1. She Needed A Solution
She had just heard that she would be appearing in court, and she was beyond overwhelmed. She had a deep frown on her face as she sat in her living room, desperate to think of a solution to this problem.
That was when she heard the loud bang. When she got up to look outside of her window, she spotted the four boys once again. Her heart was racing as she watched them approach the front door.
2. Gerry Suttle
75-year-old Gerry Suttle was born and raised in Texas. She was living out her retirement on her beautiful piece of land, and she was enjoying the peace and quiet. Back in the day, she had purchased a whopping two-acre property, and she had been in love with it ever since.
But although it was a beautiful piece of land, it did some with a lot of setbacks. She was no longer as active as she once was, so it was becoming harder and harder for her to maintain her property. People were noticing.
3. All Alone
Gerry was living in Riesel, Texas and she had gotten used to being all by herself. When she had first purchased the property, it was her dream house, but since then, it had turned into aa hassle.
Her family all lived out of state, and her husband had been gone for several years at this point. Gerry had no one around her anymore and she knew that this made her an easy target to be taken advantage of.
4. Eerie Place
As years went by, the lawn that Gerry had once loved to spend time on slowly but surely became a source of fear and anxiety. It was now an eerie-looking space with large, overgrown bushes and trees. She was always reminded that anyone and anything could be hiding in there without her knowing.
There was so much open space around her, and she knew that there was bound to be trouble.
5. Odd Sounds
When she first heard the odd sounds coming from her backyard, she tried her best to ignore it, she was telling herself that maybe it was just a badger or a fox hanging around. But the noise continued for a long time, and eventually, she began to distinguish the sound of voices, fear gripping her body.
She sat in her living room, panicked out of her mind. What was she supposed to do now? Eventually, she garnered the courage to peek out of the window, her heart pounding in her chest.
6. Four Boys
When she looked behind the bushes, she spotted the four, young boys. She had no idea what they were up to, but whatever it was, she knew it wasn’t anything good. She couldn’t believe them; they were blatantly trespassing on her property!
Gerry was afraid, she didn’t want to confront them, and she didn’t want to call the police. The police were the very last people she wanted to deal with.
7. Run-In With The Police
Just a short while before this, she had a run-in with the cops. She never expected that they would give her an official notice that ordered her to go to court. According to them, she was in ‘breach of property laws’.
They were fining her a massive amount for not cutting her grass. Texas was one of the states that made it illegal for people to let their grass grow longer than 18-inches. If they did, they got fined. But there was one problem.
8. Ordered To Court
Gerry was surprised, she never knew that this law existed, and she never received the initial notice and fine. The first time they reached out to her, they reprimanded her for avoiding the fine, then they ordered her to appear in court.
They were aware of her age and the circumstances she lived in, but despite this, they still threatened her with jail time over her violation.
9. City Ordinance
Danny Krumnow was a Riesel Police Chief, he told Gerry that she let the grass grown too high and that she was violating the city ordinance. But when the police showed up at her doorstep and told her that her crimes were serious, she was completely bewildered.
Since then, she had been trying to avoid the police. But now she was running out of options, so she decided to do something that caught the attention of her neighbor.
10. The Neighbor
Because of this, she continued to let the boys trespass on her property. She didn’t care, as long as they didn’t come too close to her house, but not everyone felt the same way she did.
Her neighbor, Tom, was a quiet man and he had always tried his best to look out for Gerry. But he was an old man himself and he wasn’t always able to be of much help, until now.
11. Taking Action
Tom was watching the boys sneak into and out of Gerry's backyard when he suddenly became concerned for her wellbeing. They frequently carried bags into and out of her yard and were youthful yet sketchy. He knew he had to do something.
When Gerry's garden was in view, he retrieved his outdoor camera system and installed it. What he discovered was incredible.
12. Getting Answers
Tom was on their tails despite Gerry's attempts to pretend there wasn't a commotion in her backyard while she sat in her living room.
He switched on his monitor and became absorbed in what was going on. They had no idea that anyone was watching them at all. When Tom discovered what they had taken out of their backpacks, he gasped.
13. Trying To Help
The boys had packed tools for gardening. The young guys gradually improved Gerry's garden each and every day. Gerry was unaware of how quickly word of her potential arrest circulated all through the community. Everyone who heard the announcement was horrified and astonished.
