Save the Oakgrove Ice House—Preserve a Legacy, Protect a Family

My name is Jodi, and I’m asking for help to save my family's home and legacy—a legacy built one block of ice at a time.

It all began in Detroit with my grandfather, Charlie Neisz. At just 21 years old, he started an ice business with nothing but grit and the money he earned as a vendor selling popcorn on the street. He hopped a train from Tennessee to Michigan, determined to make a life for himself and stay close to his sisters. He delivered ice across metro Detroit during a time when it meant heavy dry ice blocks in iceboxes.

Known affectionately as "The Ice Man," my grandfather earned the respect and friendship of countless restaurant and bar owners, as well as delivering to the railroad, hospitals, gas stations. He met the love of his life, my grandmother Dolores, and together they built D & C Ice—Dolores and Charlie.

In 1972, Grandpa paid cash for a home on Oakgrove Street in St. Clair Shores, where he continued working well into his 80s. My father David and Aunt Brenda learned the trade early, working by his side from as early as age 12 onward, eventually becoming "Ice Man Jr."

During the 2003 Northeast blackout, they handed out free bags of ice to neighbors lined down the street, offering comfort in chaos. This home wasn’t just the base of the family business—it was a place of resilience, and love.

Then came COVID. It devastated small businesses, including ours. Property taxes fell behind, and the health of those we love unraveled. My grandfather passed in 2021. His home now belonging to my father and aunt.

My Aunt Brenda was diagnosed with breast cancer and has been unable to work. The cost of treatment, imaging, labs, and surgeries has drained her finances even with Medicare health insurance. My father now shows signs of early onset dementia but hasn’t yet qualified for Medicare or Medicaid. We’re in need of a diagnosis for further future assistance and preventative treatment and care.

Now, this home—the place that has held memories, sacrifices, and dreams—is currently in forfeiture and at the risk of foreclosure.

We need to raise $7,000 by September to cover delinquent 2023 property taxes and $4,646 by March to clear 2024 taxes. If we meet both milestones, the Oakgrove Ice House can be saved. Our family and parents are working as hard as they can to pay everything off but could really use any extra help.

It’s hard to ask for help. But sometimes, it truly takes a village.

Please consider donating, sharing this story, or keeping our family in your thoughts. Every contribution brings hope, comfort, and the chance for this legacy to continue.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

If you prefer to donate with cash, check, or other means please feel free to reach me (Jodi)