'We need to find him and bring him home'

Of all things happening in July, Peter Achermann was most looking forward to his granddaughter's wedding.

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The ceremony took place July 25. The 82-year-old father of 11 children and 13 foster children, grandfather of 21 and great-grandfather of 15, had prepared a speech for the reception to follow, which was taking place at the home of his daughter, Desiree Greenwaldt. The day before the wedding, he stopped by to see how the setup was going. He was excited to see how green the grass was and that all the flowers were in bloom.

Peter Achermann, 82, rural Leader, enjoyed a cigar by a lake in this photo submitted by Achermann's family.

"He said he thought it was beautiful," Greenwaldt said. "He thought it was just going to be such a wonderful time."

Achermann, however, never made it to his granddaughter's wedding. He left his daughter's home on July 24 to run errands in Motley and Staples. His last stop, at about 3 p.m. that day at Ernie's Grocery in Staples, was the last time anyone saw him. His vehicle was found the next day - the day of his granddaughter's wedding - about 10 miles from his rural Leader home, stuck in a mud puddle on a minimum maintenance road.

Despite daily searches over the past three weeks, clues of where Achermann may be or what might have happened to him have failed to turn up. His family is hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.

Tips for volunteers

People wishing to volunteer in the search for Peter Achermann can do so by following these driving directions:

FROM STAPLES: Take County Road 33 (Warner Road) east until you cross the Crow Wing River bridge into Cass County. Take the next left on Cass County Road 32 and go two miles. Take a right on 85th Avenue Southwest and park along the side of the road. Walk on the road a short distance to the staging area.

FROM MOTLEY: Take Highway 64 north about 2.5 miles. Turn left on Country Road 33 (Warner Road). Travel west until you reach County Road 32. Turn right and travel two miles. Take a right on 85th Avenue Southwest. Park on the side of the road. Walk on the road a short distance to the staging area.

"As a family, and in visiting with mom (Delaine Achermann), we know the likelihood of finding Dad alive is very slim," Greenwaldt said. "Unless someone took him and they have him somewhere else, we know he's probably not with us anymore but as family we can't quit looking. We have to find him and bring him home. Even if he's not alive, we still need to bring him home."

Achermann immigrated to the U.S. from Switzerland. Though he couldn't speak English, he always wanted to own land and become a farmer in the U.S., Greenwaldt said. He taught himself English, cleared his farmland with the aid of 100 goats and though it wasn't always easy going he was proud of his accomplishments and the friendships he had made.

"One of Dad's favorite sayings has been, "I'm one lucky son of a gun,'" Greenwaldt said. "He also repeatedly says he's always met so many good people in his life. He had a really positive outlook on people."

Greenwaldt said her father suffered from no medical conditions and only took medications but nothing the family believes would put him in danger to be without.

She said Achermann had a regular checkup two weeks before his disappearance and was given a clean bill of health.

"The doctor told him he had good news and bad news. The good news was he was really healthy. The bad news was he would probably live another 20 years," Greenwaldt said.

Greenwaldt said Achermann would have had to make two turns off his regular route home to get to where his vehicle was found. She said the minimum maintenance road was overgrown and difficult to drive down.

"Had he been in his right mind, it's not something he would have driven down," she said. "He would have known that's not where he belongs."

The searches for Achermann started with law enforcement, family members and hundreds of volunteers pounding through the brush around where Achermann's vehicle was found. Working out from the motor vehicle, searches have covered an area exceeding four square miles, Cass County Sheriff Randy Fisher said.

Volunteers have included Achermann family friends, members of two fire departments, two dive teams, members of two mounted posses, the DNR with aircraft and vehicles for traversing wetlands, the State Patrol and most recently members of the Minnesota National Guard.

The search area has been through extremely dense brush and woods, pine stands, pastures, bogs and wetlands, Fisher said.

"The location of the vehicle is the single most important thing we have to go on," Fisher said. "Every one of the searches has just been exhaustive."

The sheriff's department doesn't believe foul play is involved in Achermann's disappearance, but they can't rule it out and have investigators working on the case, Fisher said. There was no evidence of violence within Achermann's vehicle. Prescription medications and groceries were found in the car but the keys were gone. Fisher said those things indicate Achermann was the person who drove to the location, but that also can't be proven for certain.

While more searches are planned by law enforcement, Fisher said his department has had to scale back on efforts and not accept more volunteers because of liability concerns. He said the department will again ask for volunteers and even the assistance of the National Guard if more areas are identified as possible locations for Achermann.

Greenwaldt said her family has been frustrated the sheriff's department isn't doing more. She said her brothers - Achermann had 11 children - have had to take over the lead of organizing the searches.

"That's been emotionally and physically draining on them," Greenwaldt said, her voicing cracking with emotion. "Can you imagine what it's like for the boys to go home at night and tell Mom, 'We don't have him.'"

Greenwaldt said her days are spent at her parents' home, answering the phone, keeping contact with law enforcement and reaching out to legislators for help. One thing she hopes for is more volunteers to assist in the daily searches.

Fisher said he understands the family's frustrations. He said the sheriff's department is not giving up in its search for Achermann.

"The family has been going through this roller coaster. It's a good family, a close family and they're committed to finding their father, grandfather and husband as well as we are," he said. "We will continue efforts to find Mr. Achermann."

Achermann is a white man, about 5-foot-9, 175 pounds and has a black and gray beard and generally walks with a cane. He likes to wear crocheted berets and has a pleasant demeanor, friends have said.

Anyone with information on Achermann's whereabouts is asked to call the Cass County Sheriff's Department at (800) 450-2677 or (218) 547-3394.

MATT ERICKSON may be reached at matt.erickson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5857.