The Sower
Embedded Files
Zakiyyah Woods
Team Okamoto
Story Summary
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Retiree Matt Sims stands silently in the backyard of his first home with his fingers tucked into his front pants pocket. He closely observes as his nephew ascends a ladder to install the final strips of siding. The home, purchased in the mid 1980s, is one of thirteen properties Sims owns on the Northside of Sedalia, and when the interior renovations are complete, Sims’s sister will move in.
Sims is proud of his ability to create and maintain generational wealth through homeownership. It provides continuous security for himself and for members of his family seeking a safe haven or a stepping stone.
Many of his childhood friends and neighbors have left the once-thriving, predominantly Black Northside neighborhood in hopes of finding success outside of Pettis County. Sims, however, works hard to keep his properties in pristine conditions so his loved ones can remain close. “That’s just what we do,” Sims says, “we take care of family.”
Matt Sims, 62, supervises the renovations on his home. Sims purchased the home in 1984, three years after he and his wife, Grace, were married.
Matt inspects wooden planks at Menards home improvement store. The wood will be used to create walls for a new half bathroom in the home he is renovating on the town’s Northside.
Matt collects electrical box covers with his nephew Marshal Sims, 35, inside his home on the north side of Sedalia. Marshal is one of two people helping Sims with his home restoration project.
Matt uses a sharpie to write the measurements of a new half bathroom in his Sedalia, home. The room once served as a bedroom for his two sons more than twenty years ago and will become a bedroom with a vanity and half bathroom when renovations are complete.
Matt insects a pile of debris in the backyard of his home. “We’ve been at this for about a year now,” Sims says, providing a timeline of the home restoration project.
Matt descends into his basement with workers from Zeiler’s Fire/Ice Heating and Cooling to survey the property for the installation of a new heating and cooling system. “Don’t go starting any fires just so you can have something to do today,” Sims joked with the pair as they left.
An old photo of Matt, his wife Grace and their three children is one of many that covers the refrigerator. “This is my wife’s photo album,” Sims says. “Every time she gets a new photo, it goes up here.”
Matt stands in front of a collection of family photos pouring a glass of ice water from his refrigerator water dispenser. “This is my wife’s photo album,” Sims says. “Every time she gets a new photo it goes up here.”
Matt picks up a ladder from his son’s home.
Matt picks up dried branches from his cousin’s yard in Sedalia. The home is currently unoccupied but Sims agreed to keep the exterior of the property tidy to prevent receiving a summons from the city.
Matt fills the gas tank of his riding lawn mower at a local Sedalia gas station. He visits his multiple properties weekly to trim the grass to reduce the risk of receiving a summons from the city.
Matt mows the lawn of at 206 Morgan Street with his four year old great-grandson Miles. The property is one of thirteen owned by Sims in the north side neighborhood of Sedalia.
Matt visits the home of his cousin James Jones, 62, in Sedalia, Mo. to drop off his riding lawn mower. “I’ll let you know when I’m done with it,” Jones shouted to Sims.
Brian Kratzer, Co-Director
Alyssa Schukar, Co-Director
Hany Hawasly, Technical Director
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