they were misquoted, but only after a bunch of us slammed them for being greedy.
I still don't see a need for a mansion to have been built, with an individual bathroom for each bedroom. Especially since most of the kids will be gone from home in a couple of years.
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Nov 21, 2006 7:11 PM
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DUNDEE — “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” has sent a $14,000 check to Dundee to pay for repairs to the mill in Dundee Park.
The check recently was received by Town of Osceola Chairman LaVerne Immel.
The mill restoration was part of the popular ABC show’s makeover of the Christine Koepke house in Dundee in early October. The mill was a pet project of Christine’s late-husband Matt Koepke.
Local residents who worked on the mill told The Reporter earlier this fall the work, which they thought was going to be funded by “Extreme Makeover” and wasn’t, emptied the fund the group had collected for renovations at the park and mill.
Courtesy of The Fond du Lac Reporter
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Not sure if this is a coincidence, this news about Dundee having received a check for mill repairs coming one day after I told you here on your blog about the turbine bill. If it's not a coincidence, I'm glad you guys stepped up and tidied up that loose end, and good for you. There might just be hope for humanity after all.
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Nov 22, 2006 6:53 PM
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