In honor of Brian Gleason

      After the death of his friend, Brian Gleason, in an automobile accident on Thursday, Jan. 10, John Hays considered canceling his mission trip to Mexico. Instead, he dedicated the trip to Gleason's memory.

      Hays said that the 25-year-old City of Washington assistant engineer had planned to go on the trip to deliver water purification systems to villages in Mexico. On Friday, Jan. 11, the day they were supposed to leave, Hays said, City Administrator David Plyman told Hays that Gleason had been killed in a two-vehicle accident on Highway 218 as he was driving home from work the day before.

      "I had to leave work at that point," he said. "I came home and we evaluated. We decided we should do it because it was something that Brian wanted. It was very dear to his heart."

      Hays, City of Washington water superintendent, remembered how excited Gleason was to be part of the trip to deliver chlorine generating systems to 10 villages that suffered from lack of drinking water. Hays said Gleason had graduated from the University of Iowa two years earlier, but had worked with one of his former classes on projects. Hays said the entire class had been invited on the mission trip, but no one could attend. Gleason said he had always wanted to help people in other countries.