Brucemore groundskeeper set to retire after 30 years of service

CEDAR RAPIDS — Roger Johnson is likely the only living soul who can say he's painted the Brucemore pool, and he's done it 30 years in a row.

As buildings and grounds superintendent at Brucemore, Johnson has learned that you paint the pool on a cool day.

'It takes about 14 to 16 hours in all, because you have to paint the trim and the pipes. But I do look forward to doing it because it's a sign that I am capping off the spring season and it looks so nice when it's finished.'

Johnson, 65, painted the pool for the last time in late March as he is set to retire at the end of June after 30 years of service to one of Cedar Rapids' most well-known destinations.

'Next year, someone else can paint the pool and see how much fun it is,' he said with a sly smile.

Johnson, who started part-time at Brucemore in 1987, knows each season well on the 26-acre estate. He said he has most appreciated the variety his work has offered over his three decades of service to the historic site.

'Every day it changes,' he said, noting that the weather often has something to do with that. 'There's always something to do.'

His job involves handling everything from mowing the lawn and planting and trimming trees and shrubs to setting up and tearing down events, picking up litter, mulching leaves in the fall, handling snow removal in the winter and even doing repair work to the buildings, both inside and out.

'Mowing doesn't take as long as you might think,' he said. 'But when you add all the other little tasks in and don't just get it done in 16 hours straight I might appear to be mowing all the time.'

David Janssen, executive director at Brucemore, calls Johnson 'the hardest working individual I've ever been around.'

'I've never heard him say 'that's not my job' or 'I don't have time,'' said Janssen. 'Roger's typical day would exhaust most people, and the breadth of what he does is a little overwhelming, but he's been doing it for 30 years. He has been a constant, dependable factor that this organization will deeply miss.'

Janssen said there were many times rain was forecast for the beginning of an event week and Johnson would mow on his day off because he knew he wouldn't have a chance to get it done otherwise before the event.

'He would do that without being asked. He knows the rhythms of the organization and the condition of the estate instinctively,' Janssen said.

Johnson attended Kirkwood Community College and worked for several years maintaining the golf course at the Cedar Rapids Country Club before starting at Brucemore, 2160 Linden Dr. SE.

'I have always loved being outside,' he said, noting that he once thought of being a conservationist or park ranger. 'If you are outside, the day goes quickly. And in a way, this place is a lot like a park.'

During Johnson's time maintaining the estate, Brucemore has hosted nearly 924,000 visitors — including school children, event audiences, and tourists — not counting people who have simply walked the grounds or admired it from outside the gate.

'Every visitor is surrounded by evidence of Roger's work,' said Janssen.

'I've walked every inch of this property and I know the physical features of the landscape,' Johnson added. 'And everyone has their stories of what happened here at Brucemore. I've heard them all.'

One of the few people who has worked for each of Brucemore's three directors in the years since its opening as a historic site, Johnson has seen plenty of change during his tenure, especially in terms of events.

'In the '90s we were really busy with special events. We'd have four or five a week and I'd be working late to clean up and lock up afterward. So many people were coming to see the house because it was new as a museum back then.'

Now, he said, Brucemore has more large outdoor events throughout the summer months as opposed to smaller indoor ones which free up his evenings but require more weekend work.

For the past 27 years, Johnson has lived on the property in one of the small cottages near the visitor center. He's planning to move out upon retirement.

'It was great not having to drive to work. I'd just walk a few feet out my door. And when I moved in it was a little village and it was very cool,' he said, noting that the chauffeur, housekeeper and bookkeeper of Margaret and Howard Hall — the last residents of Brucemore — were still living on the property at the time. 'I do miss having them here. They'd invite me in for a piece of pie after a long day of work.'

At night, Johnson said, it's nice to have the property to himself.

'You can hear the toads and the tree frogs at night,' he said.

Johnson says he knows he'll miss Brucemore.

'I've enjoyed working here,' he said. 'It's been demanding work and I've put a lot of hours and years into this. But there's been a lot of neat things about this job. I've met a lot of people. I've just always wanted the property to look nice and I've tried to do the right thing as long as I could.

'I couldn't have found anything I would have enjoyed more.'

[naviga:h3 style="padding-left: 30px;"]TOUR BRUCEMORE

From March through December, tours of Brucemore are offered at the top of the hour starting at 10 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday and starting at 1 p.m. on Sunday. The final tours begin at 3 p.m. Cost is $9 for adults, $3 for children ages 6-18 and free for members and children age 5 and younger. Tickets can be purchased at the visitor center 15 minutes before tours. For more information, call (319) 362-7375 or go to brucemore.org.