My husband and I were married by Father Dobberstein in 1928. I took instructions from him. We watched the Grotto grow for many years, How Beautiful. I am 96, my husband passed away 31 years ago.
- Marie Heim, Carroll IA

When I was very young, probably 4 or 5 years old, in the early 60’s my grandparents brought a few of us grandkids to this beautiful place. It wasn’t long after that they passed away. For many years I hunted and questioned everyone as to where this could have been, none of our parents had been there and didn’t know we had gone. Finally in the early 90’s while we were living in Yankton SD someone came into our convenience store and was talking about this beautiful place in West Bend that they had been to. After talking to them awhile I told my wife this had to be the place I had been looking for 30+ years. So we went to see and to my delight it was, my search was over.
- Rick Popkes, Canistota SD

In the early 1950’s my parents, Emmett and Lucy Mohrhouser of Lake View, Iowa would pack all of us six siblings in the car and drive to West Bend’s Grotto of Redemption. Father Dobberstein would set out on the lawn under a shade tree on Sundays to greet visitors. My father made it a point that each of us children, Magdalen, Gerald, Sheran, myself, George and Christie Anna Jane would line up and shake Father Dobberstein’s hand—my father felt he was a very blessed man…almost as if meeting the Pope. Years later I made the trip again with my two children from Denver, CO. Now today, I am here again with my 15 year old Granddaughter, Jessica Zies, from Peachtree City, GA. I currently live in Deming, NM ….and I never fail to feel in awe of this most perfect holy place. God Bless it’s continuance until I return with my Great Grandchildren.
- Linda Mohrhouser-Drilling, Deming NM

I have such fond memories as a child and adult of the awesome beauty of creating this Holy Grotto out of rocks. I’m a collector of special rocks and want to see you continue the works of Fr. Dobberstein who I met personally as a child of 10 or so.
- Marge Stanek