The Hartley Sentinel-The Everly/Royal News - Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties

Gale Vetter's signature laugh and warm presence will be greatly missed by members of Hartley's ambulance team.

"You knew Gale was around when you could hear him," said Jake Moermond, an EMT on the squad. "He'd start laughing, and it was like oh, Gale's here!"

Vetter lost his battle with COVID-19 on Nov. 4 after a two-week fight. His death left members of the Hartley Emergency Ambulance Response Team (H.E.A.R.T.) reeling, as it marked the third time since 2017 they lost one of their own.

"It's taken an emotional toll. It sucks," said Moermond. "The first one was bad, then you get another one and another one. It's just like, what is happening?"

Vetter was described as a community man by those who knew him best. He served H.E.A.R.T. for seven years and was well known by many in and around Hartley.

"He always had a smile," said H.E.A.R.T. member Darla Meyer. "He was such a social guy. He liked being a part of the ambulance team because he was attached to the community that way."

Vetter was as a driver for the ambulance squad. A native of Hartley, he was well versed in the many gravel roads that crisscross the countryside.

"I loved seeing him in the driver seat because he's a farmer and he knows how to drive anything," said Meyer. "When you're in the back, your life is in the driver's hands."

Vetter's acumen behind the wheel was a blessing for the EMTs, who said he was a courteous and careful driver.

"I always liked it when Gale would yell, 'Turning left!' or 'Turning right!' so you could brace yourself in the back," said H.E.A.R.T. member Val Moermond.

Though Vetter's role was at the front of the truck, he was emotionally invested in every call. He felt the same pain the EMTs did when the team responded to a heart-wrenching accident or to the home of someone they knew.

"He'd be just as emotional as everybody else, but he'd make sure everybody else was OK before he'd take care of himself," said Val Moermond. "He'd be bawling too, but ask if you were OK."

Vetter passed away on the birthday of former H.E.A.R.T. member Mac Kluch, who died last fall. Meyer believed it was more than a coincidence.

"I still say that he wanted to have a beer with her on her birthday," she said. "It was a Wednesday, too, and they always went to the bar on Wednesday at 4."

As far as the team is aware, Vetter is the first Hartley resident to die of COVID-19. The crew has been inundated with coronavirus-related calls over the past two months as the virus has spread rapidly throughout northwest Iowa.

H.E.A.R.T. member Missy Young contracted the virus herself earlier this fall. She and her fellow team members urged the community to take preventative measures by wearing masks, practicing good hand hygiene and social distancing.

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Gale Vetter served on the Hartley ambulance team as a driver for 7 years.

"I don't think the community knows how hard it's been on this group," Young said. "All these calls have been emotionally taxing."

Val and Jake Moermond both work at the Spencer Hospital, which has been flooded with COVID-19 patients over the past few weeks.

"Just be aware of your surroundings, where you're at and what you're doing. Just be careful," Val said. "COVID-19 is a vicious, vicious virus and it doesn't care who it takes."

The team will keep fighting the good fight as they mourn the loss of Vetter. Though he's gone, H.E.A.R.T. members won't soon forget their friend whose service and love for the community set an example that will be remembered for years to come.

"We're like a family," said Meyer. "We can fight and squabble amongst ourselves, but when something happens to one of us, it's like losing a sister or a brother."