Career Academy home sold to flood victims

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — Students at Sioux City Career Academy spent the past school year building a house from scratch. Now it’s going to a South Dakota couple whose home was destroyed in recent flooding.

The Career Academy house is now the future home of Dave and Judy Oberg, who recently lost their home where they had lived for more than 50 years.

“You always assume you’re going to stay in the same place forever, but Mother Nature has kind of changed her attitude about that,” said Dave Oberg.

After their home was destroyed by the Big Sioux River flood, the couple found a new home in the most unlikely place.

“The day we were looking at our house when we finally got back after the flood, we got a call from someone who worked for the school district and said, ‘You know, we have a house that’s available,'” Dave said. “We looked at the cost and it might be a couple hundred thousand dollars to fix up what we had, and this house was available and the offer was less than what we thought it would have cost us to fix up the old one.”

“So we jumped on it, won the challenge and here we are,” Judy said.

The Obergs will soon move into a three-bedroom house built by third-year construction students at Sioux City Career Academy.

“It was always really important to us that this went to a family that was worthy and deserving,” said Eric Kilburn, director of the Career Academy. “That it went to a family that needed it instead of just wanted it is just perfect. It’s a really, really great ending to this chapter in our story.”

“They’ve done a great job, it’s pretty exciting,” Judy said. “I hope they come when the house is moved and see where it’s going so they can pat themselves on the back and see what a great job they’ve done and how grateful we are that they built this house.”

Now that the water damage is behind them and they’ve lived in this house their entire lives, the Obergs are ready to begin the next chapter.

“When I know the kids made it, it makes it easier. When I leave all those memories in my old house, and see all those young kids building this house, it makes it easier,” Judy said.

The house will be moved to the Obergs’ estate on August 12. It will take about four hours to move it from the Harry Hopkins Campus in Sioux City to rural Jefferson, South Dakota.