The club’ s most recent donation, Brown County Music Center’ s new beer garden pavilion, was completed in August.“ If there’ s any way to describe Mike,” Ziegler said,“ it’ s that he was a superintelligent, community-minded engineer with an absolute heart of gold.”
Tammy remembers how timber framing reshaped their family’ s schedule.“ We worked our lives around the wood,” she said with a laugh.“ If it was a sunny Saturday, we knew not to make family plans— he’ d be out in nature with the guys.” For Mike, the club was more than a shop; it was fellowship and purpose.“ The work and these guys meant the world to him,” Tammy said.
About a dozen of the club’ s members have gathered twice weekly for the overlook project. Their Saturday together had just begun when the call came that Mike had died.“ In that shop after he was gone, it was so surreal,” Ziegler said. And still, the build continues— by design and by devotion.“ We found out together, and we’ re all truly healing by finishing this last project for Mike together.”
The Beamery has pledged crane service and manpower to help set the overlook’ s timber frame— an act Ziegler called“ very generous.” It’ s a fitting circle: the shop that inspired Riebl will help raise his final vision. That assembly is scheduled to take place the morning of March 7.
The overlook reconstruction also is possible thanks to funding from Brown County Community Foundation and Brown County Parks and Recreation, said parks board secretary Robert Sloman.
As the structure nears completion, talk has turned to possible plaques honoring the Brown County projects Riebl touched. At Bean Blossom, tribute is encased inside every piece of oak and joinery.“ A couple times, the guys have said,‘ Mike’ s watching— make sure it’ s right,’” Ziegler said.
For Tammy, the meaning is simple:“ He would just be so happy that they are doing this. It means they care as much for him as he cared for them.”
Contact Jim Stewart at jimstew @ iu. edu to be on the meeting reminder list. •
March / April 2026 Our Brown County 51