A Memorial Garden to Children Gone too Soon Unites Spotsylvania
On a sunny afternoon, the families who've lost children joined with politicians and school leaders, and a towering force in the community to remember, and to come together.
By Martin Davis
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Email Martin
Del. Joshua Cole captured the sadness that defined Saturday afternoon’s dedication of the new Memorial Garden for children gone too soon. He also captured the power of memory. Speaking to the Advance before the event began, he said:
It’s really powerful. … It’s sad that we have the ability to lose students, right? But it’s an awesome opportunity for the school division to say, let’s memorialize their memory. We have a statement that we say in church, let their memories be eternal.
In his public comments, he latched onto something Spotsylvania County, which has seen its share of divisions, desperately needed:
When Jaimie [Ashton] told me told me that she planned to do this wonderful idea, I was thinking it was going to take two, three, or four years. I never thought it was going to take a matter of months for this wonderful memorial to come to pass. And that just goes to show you … that when the community comes together to put their differences aside. And [pull] their hearts and their minds together, what we can get accomplished.
In the wake of a wave of violence that rocked Spotsylvania earlier this year, Jaimie Ashton envisioned a memorial for children lost. A place for families to be able to gather and remember. A place for others to reflect. And a place that reminds us all of the value of human life.
School Board member Lisa Phelps told the Advance that:
This is something that’s near and dear to all of us on the school board and in the administration, to keep our kids safe and to make it a place of safety in our public school system. And I think this is a reflection of all of us coming together with the community to show that that’s what our priorities are.
As Cole noted, the memorial came together in near-record time. Superintendent Clint Mitchell spoke of the collaborative way everyone worked together to make that happen.
I want to thank the board for taking a bold step by waiving the policy to allow us to do this much faster than it could have been.
But it was the parents and the children lost that were clearly front-of-mind for Mitchell
I’ve met a lot of parents and seen a lot of tears; it clearly means a lot to a lot of parents. … I hope that as time goes on people would look at this as a place where they could come in and not just mourn but celebrate their children…. [A] lot of times my staff [saw] me out here over the last month or so. Especially when I was taking a break from the job. I’d come in, I’d sit on a bench, and I would just reflect. … It felt real yesterday for the first time. You could feel it because the names were on the benches. … I hope this is just a small token that can bring us together as a community.
The community’s coming together to recognize the importance of a child and their life was also what struck Del. Bobby Orrock hardest:
I’m glad that the community has come together. When you cut through everything, the loss of a child is a terrible tragedy. I can’t imagine. And I’m glad there’s a place that whatever an individual’s faith beliefs might be, they can come and reflect and ponder the potential of the child.
Board Chair Megan Jackson was similarly moved by the loss of life, as well as the void in the hearts and lives of those left behind.
I want to thank Jaimie and all the volunteers who made this happen. And I want share my condolences with families and loved ones of those who’ve lost students way too soon. I know that this memorial will never fill the void they feel in their hearts, but I do hope it helps them find some peace and comfort.
The pain family members felt was palpable, something that Board Supervisor and chair Chris Yakabouski spoke to the Advance about:
A beautiful day to dedicate this memorial to all the kids in our county who have lost their lives way too early. To see the families out here, it really breaks your heart, but it’s inspiring to know their memories will continue.
For others, the day struck a personal chord. School Board member Lorita Daniels referenced a family member in her public comments who is a combat veteran and struggling. She then said:
This is dear to my heart … You look at those names, and you know that they are with God. … We must also continue to understand that children need the support. The ones that are still here, they need the support. And the ones that are left on to continue to pray for them.
While the Memorial Garden came together quickly, it wasn’t without some controversy. Speaking to the Advance, Board member Carol Medawar said she’s:
happy that it’s all come together. … Now that it’s happened, it’s something the community will be proud of.
And for Jaimie Ashton, who had the vision and brought the project to fruition, there was only this to say:
It’s been an honor and a privilege to be able to put this together with the help of the community.
Local Obituaries
To view local obituaries or to send a note to family and loved ones, please visit the link that follows.
Support Award-winning, Locally Focused Journalism
The FXBG Advance cuts through the talking points to deliver both incisive and informative news about the issues, people, and organizations that daily affect your life. And we do it in a multi-partisan format that has no equal in this region. Over the past year, our reporting was:
First to break the story of Stafford Board of Supervisors dismissing a citizen library board member for “misconduct,” without informing the citizen or explaining what the person allegedly did wrong.
First to explain falling water levels in the Rappahannock Canal.
First to detail controversial traffic numbers submitted by Stafford staff on the Buc-ee’s project
Our media group also offers the most-extensive election coverage in the region and regular columnists like:
And our newsroom is led by the most-experienced and most-awarded journalists in the region — Adele Uphaus (Managing Editor and multiple VPA award-winner) and Martin Davis (Editor-in-Chief, 2022 Opinion Writer of the Year in Virginia and more than 25 years reporting from around the country and the world).
For just $8 a month, you can help support top-flight journalism that puts people over policies.
Your contributions 100% support our journalists.
Help us as we continue to grow!
This article is published under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND. It can be distributed for noncommercial purposes and must include the following: “Published with permission by FXBG Advance.”