Missy Dierkens-Spade learned that the family and their rig had been found stranded on the side of the road Thursday morning in Norway.

“I received a call from my boss about the situation — he knew I had horses and thought I could possibly help,” Dierkens-Spade said. “I told him I would stop to see if I could assist.”

Help she did.

The Browns of the Sault Ste. Marie area had a broken wheel on their wagon.

JOEL BROWN AND his son, Simon, direct Power down U.S. 2 near the Norway Spring in Norway. (Terri Castelaz/Daily News photo)

Dan Lindsley, along with friends Bret Kraemer and Rodney Anderson, were able to repair more than half the spokes on the wooden wagon wheel.

All three are very knowledge about motor vehicles — Lindsley is a local body shop owner and late model race car driver, with Kraemer as his crew chief, while Anderson owns ERA Chevrolet in Norway.

Dierkens-Spade, meanwhile, took the family’s draft horse, Power, by trailer to her farm. “I wanted him to be able to eat and have a night’s rest,” she said.

Anderson was able to haul the carriage to the America’s Best Value Inn & Suites in Norway, where Dierkens-Spade had reserved a room for the family for the evening.

As it turned out, her stepfather, Chuck Clark, had assisted the family as well Wednesday when they were broke down in Waucedah.

Rodney Anderson, left, and Dan Lindsley work to repair the spokes on the damaged wooden wheel from the Brown family's wagon. The family was traveling from Sault Ste. Marie through Dickinson County when their wagon broke down in Norway. (Submitted photo)

“He was able to fix something under the carriage,” said Dierkens-Spade, adding he did the work without the needed parts.

Joel Brown — along with his two sons, Simon and Seth; his mother, Pam; and dog, Duke — had left Sault Ste. Marie on Sept. 16 with their packed wagon, heading for Duluth, Minn. In 31 days, they have traveled 240 miles.

The family said they are following the word of God.

“This is about halfway point, with little more than 241 to go, according to the map,” Joel Brown said.

Brown and his family began preparing for their journey July 2.

Missy Dierken-Spade of Vulcan feeds horse Power some hay before he gets harnessed to the Brown family's wagon. From left are Simon, Joel, Pam, and Seth Brown. The family is taking a horse-drawn wagon from Sault Ste. Marie to Duluth, Minnesota.

“The Holy Spirit spoke to me and told me this (pandemic) would be happening back in 2019,” he said. “We started to pray about it and God started to provide for the things we needed for this trip.”

They acquired Power from downstate. “I sold my vehicles to buy him,” Brown said.

They then purchased the wagon from an Amish community member near Sault Ste. Marie. The Amish community taught them many things they needed to know about the horse as well as the wagon.

“You have to know what and when to feed the horse for the best performance,” he said.

He notes Power already is spoiled — he loves his apples and carrots. They also learned how to shoe a horse.

Their carriage, which has a bunk-type area covered with a tarp, was loaded full of supplies for the long haul.

They felt they had everything they need — food, clothing, camping gear, fishing gear, blankets, as well as food and supplies for the horse.

“We found that we actually overpacked,” he said. “We had to give away clothing items and even some of the food.”

They are trying to stay as technology-free as possible. “God has given us all the tools,” Brown said.

When they departed Norway on Friday morning, they had hoped to make it to Florence, Wis., about 20 miles west, by evening. Instead, they decided to stop in Iron Mountain to wait for a needed spring.

“The journey is an experience they want to endure,” Dierkens-Spade said.

She encourages anyone who should happen to see them during a cold night to offer some kind of shelter from the cold to rest — be it a motel, barn or shed.

Dierkens-Spade also started a GoFundMe account, “Helping just because.”

“They didn’t ask for me to do this — people were asking how to help,” she said.

The Brown family is grateful to everyone who has helped them along the way.