94-year-old Navajo man gets electricity for the first time

TONALEA, Ariz. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - A 94-year-old Navajo man gets electricity for the first time thanks to some Utah linemen.

In a place where the land stretches farther than the power lines, there is a man who has lived almost a century in the quiet.

Chee Secody has never needed much after serving in the Korean War, but last week in Tonalea, Arizona, which is a small Navajo Nation community that might not show up on many maps, Secody was about to get something most people can't imagine living without: Electricity.

"To see the people's faces and the emotion they go through to get power, it's pretty amazing," said Eric Bracewell with Murray City Power.

Linemen from Murray City came to Tonalea not only to give their new workers some training, but to be a part of something special.

"You can't really explain it. Goosebumps in the back and your hair stands up, it's a really great feeling. It's awesome," Bracewell expressed.

Secody has been on the waiting list since 2017. Finally, his home made it to the top, and his neighbors had to see it happen.

"He's gonna get it. So I'm very happy about that," said Betty Tso, a Tonalea resident.

And just like that, Secody had power.

He's never been one to say much, but in that moment, he didn't have to.

"He like electricity coming into his house for his power tools. I guess that was more important than his refrigerator," said Rose Nelson, Secody's granddaughter.

It's not every day you see a 94-year-old man get excited about a power drill, but after a lifetime without his home connected to the grid, Secody is finally lit up in more ways than one, something he'll never take for granted.

"Now he'll probably have his porch light on when he gets home," Nelson shared.

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