Over the last two years, the saga of Riverside Cemetery’s lonely resident goose Blossom and her search for a new partner has captivated readers both locally and across the country and the world as she found companionship with a new mate named Frankie just after Valentine’s Day in 2023. In October, Blossom was tragically killed after being struck by a vehicle on the cemetery grounds, and Frankie was the one left alone — until earlier this week,

After hearing about the situation through news reports, Bill Cooper of Des Moines stepped up to the plate and connected with Riverside staff about the possibility of donating his female goose Scout and allowing her to live on the property. On Wednesday morning, Scout, who is about a year and a half old, arrived and got acclimated to her new surroundings while testing the waters at Lake Woodmere and preparing for a new life that will hopefully include many years of friendship with Frankie.

As Riverside General Manager Kelly Schott shared, Cooper purchased Scout last fall after his flock was reduced by two back in Des Moines, and he initially believed she was a male. When Blossom passed away last month, he reached out to the team at Riverside to explain the situation, and they quickly decided it was “a perfect fit.”

“(Scout) needed family. Another part of our family was missing, so we needed another family member. She’s gonna be so loved,” Schott said.

Geese typically live up to 20 years, and Cooper didn’t believe that a backyard flock of chickens in Des Moines was the best fit for Scout.

“When you take on poultry or do any type of husbandry, some people raise to butcher. Some people don’t, and she’s just so loving and caring, you know, you can’t. When you have that type of close connection with an animal, you just don’t butcher them, and it’s a perfect fit,” Cooper said.

Schott, who resides in Gladbrook, recalled the close bond she formed with pet ducks and chickens at her own property, and Cooper and his 17-year-old son decided to work together to find the right place for Scout to survive and thrive, which turned out to be Riverside. Since taking over as the cemetery’s general manager earlier this year, Schott has been amazed by the continual far-reaching impact the two Riverside geese have had, inspiring children’s books and warming hearts the world over.

“People, they call them up and they come right up to their cars and they feed them. And with the loss of Blossom, you can feel (that) the Chinese-crested geese have just surrounded (Frankie), and you see that out there,” she said. “We couldn’t be more excited and more happy. Scout just sounds like a perfect fit for Riverside, and you can’t get better than the hugs, the touching, the apple slices, and trust me, we’ve already had people bring in apples.”

“Everybody’s spoiling her,” Cooper added.

The grounds team of Mike Brennecke and Trent Christensen will keep a watchful eye on Scout to ensure that she stays on the grounds and is properly cared for.

“When you know they live for 20 years, you want to try to give them the best, and I can’t think of a better situation for her to arrive into,” Cooper said.

Despite the cold temperatures and windy conditions, visitors were already lining up to catch a glimpse of Scout on Wednesday, and photos of the newest Emden Goose at Riverside will surely be making the rounds on social media soon.

——

Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.