Beyond the Boundaries
At Joe's Lodge, Inc.
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Joe's Lodge, the wheelchair-accessible hunting cabin on the
Ed and Mary Gritt Farm, was named in honor of Ed and Mary's
nephew Joe Fassbender. Joe was diagnosed with Muscular
Dystrophy in 1972. He was never able to run and, as he grew
older, could not walk without falling down. By the time he was
ten he was confined to a wheelchair.
Joe and another family friend, Lee Buntjer, who was
paralyzed in a swimming accident, were the first to take part.
part. When the hunting shack burned down in 1994,
friends donated a cabin,
- Lee Buntjer, in 1973,
prior to his accident
BTB continues to
improve Joe's
Lodge, and is
dedicated to
providing a safe
Lee has passed away and is sorely missed. He always made sure
all around him were having a good time.
Joe passed away October 25, 2002. He was 32 years old. Not
only was the Lodge named after him, but the whole volunteer
organization. Joe never did get a deer. He saw plenty of them,
but none of them got close enough for long enough. Still, he
loved the hunt and wanted it to continue. The lodge, the hunt and
the feasting that goes on there each October, with friends
driving hundreds of miles to pitch in, are all part of his legacy.
When Joe grew older, he enjoyed
hunting on the farm with his cousins and other family
members and friends. The old milk house was
brought down to the woods
to use as protection from
the weather. A ramp was
built and eventually a lean-to was added, and then
another. A stove was added to keep out the chill of
the Wisconsin Novembers.
As Joe’s disease progressed the cold weather and the limitations of being in a
wheelchair made it impossible to get around in the woods. Joe’s desire to be a
part of the hunt inspired his uncle, Ed Gritt, to host a hunt for the disabled in
1991 on his heavily wooded farm near Black Creek. The state of Wisconsin had
begun issuing permits for the week-long hunts in early October when the
weather is mild.
and with help from the
Black Creek community, it
was moved to its present
location. A wheelchair-
accessible deck was built
around it, with a hunting station pushing into the trees. Other
hunting stands with ramps rose from the land.
and comfortable headquarters for the many sportspersons who participate in the
events hosted by BTB.
