Family members of Peter Achermann used funds raised through a community benefit to finance their efforts, such as this billboard on Highway 10, to discover what happened to their missing husband, father and grandfather. The Leader area resident disappeared a year ago after taking care of several tasks in Motley and Staples. His car was found on a remote road, but no other trace of the 82-year-old man has ever been found. It’s been one year.

One year ago July 24, Peter Achermann left home and never returned. Not a trace of him, other than the car he was driving, has been found since.

His family has been left to wonder what happened, where is he, is he alive or dead?

Saturday was another long day, just like every day the past year, with family members left to wonder and ask questions like those above. They cannot follow his written instructions about his funeral because they are all hoping for a miracle.

“Maybe he’s somewhere else and he doesn’t know where he is,” his daughter, Desiree Greendwalt, said. “We hope to get a call and he says, come and get me, I’m in ...”

It’s been a year without a call like that. There have been others. “We get four or five calls a week. Some times it’s no one there. That makes you wonder,” Peter’s wife, DeLaine said.

“It would be so different if we knew. We could grieve and move on,” Desiree said. Now there are so many questions.

“If we knew where he was at, it would be a big relief,” son Jorg added.

It’s so frustrating now. “All they’d have to do is call anonymously and leave a message where he’s at,” Desiree pleaded.

The family in the past year has slowly accepted the theory that he’s not at the search site. They now feel that someone else had a hand in his disappearance and perhaps his death. But they don’t know for sure.

Achermann’s station wagon was found July 25, a day after he was reported missing, on a minimum maintenance road in the woods of Becker Township, a dead end road. Full scale searches of the area began almost immediately, and continued daily for much of that first month. Cass County sheriff’s office coordinated the search efforts, with 150 to 200 people searching the first two days. Fifty to 60 people continued the search over the first two weeks. A National Guard unit was called in, with members combing the woods virtually walking hand in hand. Search dogs were used at different times, with nothing found.

Finally the daily searching dwindled down to just Jorg and other family members and close friends. Even now, Desiree or someone else will drive occasionally to the search site to check on things.

Last October a massive fund raising benefit event was held by family and friends from the area, with hundreds showing up at the Bear’s Den in Leader to show their support. One result was upping the reward offered to $20,000 for information concerning Peter’s whereabouts or who took him. Another is a billboard with his picture and other information that has been on Highway 10 between Staples and Motley for the past several months.

“That was a huge success, so many people worked so hard and a lot of money was raised. We’ve put up a lot of posters and we have the magnetic signs to place on vehicles,” Desiree said.

There has been an occasional search effort in more recent weeks. Cass County officers searched an area of the Achermann farm and a nearby abandoned farmstead this spring. Nothing more was gained.

Still there is hope. Desiree said she cannot go to a gas station or store

without people sharing

their concern or saying, “We’re praying for you.”

The family wonders if it might happen again. “If someone took him, what’s to say that person won’t do it again. We need to think about this, that it could happen. There are a lot of vulnerable adults, a lot of older people who are missing all over the country.”

“People need to be aware of this case, that someone’s been missing. If you think it’s old news, think of your dad.”