Precious Angels Memorial receives upgrades
The Precious Angels Memorial at Dubois County Park has received some needed upgrades thanks to the generosity of a business organization, community members, and local businesses.
A poured concrete walkway with a handrail and stone steps has been added to make it easier to access the memorial from the gravel parking lot west of the campground. The walkway was previously a rock path. A new bench will be added at a later date as well.
Friday morning, members of the Southwest Indiana Association of Realtors presented a check for $7,500 to help fund the improvements.
“Our hope is that this [donation] allows them to comfortably and easily visit their loved ones,” said Ryan Craig during the presentation.
The Precious Angels Memorial, dedicated in October 2005, provides a serene space for parents who have lost children to remember their loved ones. It features personalized plaques and a central statue of an angel.
“We wanted it to be a serene place where people could come any time of the day or night and just sit,” said Bob Bleemel, one of the founding members. “Someplace other than a cemetery.”
The memorial is entirely self-funded and open to any Dubois County resident who has lost a child, no matter the age of the child. Parents can purchase a plaque for $150 to honor their child’s memory. Currently, the site houses approximately 175 plaques, with room for about 200 more.
The memorial’s creation was a community effort. From 2001 to 2005, volunteers raised funds through various means, including operating concession stands at the Herbstfest and Strassenfest.
“We grilled chicken breasts of cheeseburgers, hamburgers, chili, soup, coffee; hundreds of gallons of chili, probably. And I’d say we, over those five or six years, we probably grilled close to a ton of chicken breast,” Bleemel said about their efforts to raise money for the special memorial.
The site was transformed from an overgrown, wooded area by an Eagle Scout Brandon Pfaff, who took on the project, clearing the land and making way for the memorial’s construction.
Local artist Nick Ring crafted the central angel statue by hand.
The Precious Angels group, comprised of Mr. Bleemel, Lisa Schroering, Lisa Feldmeyer and Kathy Vollmer, maintains the memorial and provides support for grieving parents, whether through the information they share or the annual candlelight vigil at the site.
With the new donation, organizers hope to draw more attention to the memorial and its mission. They expressed gratitude for the support from the realtors’ association and other community members who contributed to the improvements.
