Dear Editor:

(To John Davies, service director for the city of Martins Ferry)

On behalf of my family, I want to express our deepest appreciation to you and the city of Martins Ferry and Mayor Wallace for the many kindnesses extended to us at the recent loss of my brother, Ron. I want to thank you personally for all you did for my family during our time of grief. You were instrumental in pulling loose ends together, from making the rec center reception happen, to creating an easy flow through town for the motorcade. I am sure things were done that I am not aware of. We have never experienced anything like this community’s outpouring of love; people I had not seen in years and folks I didn’t even know came out to say goodbye to Ron. Thank you for being a part of such an honorable and loving tribute to my brother’s life and service to his country.

One thing is for sure, it is an act of kindness like this that makes for a close-knit community and allows the town’s folks to come together. The pride and spirit of the event was palpable. We grieved for a lost hero and showed tremendous pride for our troops in one fell swoop. As a result, we experienced an overwhelming sense of community that many small towns struggle to attain. You would never feel that in a big city like Columbus. This is one reason I joined CCMFO. I’ve never been so proud to be from Martins Ferry. I had not always felt this way but our perceptions change as we grow older. The things that really matter like family, friends and a sense of belonging override that youthful quest to escape the small town and take on the world. We always come back “home.”

Ron had visited my mother, spending Friday and Saturday with her before that awful Sunday crash. The flow of events for those three days is surreal; it i s as if God was allowing him to say goodbye. My mother is so grateful for that visit.

It gives me great comfort knowing that he is resting not a half a mile up the hill from my parent’s back yard. We flew kites there as children with my parents in that exact spot where my father and brother Ron now lay.

Thank you, again, for all you did to make this a memorable and fitting farewell to a loving son, brother, devoted father and dedicated veteran.

Sincerely,

Kimberly Phillips

Columbus, Ohio