March 23--There were hardly any empty seats, or dry eyes, at the Ames City Auditorium Thursday, as family, friends, co-workers, and members of the community paid their final respects to fallen Ames firefighter Steve Buser.

Buser, 51, died unexpectedly last Friday morning at Fire Station No. 2, where he had served for over 17 years. He had returned from a call the previous evening, and was found unresponsive in the station's excercise room.

Ames Fire Lt. Doug Neys served with Buser at the station, and considered him to be his "go-to guy."

"Steve was a true professional firefighter," Neys said. "If I needed something done, and I wanted it done right, I went to Steve."

Neys told the more than 800 people who crowded into the auditorium for Buser's memorial service, that Buser was a free spirit, whether he was wearing his kilt, riding a bike in freezing temperatures, or walking around in sandals to show of his painted toenails (courtesy of his daughter Braxton). He also reflected on Buser's propensity for working out and eating healthy while on shift. He said that Buser would often cook fish, and that the smell would circulate throughout the station.

"The only time we could get him away from that is when we'd cook fajitas," Neys joked. "We tried to have fajitas a lot."

Prior to the service, parts of Sixth Street were blocked off to allow the procession to pass by a Nevada fire engine flying the American flag. Once the procession finished, firefighters formed a lane as the flag and the urn carrying Buser's ashes were brought in, followed by the family as bagpipes played in the background. Once inside, a firefighter placed Buser's coat, boots and helmet at the foot of a white-cloth covered table holding his urn, a medal and a folded American flag. The table was flanked on one side by a larger picture of Buser and a flowered wreath.

Neys emphasized that the Fire Department is a family, and that everything they go through, and everything they see, is done together. He said that everything they do is for the community, and that no one seemed to exemplify that more than Buser.

"Everything he did, he did it with dedication," Neys said. "We could all learn some dedication from Steve, what he did, and the way he lived."

Ames Fire Chief Shawn Bayouth used statistics to show just how much Buser had done for the Ames Fire Department. Bayouth said that Buser had responded to over 3,000 incidents in his 17-year career with the department, and logged over 20,000 hours on duty.

In addition to speaking about Buser's accomplishments, Bayouth spoke directly to Buser's family, particularly his wife Angie, and daughter Braxton. Bayouth said the Fire Department is also feeling the loss of a brother, but is dedicated to helping Buser's family get through this difficult time.

"You both lost a loving husband and devoted father, but on that fateful day -- March 17, 2017 -- you gained 57 big brothers and big sisters," Bayouth said in reference to the number of firefighters in the department. "In Steve's far too short 17 years with the Ames Fire Department, he created lasting bonds with the brotherhood and sisterhood of the fire service that even death cannot break."

Family friend Scott Mills -- donning a kilt as Buser liked to do -- spoke about Buser outside of the department. An avid cyclist, Mills said that he and Buser completed RAGBRAI seven times, and how the latter always seemed to be the leader of the pack, and a man that made an entire group feel safe.

Buser and Mills created cycling jerseys for RAGBRAI, which were present onstage, with Buser's fire suit, helmet, and bikes. According to Mills, the jerseys had both of their names on the back, which though he admitted seemed silly at the time, have new meaning now.

"I know he always has my back," Mills said.

And rather than strictly speak about his memories with Buser, Mills at one point spoke directly to Braxton, and said that she could not have received a better father.

"You probably already know this, but on May 16, 1998, you my dear won the daddy lottery," Mills said. "Of all the dads you could have got, you got Steve Buser."

And Mills addressed the entire family, and auditorium, when he promised to never speak of Buser in the past tense.

"He's still here' he's in all of you guys," Mills said as he pointed around the auditorium. "He'll never be gone."

The service concluded with the striking of the four fives, a tradition that dates back over 150 years, which consists of four sets of five bell strikes with pauses in between, to signal to the department that a firefighter (important official or personage) has died in the line of duty.

___ (c)2017 the Ames Tribune, Iowa Visit the Ames Tribune, Iowa at http://www.amestrib.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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