An old woman could not be arrested over tall grass, how could they do that? In the end, the boys wanted to do more to help.
14. A Warrant For Her Arrest
A warrant was granted for Gerry's detention after she failed to show up for court. She thought about her alternatives. Gerry could not afford to hire someone to do the work because she was too old and frail to do it alone. Tom was astounded.
And Gerry had no idea what would follow.
15. Her Last Option
Tom could see 4 children entering Gerry's yard and heading toward her house from the border of her vast property. He observed as they banged on Gerry's door and he couldn't help but feel anxious.
Tom noticed Gerry's tense demeanor as she prepared herself for their conversation as she opened the door.
16. Approaching Gerry
The males were fairly young, in their early teens. The oldest might have been 15 years old. Even still, Gerry was worried since she knew the lads had been intruding on her land for days. When they began to scan her yard, she could clearly see the lads because they were covered in muck and grime.
They finally started speaking.
17. They Had Tools!
While the other two boys stayed behind, two of the boys said hello before leaving. The boys who remained were carrying various gardening tools, including a hedge trimmer, clippers, and other items. Gerry was transfixed, wondering what the heck these kids were doing.
The other two lads, one of whom was pushing a lawnmower, were soon visible coming around the corner.
18. Gratitude
The boys explained that they had previously pulled up all of the excessive bushes before they started mowing the lawn. Gerry was in astonishment at what she was seeing, and the boys' efforts caused her to cry.
She has lived there for nearly 60 years and she felt appreciative for their assistance after being rendered awestruck by the kind gesture.
19. Being Kind Is Free
The four brothers explained to the public why they wished to assist her. “It’s a summer day, we don’t have season passes yet to Warren Falls. What else could we do? Just go out and help some people.”
These children's efforts went well beyond merely cutting the grass; they were unaware that they had spared Gerry from serving time in jail.
20. It Was No Effort At All
"She's 75 years old, and she needs some help mowing," said Blaine Reynolds, one of the boys. "That's the least we could do."
Brandon Reynolds also shared; “I really wouldn't want her coming out here and doing it or paying someone else when we could have just done it for free.”
21. Sunny Day
On that sunny day, the community couldn't help but see what these amazing children were doing.
Gerry hurried up to the youngsters and gave them refreshments, but as she did so, she caught a glimpse of five additional men—among them Tom—coming towards her garden.
22. They Had An Idea
She noticed that the men who were walking toward her also had landscaping equipment on them as they drew nearer. The neighbors had congregated and devised a scheme.
The team would divide in two, with one team doing one side of the garden, and the rest would tackle the other side.
23. Banding Together
The four boys received assistance from Gerry Sutter's neighbors as well. Without any argument, they started working after bringing their lawnmowers. The Reynolds brothers and the elderly woman's friends got together to assist her despite the awfully hot weather.
Gerry could not believe what was occurring as she peered out into her garden. The entire neighborhood was rallying around her.
24. Taken Aback
“I cannot believe this. I’m very seldom without words. But this is one time, you mark it down in history, that I didn’t have something to say” Gerry shared. She was completely astounded that everything had been completed in less than two hours!
She was utterly shocked because she couldn't comprehend what the young guys and the neighborhood had accomplished.
25. Compassion
The boys could not contain their excitement when they learned that Gerry had a court order out for her arrest. "I'd do it for her a second time, or a third time," Blaine Reynolds said. "Anything to keep that lady from having to go to court."
What a remarkable display of human goodness and compassion, having come from young boys!
26. Her Pleas
Gerry was informed she needed to go to the courtroom and sign an affidavit confirming that she never obtained the first summons to show up after the grass had been chopped down and the property had been thoroughly cleaned up. She desired the dismissal of the accusations.
The court, however, had other plans.
27. Ready For A Fight
"It is very heartbreaking to see that someone that I didn't even know came out and spent two hours in the sun doing what we thought the city wanted done and then they turn around and say 'no,'" Gerry shared.
The entire neighborhood was incensed by their choice, and they were prepared to fight them.
28. Going Viral
The city continued to support Gerry's offense and demanded that this unlucky woman appear in court for her transgression. But her neighborhood couldn't allow that to happen. To share this amazing tale and demonstrate how anything is achievable when society rallies together, KWTX news took to Facebook and other social media.
