This Senseless Murder In A Nebraska Town Is Unsolved To This Day
Just outside of Hastings you’ll find a memorial for a very special Nebraska celebrity. His name was Andy, and he was an inspiration to people across the world. But Andy wasn’t an entertainer or a politician; Andy was a humble goose.
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Andy the goose hatched on a farm in Harvard, Nebraska in 1987. The poor little guy had no feet at birth and spent the first two years of his life hobbling around on stumps. When his owner's brother-in-law, Gene Fleming, came by and met the special goose, he knew he had to help.
Fleming, a Shriner and an inventor, was compelled to do something to make Andy's life a little easier. He fitted the goose with little shoes and taught him to walk in them. According to an interview, it took Andy about three hours to figure out how to use the new hardware on his legs. Once he did, there was no stopping this plucky bird. In his short life, Andy appeared on numerous television shows and in newspapers and magazines around the world.
Tragedy struck in 1991 when Andy went missing. His dismembered body was later found in a park, and the community mourned together. Friends and fans of Andy raised $10,000 to offer as a reward to whoever could identify the person or people responsible for Andy's kidnapping and murder. Although the police received many tips, none of them panned out and Andy's killer remains unidentified to this day.
Jan and Ed Fowler of Holdrege donated the above monument to celebrate the life of Andy the Footless Goose. The inscription reads:
“Andy” the footless goose. Born without webs and toes. Unable to walk and swim properly was put on the road again by his master who installed size “0” baby shoes on “Andy” and then taught him to walk.
“Andy” was an inspiration to thousands of handicapped children across the U.S.A. and foreign countries to try a little harder and don’t give up. Make another try.
“Andy” was in Readers Digest, People Magazine and many others. “Andy” was also on the Johnny Carson television show.
Andy was a gentle soul who didn’t deserve the horrible fate he met with. His isn’t the only unusual tale to come out of Nebraska; check out these five other odd stories from the Cornhusker State.
As a lifelong Nebraskan, Delana loves discovering the many hidden treasures of her state. She has worked as a writer and editor since 2007. Delana's work has been featured on more than a dozen websites and in Nebraska Life Magazine.
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