In 2007 , Cofer led a team as a " self-appointed bridge coordinator " to deck 770 feet of the bridge , as well as install fencing . But almost a year later , there was a fire on the bridge , leading to another restoration effort .
" We got lucky because the city ( which owned the bridge ) wouldn ' t let us do it because of the liability , so Jerry Parker and Wapello County ( which bought the bridge ) went to bat for us ," Cofer said . " We figured out how to deck it safely . We had a little generator and had lumber delivered right down to the bridge . We built it for $ 27,000 and we couldn ' t use grant money for it because it wasn ' t officially approved by an engineer .
different things . " They ' ve got some good people doing it now ."
In 2008 , Cofer received the Gene Schultz Award from the former Ottumwa Chamber of Commerce , now Greater Ottumwa Partners In Progress .
WINDING DOWN
Cofer admits he gets tired more easily these days and has significantly scaled back on things , even projects for his family . However , he still tries to stay busy and fight the urge to rest . He ' s essentially been on the go with different projects , large and small , for 32 years .
He ' s still quick to credit the many people who helped out with his projects , including Parker , a former county supervisor . When the south end of the Wabash bridge opened last year after $ 400,000 in repairs after an arson , Parker said there were two projects most important to him — NAS Ottumwa and the pedestrian bridge .
" When I get to eternity , hopefully those will be on my tombstone ," he said .
As much as Cofer would still like to better his community , time is catching up .
DOUG SUNDIN / THE COURIER Larry Cofer of Ottumwa played a large role in the renovation of the Wabash Rail Bridge that crosses the Des Moines River in Ottumwa .
" I had three or four friends give me $ 5,000 checks and it was done before we knew what happened ," he said . " But it was so popular ."
" I ' m restless . I just don ' t sit down well at all ," he said . " Losing my wife I think has been a part of it , and I ' m not looking for another project , they just seem to come along . But I guess I ' ve just kind of liked it .
" I ' ve got so many friends around town because of doing all this stuff ," Cofer said . " It ' s just unbelievable ."
Cofer ' s projects didn ' t just stay within the Ottumwa city limits . He helped build a new 12-room lodge and did kitchen remodeling at the Forest Lake Baptist Camp , logging over 1,400 volunteer hours , according to a 2008 story in the Ottumwa Courier . Additionally , he played a big role when RAGBRAI stopped in Ottumwa in 2000 .
He also was one of the originators of the Holiday Nights ' N Lights display every winter .
" The first year they did Nights ' N Lights they had no help ," he said . " There was one guy wiring the lights up himself , so I started helping with that . We had a tractor and built a platform , so we could get on that safely and put those lights over the tunnel and do
CHAD DRURY Larry Cofer , who has spent over 30 years as one of the Ottumwa community ’ s preeminent volunteers , at Pennsylvania Place in Ottumwa .
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