Gerry didn't have to appear in court, and her arrest warrant was dropped. All because of these four extraordinary lads. And goodwill is in great abundance in Texas…
29. Not A Good Start
All he wanted to do was to serve his community. He had seen everything the world had to offer. Sweat dripped from his forehead. He couldn’t believe that he had to deliver such terrible news, what an awful way to start the day.
It has only been thirty minutes and he was exhuasted. He enjoyed taking the long route home to check up on the housing estates. However, just before he got there, he braked. What was going on with that woman?
30. A Good Man
John Crawford had no idea what he wanted to do with his life, but he did know that he was passionate about helping those in need. He was surrounded by hungry children, homeless mothers and people in desperate need of help.
It really inspired him to help them, so he would always give them meals, money or whatever he could give. He also volunteered at shelters. John Crawford was no stranger to hardships.
31. Not A Happy Childhood
His earliest memory was concerned with one of his father’s outburst. Most people remember their childhood fondly, but that was not the case for John.
He recalled waking up to the sound of dishes being broken and thundering screams. He had issues with wetting his bed well over the age of fourteen. One evening, he was woken up while he was in a deep sleep.
32. A New Life
He had to get dressed while still half asleep and found himself outside moments later. His mother got him ready, gathered all his clothes and she held his hand tightly. They were both unsure of what the future held, but she knew her son deserved more.
She dragged all of their clothes to the bus station and purchased a ticket to Madison, Alabama. His father constantly reminded him that he would never do anything with his life, but he was committed to proving him wrong.
33. Proving Him Wrong
The moment John graduated high school he knew he wanted to join the law enforcement, so he enrolled in the police academy. On top of the academy, John had a job so that he could take care of his mother.
They weren’t rich, but they had everything that they needed. Even when he became sheriff, he still took care of her. He made it his life goal to help women and children in similar situations. He couldn’t save every single one of them, but he knew he could help Rachael.
34. Young And In Love
Rachael Brindley met her future husband, Ryan, when she was just twenty-years-old. He was a lot older than she was, but he was charming and handsome. She couldn’t stay away.
He consumed her life within months. She rarely spent time with her friends and family, just so that she could spend time with him. He was captivating, and their relationship was moving fast.
35. A Rocky Start
After dating for a short period of time, the pair tied the knot. But things went south shortly after that. Rachael learned she was pregnant soon after their wedding, and Ryan was under immense pressure.
He did his best to provide for his family, and worked long hours. Rachael barely saw her husband, and when she all they did was fight. He was quickly getting noticed at the office, but at the cost of his marriage. She wanted nothing more than to support him, so she just smiled and went along with it.
36. Loneliness
Rachael never doubted in her husband’s choices. So when he asked her to stop working to look after their children, she did not hesitate. She was a kind and forgiving person, and never blamed Ryan for anything.
He did what was needed to put food on the table. He later followed through on his vow to purchase her dream house. But if a family was seldom together, what use was a house? And he did the unimaginable when it came time to fulfill a commitment.
37. Unavailable
Rachael was pregnant with their third child but she still was able to decorate their home. She was in unimaginable pain, but she did everything. She wanted her children to live a happy life in their home, with warm memories.
After being in labor for 36 hours, their new baby boy was ready to go home. Time flew by and Ryan never missed breakfast and dinner. He even helped out with the kids! He then did something that caused her to second-guess her decisions.
38. Caught Red Handed
Sheriff John Crawford gasped when he noticed Rachael in her yard. She struggled while carrying her baby tied to her chest, so he stopped and hurried to her side. She was worn out and frail.
“Everything okay ma’am?” he asked sweetly as he gave her a hand. “Yes, officer. I just need to sit down for a while. It’s not easy working in this heat.” Her baby began crying and John knew he couldn’t allow her to do this.
39. He Had To Do Something
He took of his police belt and grabbed the lawnmower.. “Y’all I thought I was about to get in trouble or something…” Rachael said.
But all John wanted was to help a woman in need. Ryan got back to work a few weeks ago, and Rachael was under a lot of pressure to take care of her children and the house. She was near the breaking point.
40. Strong And Independent
“He has been working hard on a work project and hasn’t had time to cut it,” Rachael told. “It was a nice day out and so I thought I’d help my husband out and cut it myself. I enjoy cutting the grass.”
Rachael, however, didn't realize how challenging it was to perform chores when her body was still recovering. Additionally, Michael the infant wasn't in the best of spirits that morning.
In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.