Several years ago, the Riverside Cemetery in Marshalltown, Iowa welcomed a pair of domestic geese named Blossom and Bud who were bonded to each other. Their presence brought joy to cemetery visitors, particularly those who were mourning the loss of a loved one.
Unfortunately, Blossom became a widow when Bud passed away last August, and she has been wandering the cemetery alone ever since. Despite the efforts of the cemetery staff to keep her company and provide her with treats, Blossom seemed to be struggling with her grief in the months following Bud’s death. Recently, there have been some noticeable changes in her behavior.
It is now the season for geese, like Blossom, to find their lifelong partners and mate in order to produce a new brood of goslings. However, this instinctual drive has caused Blossom’s grief to resurface, as she continues to seek out her late partner Bud. Despite his absence, Blossom’s natural impulse to bond and produce offspring has reopened the emotional wound in her heart.
“This is the first spring that Blossom hasn’t had a partner,” Dorie Tammen, general manager at Riverside Cemetery, told The Dodo. “She’s lonely and heartbroken.She needs a partner.”
Moved by Blossom’s longing for her lost mate, the staff at the cemetery felt compelled to take action. While they knew that nothing could bring Bud back, they recognized that Blossom still had the capacity to love and wanted to help her find a new partner. As a result, one staff member, Tammen, came up with an idea to publish a personal ad of sorts to try and find Blossom a suitable mate.
And guess what?!It did not take too long until someone reached them back!
“His name is Frankie,” Tammen said. “They described him as a lonely, widowed male goose!”
So days ago, exactly on Valentine’s Day, Blossom and Frankie have met!