Big Snow in Iowa

My brother Steve suffered from schizophrenia and died at 54. But a ride to school one snowy morning in his '76 Buick Century made us feel like we'd live forever.

(iStock/LeManna)

By Michael Judge

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Like much of the Midwest, we got hit with a big snow at the start of this week—six inches of icy flakes that sent cars sliding into ditches and kids running for their sleds.

Winter storms like this always remind me of my childhood in Northern Iowa: bumper-skiing with Herman Berding and Timmy Naylon, throwing snowballs at pickup trucks, running for our lives.

Most of all they remind me of rides to school with my oldest brother Steve—short, terrifying journeys in what he liked to call his “Bicentennial Edition” Buick Century. With a 350 V8 under the hood, Steve’s ’76 Century was all Detroit—pomegranate red with an ultra-wide body that ran nearly the length of our driveway.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Steve died in 2013 at the age of 54—the same age I am now. That was a pretty good run considering he had suffered from schizophrenia since he was 21. According to numerous studies, people with schizophrenia have a greatly diminished life sp…