| The Following story of “Willie’s Garden, appeared in the Dunsmuir
News:
ECHOES FROM THE CHAMBER
Dunsmuir remembers one of its own
by Will Newman
Dunsmuir lost another of its good young people last
week. Willie Palmore, son of Diane and Ken, passed on
after a serious skiing accident. I did not know
Willie, but I know his parents, particularly Diane. I
know what gentle, caring people they are, and I can
only imagine how their son must have borne those good
qualities.
Losses such as this are community losses. We all
bear some of the pain, and wish that in doing so, we
could lessen the pain of the parents. We know it
cannot be, so we try in what ways we can to show how
we feel. Friends close to Ken and Diane showed their
caring in a simple, homespun way after hearing of
Willie’s death.
It started simply. Julie Signor, the Palmore’s
neighbor, planted some flowers in their front flower
garden. She told Wendy Grochol. Wendy brought some
plants and then called other friends.
Before long, a group of the Palmore’s friends - kids,
teens and adults - gathered at the house to make a
special garden, Willie’s Garden. The friends laughed
and cried and eased some of their own sense of loss,
wishing, I know, that their efforts could show how
much they loved the young man who passed away and the
parents who brought him into this world and made him
this person so many loved.
A monument to Willie Palmore was planted in the
waning light of that day. But it was not made of
flowers or plants, or even the birdbath that was left
there. The monument is the care and love that this
tiny community pulls out of its soul when needed. It
is a monument that will last long after the flowers
have faded.”
The following pictures in this collage, made for
the
Palmores by Wendi Grochol, show only some of the
kind
souls who planted hope that day.
Clockwise, from top left are Kathi Emerson, Marianne
Wilson, Juanita LaCunza, and Will Newman.
From left are Wendi Grochol, Jeannie Rogers, Amy
Telegin, Kathi Emerson and Mick Grochol.
Mick Grochol, the Beautiful Bird Bath, Juanita La Cunza and
Paula Schmidt, hidden by the beautiful red rose bush she is planting.
.
Others who helped were, Wendi Christ, Sarah Silber, Alden Silber,
Matt Rogers, Rachel La Rue, Linda Guzman, Joanne Maldonado,
Michele Gordon, Tami Cutting, and John Signor,
who video taped the gift of the garden.
Sid Sloan brought a rose, and plants from Dunsmuir Elementary
School children, Barbara Ulbrich, brought a wooden planter.
( If you write us, we would be glad to add the names we have
left out.)
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