LEADER, Minn. 鈥� On Friday, July 24, 2009, Peter Achermann left his Leader, Minnesota, home to pick up groceries and his wife's medications in nearby Staples.
He was never seen again.
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Nine years later and still with no answers, the Achermann family had his funeral on Aug. 11, 2018, at St. Michael Catholic Church in Motley, with a celebration of his life at the family farm in Leader.
Though the helpfindpeter.com website no longer exists, an states that Achermann went to town to get his wife鈥檚 prescription and milk that Friday. He then stopped by his daughter鈥檚 home in Motley to see how the wedding plans were coming together for his granddaughter鈥檚 wedding the next day.
He then met his son from out of state, coming in for the wedding, and had coffee with him and some of his grandchildren at the El Ray in Motley.
Achermann then went on to finish his errands, picking up his wife鈥檚 prescription before heading to Ernie鈥檚 Market in Staples, where he picked up a few groceries, checking out at 11:55 a.m. Surveillance cameras at Ernie's showed Achermann, who generally walked with a cane, appeared fine as he picked up groceries.
The 82-year-old Achermann was last seen on Warner Road, by the Crow Wing River bridge, between noon and 1 p.m.
It was around 2-3 p.m. on July 24, 2009, when family members became worried that Achermann had not returned home from his errands and called law enforcement. Cass County Sheriff鈥檚 Office deputies found his vehicle buried in a mud hole a day later.
His vehicle, described as a light blue 1995 Chevrolet Caprice Wagon, was located off Cass County Road 32, at the end of a minimum maintenance road on the morning of July 25, 2009. The groceries and medication he purchased were still in the vehicle. However, there were no signs of Achermann, his walking cane or his keys.
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Achermann was known to leave his keys in the vehicle.
On Sunday, July 26, 2009, the Cass County Sheriff's Office issued a in looking for the missing 82-year-old rural Staples man who was last seen Friday.
The archived website states that since the time his vehicle was found, 鈥渇amily members, hundreds of volunteers, the Cass County Sheriff鈥檚 Department, the Minnesota National Guard, search divers, mounted posses, over 30 K9 search dogs, and investigators with cadaver dogs have found no trace of Peter.鈥�
In 2012, former Cass County Sheriff Tom Burch said despite extensive searches of the area, no trace of Achermann was found. Burch said there was the initial theory of Achermann having a medical issue, but that didn't add up 鈥� they would have found him because of his age and limited abilities while using a cane, given the rough terrain in the area where the vehicle was found.
Burch said Achermann was known in the area and knew a lot of the roads, but being on that road doesn鈥檛 make sense.
Achermann was declared deceased on July 24, 2013, for legal reasons, his family stated.
In 2023, Cass County Sheriff Bryan Welk announced a new search as the landscape and terrain of the area where Achermann鈥檚 vehicle was located had changed. The ongoing drought that year also provided an opportunity to search ditches and lowlands that were once filled with water.
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At the time, Welk said there was no new information that led to their search of the area. Initial investigators assigned to the case had retired or moved on, both at the county and state level, and reassignments to the case were made. Revisiting the initial search area gave those new investigators assigned to the case an opportunity to learn about it and orient themselves with the area.
In an Feb. 4 interview, Welk said they did not find anything in that search of the area in 2023, but they wanted to keep Achermann鈥檚 name in the public eye to drum up some renewed interest in the case.
Welk said the case is currently a 鈥渃old case鈥� as all current investigative efforts have been put on hold.
鈥淲e鈥檙e waiting for information, 鈥� for the right person to step forward with information that will lead to a resolution,鈥� Welk said.
He said Achermann鈥檚 vehicle is still retained in evidence, and his investigators will follow up on any and all new leads and tips that may come into his office.
鈥淚f anybody knows anything, please come forward, even if they think it's not relevant information, we'll take anything we can get,鈥� Welk said.
Anyone with information, tips or leads on Achermann's whereabouts is asked to contact the Cass County Sheriff's Office at 800-450-2677 or 218-547-1424. People also may send a tip to Crime Stoppers of Minnesota by calling 800-222-8477 or going online at .
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Peter Achermann
on May 21, 1927, to Heinrich and Berta Achermann in Neuhausen am Rheinfall, Switzerland, and raised by middle-class parents in the Roman Catholic faith, according to 鈥淭he Journey of a Lifetime,鈥� Peter鈥檚 memoir that was written by his niece Becky (Rebecca) Achermann. His niece wrote the 329-page memoir from Peter鈥檚 journals written in German. Peter鈥檚 brother translated the journal to Becky.
Peter, the second oldest of four children, was baptized, confirmed and served as an altar boy at the Holy Cross Catholic Church in Neuhausen, Switzerland. As a child, Peter already knew he wanted to be a farmer. He left his home at age 16 and spent three years at different farms in different parts of Switzerland.
At age 19, he completed his military obligation and received his passport and visa to go to France to work. At this time, 鈥渢he ravages of World War II were apparent 鈥� economic poverty and psychological uncertainties lead to political unrest,鈥� Peter wrote. Peter made up his mind to travel to America as 鈥減olitical troubles were brewing鈥� and the 鈥渢ownspeople respected the communist organizations that were active against German laborers.鈥�
Peter got on the SS Washington, a liberty ship, in Le Havre, France, set to land on the shores of New York the morning of Dec. 23, 1948. People on the ship were displaced people from the eastern countries of Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania 鈥� and were predominantly Jewish people. While on the ship, he observed people鈥檚 emotions, full of appreciation to be able to witness many immigrants embracing the promised land and a better future.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 have to leave Switzerland,鈥� Peter wrote in his memoir. 鈥淚 felt positive and was full of expectations without any reservations, exceptions or restrictions.鈥�
Peter worked a succession of jobs as a hired hand in the commercial farming industry and eventually moved to Osakis. He worked on a farm in Belle River and Millerville. It was in Osakis where his neighbors taught Peter how to accept help and how to do good to others. He wrote that the biggest lesson of his life in America was, 鈥淒o unto others as you would like to be done unto you.鈥�
It was this rural Minnesota town where he met Delaine. They married on Easter Monday, April 13, 1953, at St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Belle River. And as their married life began, they purchased property in Millerville to farm. Peter also started working on a pipeline being built from Minnesota to North Dakota.
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The Achermanns had 11 children 鈥� John, Mike, Denise (who died in a car crash in Montana), Josef (who died of alcoholism), Vanessa, Michelle, Franz, twins Desiree and Peter (Peter died from crib syndrome), Renee and Jorg.
In one of the last pages of Achermann鈥檚 memoir, he writes about his death and funeral wishes.
鈥淨uite often, I entertain thoughts about dying,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淣ow that I am old and worn out, I hope to experience a peaceful death at home.
鈥淢y hope is that in dying, I will be able to have my family around me and that for my loved ones, it will be a positive experience.
鈥淚 would also like to plan my funeral ... without spending a lot of money. ... My hope is that the main feelings or beliefs of all should be of thankfulness for the good years, forgiveness of past weaknesses and the knowledge of eternal life.鈥�
TIM SPEIER, staff writer, can be reached on Twitter , call 218-855-5859 or email tim.speier@brainerddispatch.com .
The Trust Project
