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Taking away some of the hurt

The Bozeman Daily Chronicle - 6/8/2017

It was a moment of heartbreak for Joyce Santos.

On May 25, Santos and her sister delivered two planter baskets filled with an array of flowers to the graves of Santos’ husband Manuel Santos, a U.S. Army veteran who served in the Korean War, and her parents, Erwin and Pleasant Mitchell, at Sunset Memorial Gardens cemetery.

Due to the warm spring weather, 79-year-old Santos decided to go back the next day to water the flowers, only to find them stolen, not even 24 hours later.

It was the second year in a row thieves ran away with planters Santos left for her loved ones at the cemetery.

“I stood and cried,” said Santos, who paid more than $50 for the two planters. “I couldn’t believe anybody had done it again. I was so mad.”

That’s when she decided to reach out to law enforcement.

Santos reported the flower thefts to the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office. She didn’t want the theft investigated but thought deputies should do some extra patrols at the cemetery.

But Santos’ call led to much more than that.

Deputy Jonathan Olson was assigned to the call shortly after going on shift that day, a day he said he wasn’t particularly looking forward to.

“That was a tough day. I was struggling,” 33-year-old Olson recalled.

That was just over a week after Deputy Mason Moore in neighboring Broadwater County was killed in the line of duty.

“It just took an emotional and physical toll on me,” he said.

When Olson first called to get Santos’ theft report, he heard her “sweet little voice” come on the phone and immediately thank him for calling her back, as well as thanking him for his service.

Santos told Olson about the stolen flowers, so Olson responded to the cemetery to investigate.

The flowers were, indeed, gone when he arrived. While there, Olson also noticed that Santos’ husband had served in the Army.

“I was kind of touched by that,” he said.

Olson again called Santos, telling her he would conduct extra patrol and contact the cemetery director to set up security cameras. But Santos quickly told Olson there was no need for that, stressing she felt like deputies had more important calls.

“I was pretty touched by her humility,” Olson said. “Instantly, I knew right then and there that I needed to go over there and replace those flowers.”

And that’s what he did.

In place of the stolen planters, Olson put an arrangement of red, white and blue artificial flowers along with American flags above Manuel Santos’ headstone.

“It was beautiful. It was so pretty,” Santos said. “It gave me a warm feeling to know that he cared enough.”

“I guess it took away some of the hurt,” she added.

Santos said she was particularly moved by Olson’s gesture, considering recent events.

“They went through a rough week,” Santos said. “We don’t give them enough credit. They put their life on the line every day.”

“He was nice enough to do something he didn’t have to do,” Santos continued. “He deserves credit for it.”

But for Olson, it was part of the job.

“We took an oath to protect and serve,” Olson said. “We see a lot of ugly things, things you shouldn’t have to see on a daily basis...Going forth and serving others is more of a blessing than people understand.”

Olson, who has also worked for the Belgrade Police Department and on the Missouri River Drug Task Force, said it’s important for him and other law enforcement to seize opportunities to make a positive impact and to brighten someone’s day.

And the gesture also turned his day around as well.

“It has definitely helped me,” he said. “I think Mrs. Santos knows that she touched me more than I think that simple gesture touched her.”

Gallatin County Sheriff's Department Deputy Jonathan Olson recently went out of his way to replace flowers stolen from U.S. Army veteran Manuel Santos' grave at the Sunset Memorial Gardens cemetery.

Rachel Leathe/Chronicle

Gallatin County Sheriff's Department Deputy Jonathan Olson recently went out of his way to replace flowers stolen from U.S. Army veteran Manuel Santos' grave at the Sunset Memorial Gardens cemetery.

Rachel Leathe/Chronicle

Deputy Jonathan Olson bought these flowers and to replace the ones stolen by robbers from Army veteran Manuel Santos' grave. 

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Deputy Jonathan Olson bought these flowers and to replace the ones stolen by robbers from Army veteran Manuel Santos' grave. 

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO