A year and a day after losing two of their sons in an automobile accident, Cliff and Vicki Schrauger were presented with the keys to their new Lake Orion home in a ceremony on Tuesday (Sept. 30).
‘Today, this comes to completion,? said Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson.
Patterson took an interest in the family after hearing not only of the deaths of Joshua, 17, and Timothy, 14, but also that their brother, David, 24, had been wounded while serving in Iraq. The Schraugers were also dealing with a home forclosure several months before their son’s military injury.
‘No one should experience the kind of personal loss this family has,? Patterson said. ‘And then to lose your house on top of that is almost too much to bear.?
Joshua and Timothy, both Lake Orion High School students, were killed in a traffic accident in Clinton County on Sept. 29, 2007, while on their way to meet friends.
David, an Army specialist, was seriously injured when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle. He suffered arm, leg, spine and lung injuries, and has undergone more than 50 surgeries.
The Schraugers have two other children: Stephen, a college student in Michigan, and Kristina, a school teacher living in North Carolina.
County and local officials, as well as 75 sponsors, all came together to build and donate a new house to the Schraugers in Lake Orion Village. The Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights (MRCC) not only donated their labor, but also $20,000 to the cause.
‘Truly, this is a noble cause that benefits a family in need,? said Douglas Buckler, MRCC executive secretary and treasurer. ‘Nothing will ever replace the loss of Cliff and Vicki’s two sons, but we hope that the Schraugers can call this new house a home for many years to come.?
Clarkston builder Forrest Milzow, who headed up the building of the house, was also at the ceremony to hand the Schraugers the keys to their new house.
‘This has been a labor of love,? Milzow said.
Lake Orion Police Chief Jerry Narsh was also thanked for helping to arrange David’s leave from the Army.
‘These events alone could destroy any family, but not this family,? Narsh said.
Cliff Schrauger said he had driven by the home many times during its construction and had to shake his head in disbelief at the outpouring of community support for his family.
‘This has been one of the most energizing acts of community love I have ever seen in my life,? he said. ‘There truly is good in people.?
Vicki Schrauger took the time to announce that David and his wife are also expecting a baby in the spring. She thanked the community for their efforts, as well.
‘Our family will remember this with gratitude for years to come,? she said.
A complete list of donors to the Schrauger Family Project can be found at www.oakgov.com/house