D-NH community mourns loss of father and son in barn accident

CEDAR FALLS- The Dike-New Hartford school district is mourning the tragic loss of two of its own this week, as fourth-grader to be Beckett Kaufman and his father Andy were killed in a barn collapse accident in Cedar Falls on Friday night.

The incident occurred at a home on Viking Road in Cedar Falls, and the victims were found trapped inside of the barn. On Saturday, D-NH Superintendent Justin Stockdale wrote a widely shared letter to families that provided them with the news and informed them of a grief-counseling event that was held on Sunday afternoon at the Kruger-Hemmen Sports Complex.

“We will have more information to share later this week. For now, we ask that you keep the Kaufman family in your thoughts. Thank you for your support during this incredibly difficult time,” Stockdale wrote.

According to information shared by the official Dike-New Hartford Facebook page, funeral services will be held on Thursday, July 22, at 10 a.m. at the Orchard Hill Church in Cedar Falls, and a visitation was held from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday at the same location.

A Gofundme page (https://www.gofundme.com/f/helping-the-kaufmans-andy-and-beckett-memorial)  has been established to assist the Kaufman family, and as this issue went to press, it had already raised over $71,000.