By Susan Boone, F425892
July 2015
In October 2014, my husband and I took a road trip to Newmar’s headquarters in Nappannee, Indiana. We had been there before, so we looked forward to Newmar’s hospitality; excellent customer service; and the unique, friendly town of Nappannee. This time we came for an inspection and update of our coach. We met with design technicians who assisted us in selecting an updated paint color scheme on our 2008 Kountry Star. A few days later we were off to California, confident that we would return to a beautiful motorhome in the spring.
After the December holidays, we reviewed the design pictures from Newmar and became excited about how great the motorhome would look. We began to make plans for our return trip to the factory. On January 7, I woke up early and watched a talk show that discussed the importance of appreciating the good things in our lives, rather than focusing on deficiencies. Inspired by this positive outlook, I ran into our bedroom to wake, hug, and tell my husband again how much I appreciated him in my life. Sadly, I discovered that my beloved husband had passed away in his sleep.
I was lost! As a retired judge and an expert craftsman, my husband, David, handled all business and technical aspects of our lives. Though we had often spoken of the importance of my learning to drive the motorhome and also understanding related maintenance and technical information, I never sat behind the wheel. What was I going to do with a motorhome in Indiana?
A few weeks after my husband’s death, I called Newmar and explained my dilemma to Leander Hochstetter, who was kind and caring. He told me not to worry and said Newmar would help me get through this.
“Help” was an understatement. In the months following my husband’s death, Mr. Hochstetter called often to check on me and give me an update on the motorhome repairs. He would often remark, “How are you doing today?” or “I know how hard this is for you.” Not only was his team awesome, but at a higher level Newmar assisted me in the cost of dealing with a motorhome that was 2,200 miles away from my home. When I was fortunate to locate a buyer for the coach, Newmar took many pictures of the Kountry Star and had frequent conversations with the potential buyer regarding the floor plan and onboard equipment. They were so helpful and thorough in their descriptions of the coach to the potential buyer that he purchased it without personally seeing it.
On the day that the coach left for its new home in Oregon, Newmar called to say that the team decided to gather my personal items and ship them to me.
In loving memory of my husband (one of the “good guys”), and still inspired by the importance of acknowledging the good things in life, I would like to recognize Newmar’s incredible assistance and support. Words alone cannot express my appreciation for their extraordinary service and sensitivity to my needs. The team at Newmar will be forever remembered as an important part of our motorhome memories.