March 2013 Ensign - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Elder Mike Cranney, Stacey Banner, and Chris Banner pose by Rocky, a horse used to
pull a wagon in Nauvoo, Illinois.
Missionaries Help
Raise Funds for
Nauvoo Hay
By Whitney Evans
Church News
Casey Cluff, facilities manager at
Nauvoo Facilities Management,
faced a dilemma when severe drought
conditions spread across the Midwest
this past summer.
The horse-drawn carriage and
wagon rides, a long-treasured tradition
in Nauvoo, Illinois, offer a way
for missionaries to talk to people who
are not familiar with The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said
Mike Cranney, former head teamster
missionary in Nauvoo. He said the
casual environment allows people to
relax and be more receptive to the
story of the Church in Nauvoo.
However, the dry conditions in
2012 threatened the horses. The hay
crop was far smaller than usual. A normal
crop will yield 26 to 28 inches of
grain, according to Brother Cranney,
and each year generally yields three
crops. The cattle feed off the pasture
through the summer, and the surplus
hay feeds the horses from October or
November through the winter. There
was no more hay production after the
first crop this year, and because of the
dry weather, the horses were not able
PHOTOGRAPH BY CASEY CLUFF
to feed off the pasture. The supply
was used up by July.
The most obvious alternative would
be to buy hay, which would cost several
thousand dollars and request more
funds from Church headquarters for
this emergency situation.
Brother Cluff reached out to former
teamster missionaries, including
Brother Cranney, who finished his
mission in October 2011 and lives in
Oakley, Idaho.
As a teamster missionary, Brother
Cranney and other missionaries fed,
harnessed, and worked with about
20 horses. Brother Cranney resumed
his leadership role as teamster
head when he found out about the
need for hay and sent letters out to
other former teamster and Nauvoo
missionaries.
They received $10,000 from more
than 30 people, donations ranging
from $50 to $1,000. The donations
allowed them to buy about 41 tons
of hay that could last through spring,
when a fresh crop of hay will be
ready to harvest.
Brother Cluff was overcome when
he found out about the donation.
“I couldn’t believe it,” he said.
At the root of the donation are the
fond feelings each missionary has
even after they leave their work.
Brother Cranney said the Church
probably could have provided the
hay, “but those teamsters, they love
those horses and they wanted to be
able to sustain the program.” ◼
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