Published September 9, 2026 | Updated September 9, 2026

Sculptures are usually reserved for politicians, athletes, war heroes, and other famous people. In the case of a dedication I witnessed today at Turner Park, it honors a broom salesman and pastor who left an indelible mark during his 91-year life.

Livingston Wills was one of 11 children born to Matt and Eddie Wills, who farmed near Brownsville, Tennessee. Born in 1917, he was blind at birth with only about five percent vision. He attended a school for the blind in Nashville, where he learned Braille and broom-making, a skill that would help him earn a living. He moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1944, to attend Union College, paying his way by selling brooms door-to-door.

Intending to become a teacher, Wills instead felt the call to ministry, and by 1946 he was ordained as a deacon at the Church of Christ. He relocated to Omaha in 1948 and by 1951 was ordained as a pastor at Tabernacle Church of Christ Holiness at 1521 N. 25th Street. His small congregation couldn’t support a full-time minister, so he kept selling brooms to provide for his family.

Not one to be held back by his limitation, Wills dressed in a suit and tie and rode a bus to his usual stops in Benson, Dundee, and Florence. Once he arrived, he walked up to 10 miles a day and knocked on as many as 40 doors. He often whistled while walking, and some joked that it was his sonar that helped him avoid bumping into objects. In fact, he navigated the city so well that authorities once accused him of faking his blindness, until City Councilman and future Mayor Glenn Cunningham stepped in. In 1974, he inadvertently walked into the Pussycat Theater and was pushed to the floor, fracturing his wrist. “I’m a minister, I wouldn’t go into a place like that,” he said. 

Wills became a bishop in 1975 and later led the national convention of the Church of Christ, even as his own congregation dwindled to a handful. As he aged, failing health cut into his sales, and he fell behind on his electricity bill. Omaha rallied around him with Goodfellows funds, schoolkids’ donated allowances, and neighbors covering his bills for months.

Wills died in 2008 at 91. “He walked 10 feet above the average man,” Rev. Robert Summers said at his funeral. He was buried at Mount Hope Cemetery, where mourners held brooms on their shoulders. Rev. Ken Vavrina added: “So few people are here because the people of Omaha are blind. People didn’t recognize that Bishop Wills is a saint. He is the saint of Omaha.” 

Wills, affectionately referred to as the Broom Man, did more than just sell brooms or faithfully lead his congregation. Longtime customer Kathleen Hanley McGahey recalled how, decades after first meeting him as a child, an entire restaurant hushed in recognition when he walked in. She added: “He gave us a profile of courage, perseverance, faith and trust and, most importantly, raised our consciousness: allowing all who met him to change our hearts, change our minds and let a stranger in.” 

Plans for a statue began in 2016, led by the Broom Man Project including Marc and Joan Kraft, Jim Backens, David Jensen, Richard Callahan, Hal Daub, and Steve Gordon. They commissioned sculptor John Lajba, known for The Road to Omaha outside Charles Schwab Field, to create the sculpture. At the time, Lajba said: “I can’t wait to sculpt him and have him be a part of our city again, a permanent part of our city.” Support came from the Sherwood Foundation, Kathleen Fuchs Owen, a donation in memory of Anne C. Foley, the Omaha Parks Foundation, and hundreds of individual donations.

During the dedication, I saw the statue honoring Rev. Wills unveiled after the decade-long effort. Located within Turner Park, it showed Wills facing southeast toward Farnam Street along a route he walked many times during his life. Made of bronze, the life-size statue was purposely placed at street level rather than on a pedestal as it didn’t fit the character of the “Broom Man.” Emphasizing his attention to detail, Lajba said he wanted it to be as realistic and lifelike as possible down to details such as the way he holds the brooms, the fact that he’s whistling, and his irises looking to the right even though he was blind.

It is a fitting tribute to a man defined not by his blindness, but by his perseverance, courage, trust, and faith.

Click here to learn more about Rev. Livingston Wills and the Broom Man Project: https://broommanomaha.com/

Omaha Exploration, 2026. All rights reserved. Excerpts and links are welcome with full credit given to Omaha Exploration and a link back to the original content.