From left, Joe Stabler, Breanne Bryner and Lois Stabler. Bryner was presented with an award by the Kewanee Veterans Council for an act of kindness she did for the Stablers. [Photo by Susan DeVilder]

Lois Stabler, a resident of the Courtyard Village, stood up in front of an assembled group in the lobby of the senior living facility on Tuesday with a story to tell.

“I have a story about how it all began,” she said. “I just want you to know how much this is appreciated.”

What’s appreciated is an act that went above and beyond the duties of Kewanee police dispatcher Breanne Bryner.

Lois’ story began months ago when she and her husband, Joe, were moving from their home on South Street to Courtyard Village. As with any move, there were some accumulated items that the couple didn’t want to keep, so they packed it up in trash bags and placed five trash bags in front of their house.

Lois and Joe then found out that those bags of trash had been run over by a car and the contents were scattered all over the yard.

“I didn’t know what to do,” Lois told the group, calling the sight the worst she’d ever seen.

Lois decided to phone the police station and Breanne answered. Lois was crying as she related the story of the scattered trash to the dispatcher, who told her to give her a few minutes and she would return her call.

Skeptical that her call would be returned, Lois hung up and waited and just like Breanne had promised, she phoned Lois back. The next thing Lois knew, Breanne, her mother, Kelli Davis, and Paul Palen had assembled on their South Street lawn and begun to collect the trash, throwing it in the back of a truck to haul away.

“How could we not do something for her?” Lois said.

But being a member of the Kewanee Police Department, Breanne explained to Lois that she not only wouldn’t, but couldn’t take any money for her good deed.

Joe Stabler, a former member of the Kewanee Veterans Council Squad, reached out to Jerry Thompson, finance officer for the KVC, and told him the story before asking for his help to figure out some way to properly thank Breanne.

Jerry Thompson, finance officer for the KVC, presented a plaque to Kewanee police dispatcher Breanne Bryner Tuesday. [Photo by Susan DeVilder]

The KVC decided to present the Kewanee police dispatcher with an award commemorating her act of kindness. The award was presented to Breanne at the Courtyard Village in an official presentation, with members of the KVC present. The Stablers also presented a check to the KVC in Breanne’s name.

“It’s my turn to reward you for what you did and your mother,” Lois told Breanne.

The plaque Breanne received for assisting the Lois and Joe Stabler. [Photo by Susan DeVilder]

Upon presenting the plaque to Breanne, Thompson thanked her for helping “this wonderful person and her husband.”