Children's Memorial dedicated in Hoffman Estates
Dozens of families who lost sons and daughters stood together Saturday morning, their tears glistening in the sun.
After five years of work and planning, the village of Hoffman Estates dedicated its children's memorial site, just outside village hall on Hassell Road.
The circular memorial features bricks etched with the names of local children who have died, and is surrounded by five bronze statues depicting children at play.
The site was named in honor of 13-year village Trustee Edwin Frank, who advocated for a permanent site for families to come to and place flowers, in lieu of often dangerous roadside memorials.
Business owners, as well as individual residents, stepped forward to pay for each of the statues, Children's Memorial Commission Chairman Scott Triphahn said.
Nancy Redmon, whose 3-year-old grandson Dean died in March 2007 from an undiagnosed illness, sponsored a statue of a boy crouched in a batting stance, seemingly ready to connect with a pitch.
"He's a little older than Dean was, but I like to think that might have been him one day," Redmon said.
Living just a few blocks away, Redmon said she plans to walk her granddaughters, Dean's sisters Anna and Megan, to the site on a regular basis. "He'll be with us when we're here," she said. Moments after the statue was unveiled, 7-year-old Anna hugged the figure, patting its cheek.
Among the others at the dedication was Shelly Engelhardt, standing quietly beside a brick honoring her 17-year-old daughter Laura.
Laura, a Conant High School senior, died April 17 after trying to protect family members from a knife attack by her sister's boyfriend, D'Andre Howard, police said. Along with Laura, Shelly Engelhardt's husband, Al, and her 73-year-old mother Marlene Gacek died.
"It's still fresh," Shelly Engelhardt said, glancing down.
Every time, she said, she heads to village hall to pay the water bill, she plans to stop and spend a few moments at the memorial.
Bricks are available for community members who have lost children up to 22-years-old. Children must have attended school in Hoffman Estates, or lived in the village if under school age.
Those interested in purchasing a brick should call (847) 781-2606 or e-mail suzanne.lessen@hoffmanestates.org.
<p class=factboxtext12col><b>Time capsule</b></p> <p class=factboxtext12col>Immediately following the dedication of the Edwin Frank Children's Memorial on Saturday, the Children of Hoffman Estates Time Capsule was dedicated.</p> <p class=factboxtext12col>The capsule is sponsored by the village's youth commission and, along with items reflecting the village's 50-year history, contains letters written by Hoffman Estates students addressed to their future classmates.</p> <p class=factboxtext12col>Youth Commission Chairman Mike Cooper said the capsule will be opened in 25 years and delivered to students, with the hope that more letters will be written to refill the capsule.</p>