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Davis Journal

Mourning the bird: Fruit Heights mascot passes away

May 06, 2021 11:27AM ● By Alison Berg

Fruit Heights residents are mourning the loss of Kevin the turkey, the city’s first official mascot. Courtesy photo

FRUIT HEIGHTS — When most people think of turkeys, they may think of Thanksgiving dinner or a bird they occasionally see on the side of the road.

But for Fruit Heights residents, one turkey stood out as more than just a bird.

Kevin, a local turkey who later became the first official mascot for the city of Fruit Heights, passed away in April. While residents are unsure what the exact causes of his passing were, most believe he was attacked by another form of wildlife while sleeping in one of his various trees around the city.

“He was such an iconic part of this community,” said Julianne Kettering, a Fruit Heights resident.

Julianne and her husband, Jack Ketterling, moved to Fruit Heights at the end of 2019, just before COVID-19 hit. Right when the pandemic came to Utah, the couple felt like they were starting to get to know their neighbors and build relationships in the community.

As the entire country locked down, the Ketterlings felt like they bonded to their neighbors through their shared love of the turkey.

“There was this constant check-in of neighbors and people asking when he was last seen so everyone knew he was OK,” said Jack Ketterling. “It was something to do in times of COVID and Kevin was like this bright spot in the neighborhoods and something you could talk about.”

While neighbors could not see each other face-to-face, community members bonded on city Facebook pages asking each other if they had seen Kevin or knew what he was up to.

“He kind of became the neighborhood celebrity because everyone knew who he was,” said Julianne Ketterling. “The kids knew not to bother him and not to shoot him because he lives here.”

The Ketterlings said they were afraid to tell their children about Kevin’s passing because “it felt like we had lost a pet.”

“Even though he wasn’t our pet, he was like a community pet,” said Julianne Ketterling.

While Julianne Ketterling was commuting back and forth from work and getting onto US Highway 89, she remembers Kevin pulling up next to her car to visit with her. Though she’s afraid of birds, she frequently rolled her window down to allow Kevin’s head inside the vehicle to visit with her.

“It was a bright spot to look forward to when you were leaving and coming home from work,” Julianne Ketterling said. “Especially if you came home and it was sunset or dusk, you never knew if you were going to turn the corner and Kevin was going to be there.”