Richard Olson, 74, scales the steeple at the Salem United Methodist Church south of Seward June 4. Olson is one of the few remaining steeple jacks in the U.S. He charges $35 to $50 per hour to paint, reshingle and repair church steeples and has worked the trade since the early 1970s.

Jamie Koerner

    He sets his first ladder, carries the second and then the third, laying them up the roof, fastened securely, then comes the fourth that is set up the side of the steeple.
     The work of a steeplejack is a grueling trade to some, but to Richard Olson it is fun.
     "I just like challenges, I guess," Olson said. "I'm a chess player."
     A steeplejack is defined as a craftsman who is prepared to scale tall buildings and in particular church steeples to carry out general repairs.
     Olson started the trade in 1973 when he agreed to repair his first steeple, with the help of his wife from below.
     Olson repaired a steeple in Seward County at the Salem United Methodist Church south of Seward from June 5 to June 13, some days working 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. with a break for lunch and dinner.
     When Olson is hired, the job starts with the initial climb to fasten safety ropes and rope elevators.
     "Climbing the steeple is tough," Olson said. "It borders on dangerous."
     Olson said the hardest part of a steeple job is the initial climb.
     The ladders are in place. Olson takes one step at a time, up the winding ladder-rung path to the top, but he is not yet at the very top. He still has to make it safely up the steeple to fasten his first rope. He is halfway there and the wind begins to blow.
     Olson is 65 feet in the air, almost to the top of the 70-foot church steeple. He swings his rope once and misses. He swings it again and sees the rope loop the steeple and come within range for him to grab and tie a slip knot, leaving the rope as high as he can. From the looped rope Olson attaches a a rope ladder and climbs closer to his destination.
     He is able to reach. He fastens the safety belt strap around the steeple. Then, he ties an extra safety rope to the steeple with a slip knot and around his waist with a bowline knot.
     "It is always a relief to get the safety ropes tied on," Olson said. "Then, if you use the safety ropes correctly, it's impossible to fall."
     Olson said it's important to allow the right amount of slack on a safety rope so it is loose enough to move around and do repairs, but tight enough that if he slipped, he wouldn't fall far.
     Once the safety ropes are secured, Olson attaches his steeplejack chair to the pulley system so he can sit and do repairs.
     "The fun part is sitting in the chair," Olson said. "It is just like having an office job."
     The Salem United Methodist Church was built in 1893. The last renovations to the 70-foot-high steeple occurred about 1990, said Darren Eberspacher, treasurer of the church.
     Eberspacher said they discovered Olson from a Sunday, Nov. 7, 2004 article in the Lincoln Journal Star that detailed his work as a steeplejack. Eberspacher's father, Wes Eberspacher, saved the article to call Olson when the church steeple would need repairs.
     "We didn't even look for another [steeplejack]," Darren Eberspacher said. "[Olson] does an excellent job and has a lot of experience in the trade."
     Eberspacher said that even though the initial climb can be a challenge for Olson, he thinks that Olson enjoys the opportunity to work on churches. Olson works as a carpenter, shingler and painter.
     "I think the steeplejack jobs keep him young and vital to his life's work," Eberspacher said. "I have learned a lot from him and really enjoy working with him."
     Eberspacher and five other men from the church congregation assisted Olson from below when he was on the steeple. Several women volunteered to prepare meals for Olson.
     Olson said he is glad that he is still being asked to do steeplejack jobs.
     "The young guys with the airguns get all the easy jobs," Olson said. "But I get the hard jobs, the difficult ones; and I am happy with that. It is fun to do the hard ones."
     Olson drove back to his home in Clarks after the steeple was finished June 13.
     He said that he already has several jobs doing carpenter work lined up over the summer months and others keep calling.
     "When it rains, roofs leak," Olson said. "It rained a lot last week and roofs are needing me."