Robert's untimely death from leukemia came as a shock to us, his classmates back in 1960. For most of us 11 & 12 year-olds it was our first brush with mortality and so very hard for us to understand. Robert was sick when we came back to school after the Christmas Holidays. We learned around Valentine's Day that he had been diagnosed with leukemia, then on St. Patrick's day he was gone.
Robert's desk was beside mine. The boys were asked to clean it out. He loved lemons, one had dried there. We said a prayer, discussed Heaven and Hell, we planted a tree. Robert was carried off to Georgia to be buried. I remember sitting on our front porch wondering which way was Georgia. We went on with our lives. It was a much more innocent time and we had no counselors with whom to discuss our feelings.
Robert's chubby freckled face stayed with many of us for years, and often I've thought of him alone in the cemetery somewhere in Georgia as his family lived on in our area.
Now 49 years later the kind people of findagrave are giving all us Graham Elementary sixth graders a chance to visit Robert's grave, pay our respects, and finally have some closure.
We thank you.
7/18/2009 Update -
My deepest appreciation to Joshua Askew for the photo of Robert's tombstone. Blessings on you Joshua for giving a classroom of grown up children a long awaited chance to say "Happy trails, Robert...until we meet again..."
Robert's desk was beside mine. The boys were asked to clean it out. He loved lemons, one had dried there. We said a prayer, discussed Heaven and Hell, we planted a tree. Robert was carried off to Georgia to be buried. I remember sitting on our front porch wondering which way was Georgia. We went on with our lives. It was a much more innocent time and we had no counselors with whom to discuss our feelings.
Robert's chubby freckled face stayed with many of us for years, and often I've thought of him alone in the cemetery somewhere in Georgia as his family lived on in our area.
Now 49 years later the kind people of findagrave are giving all us Graham Elementary sixth graders a chance to visit Robert's grave, pay our respects, and finally have some closure.
We thank you.
7/18/2009 Update -
My deepest appreciation to Joshua Askew for the photo of Robert's tombstone. Blessings on you Joshua for giving a classroom of grown up children a long awaited chance to say "Happy trails, Robert...until we meet again..."
Robert's untimely death from leukemia came as a shock to us, his classmates back in 1960. For most of us 11 & 12 year-olds it was our first brush with mortality and so very hard for us to understand. Robert was sick when we came back to school after the Christmas Holidays. We learned around Valentine's Day that he had been diagnosed with leukemia, then on St. Patrick's day he was gone.
Robert's desk was beside mine. The boys were asked to clean it out. He loved lemons, one had dried there. We said a prayer, discussed Heaven and Hell, we planted a tree. Robert was carried off to Georgia to be buried. I remember sitting on our front porch wondering which way was Georgia. We went on with our lives. It was a much more innocent time and we had no counselors with whom to discuss our feelings.
Robert's chubby freckled face stayed with many of us for years, and often I've thought of him alone in the cemetery somewhere in Georgia as his family lived on in our area.
Now 49 years later the kind people of findagrave are giving all us Graham Elementary sixth graders a chance to visit Robert's grave, pay our respects, and finally have some closure.
We thank you.
7/18/2009 Update -
My deepest appreciation to Joshua Askew for the photo of Robert's tombstone. Blessings on you Joshua for giving a classroom of grown up children a long awaited chance to say "Happy trails, Robert...until we meet again..."
Robert's desk was beside mine. The boys were asked to clean it out. He loved lemons, one had dried there. We said a prayer, discussed Heaven and Hell, we planted a tree. Robert was carried off to Georgia to be buried. I remember sitting on our front porch wondering which way was Georgia. We went on with our lives. It was a much more innocent time and we had no counselors with whom to discuss our feelings.
Robert's chubby freckled face stayed with many of us for years, and often I've thought of him alone in the cemetery somewhere in Georgia as his family lived on in our area.
Now 49 years later the kind people of findagrave are giving all us Graham Elementary sixth graders a chance to visit Robert's grave, pay our respects, and finally have some closure.
We thank you.
7/18/2009 Update -
My deepest appreciation to Joshua Askew for the photo of Robert's tombstone. Blessings on you Joshua for giving a classroom of grown up children a long awaited chance to say "Happy trails, Robert...until we meet again..."
