Local Hero Paints Giant 'W' on Sister-In-Law's Oswego Lawn

OSWEGO, IL — If the name Mike Roberson rings a bell to you, it’s because he was widely praised as being a hero when he rescued a family from a van that had rolled down a hill into a pond.

For the time being, Roberson, his wife and six-year-old daughter are living with his sister-in-law in Oswego. In October 2015, his house caught on fire and he’s still waiting for repairs to be completed.

But in the meantime, he’s got Cubs fever.

Despite a disappointing loss Tuesday night against the Cleveland Indians, the Cubs came back for a win Wednesday, and Thursday morning Roberson let his Cubs love fly.

He told his sister-in-law that she was going to have a surprise in store for her when she returns from work. That surprise will be a great big "W" on her lawn. But the Cubs are in the World Series, so she’ll understand.

“She knows I’m a little nuts,” Roberson said. “I’ve been a Cubs fan since I was a kid. For them to do what they’re doing now, I gotta show some kind of respect somewhere.”

Roberson said he was inspired while watching WGN-TV this morning.

“They were showing the Cubs coming home and I was like, ‘What is something we can do.’” That’s when he got the idea to paint the "W."

So, what’s in store if they take the World Series?

“Who knows what I’ll do.”

In October 2015, Roberson was traveling back from his uncle’s funeral when he saw a van fishtail in front of him. The van went into a ditch and began rolling down a hill, landing upside down in a pond.

Roberson stopped his vehicle and jumped into action, saving a family, which included a mom, children and a grandfather. Unfortunately, the dad died in the crash.

Roberson soon learned that his Naperville home had caught on fire, killing his cat and injuring his dog.

While his house could be ready to live in soon, Roberson's thinking about staying in Oswego, since his daughter has made friends with kids in the area and is attending Old Post Elementary School.

“We really love it out here,” he said.

photo courtesy of Mike Roberson