Thanks given for memorial (01/07/2009)

To the editor:

On behalf of the Jay County High School class of 2005 I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the students and community members that selflessly donated money for a memorial in honor of our fallen classmate Lance Cpl. Andrew F. Whitacre. With the donations we were able to plant a tree and put a monument with a bronze plaque just outside the gymnasium at Jay County High School in Andrew's honor.  This could not have been done without the efforts of many.

I would like to thank Rob Penrod from Williamson and Spencer Funeral Home for putting a lot of time and effort into ordering the bronze plaque exactly how we wanted it. Thanks to Ernst Concrete for donating the concrete for the base that the monument rests on. To Dave Teeter from Baird-Freeman Funeral Home for donating the granite monument that the plaque was mounted on. Thanks to Rick Neargarder for digging the hole where the plaque was placed and Larry Poole for digging the hole and pouring the concrete for the base. To Mayor Hosier's 2008 charity golf outing for donating a portion of the money raised to this cause. Mike's Rent-All donated their equipment that made it possible to dig the hole for the base. Also Cooks Nursery planted the tree that we purchased from them.

Thanks to class President Julie Sours, Secretary Jessica Heitkamp and Treasurer Paige Hummel. Thanks to classmates and community members who donated money including Shalee Baker, Jamie Bruggeman, Lauren Budde, Carolyn Carducci, Kyle Craig, Nick Ehrhart, Blake Elick, Dustin Ellingwood, Melissa Fifer, Mandee Gross-Mikulski, Angie Hilgeford, Jenae Horn, Jessica Johnson, J.D. Keller, Makenzie Knight, Brittany Laux, Lexie Lee-Penrod, Janet Lloyd, Adam May, Curt Muhlenkamp, William Murphy, Rashele Myers, Andy Pinkerton, Amanda Rathbun, Janna Rines, Krista Ross-Geesaman, Janae Roush, Kristin Smith, Erin St. Myers, Nicole Towell, Teresa Truong and Miranda Wallace.  Your thoughtfulness is appreciated.

The tree and monument in Andrew's honor will always be part of Jay County High School just as Andrew will always be a hero in our hearts. This would not have been possible without all of the donations from community members and classmates.

Sincerely,

Alexis Hosier, vice president,

Jay County High School

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