The Sept. 25 community memorial service hosted by the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph for Jacob Wetterling, who was abducted as a child from St. Joseph and killed in 1989, was a cathartic experience – a long-delayed cathartic experience – 26 years and 11 months delayed, to be exact.
The service was, of course, very sad. However, more than the sadness that crept in, the event was a triumphant celebration of Jacob’s short life. And that boy crammed a lot of living into those 11 years: so much fun with his brother and sisters, his parents, his friends; involvement in sports he loved, like hockey; a plethora of school activities; and all kinds of merriment, monkey shines, mischievous pranks and all-around good humor.
Those who knew him will never forget his “twinkling eyes” and that wonderfully contagious smile.
Jacob was a good boy, a kind and caring, intelligent boy who used to come home from school and tell his mother quite often that something that happened to someone at school was “just not fair.” Even at his young age, he had a keen sense of fairness and justice.
We are happy the Wetterling family now has Jacob home at last. They now know where he is and what happened to him. Yes, it’s a horrible outcome filled with unthinkable hideous acts of cruelty against him. But at least there is a semblance of closure for the family and for so many, especially in St. Joseph and Central Minnesota, who loved Jacob even if they didn’t know him personally. And, not to forget, Jacob touched to the core so many people worldwide, and “Jacob’s Hope” became the slogan for so many missing children and grief-stricken parents. Thanks to the Wetterlings, especially the relentless hard work of tireless Patty, Jacob’s mom, there have been huge strides made in helping children stay safe and in finding them quicker when they go missing.
At the service, the series of photos of Jacob and his family, projected onto a giant screen, were so effective in “bringing to life” during that service a most incredible, fun-filled, life-loving boy. Those who were at the event or who watched it live via web streaming or on TV will likely never forget what an excellent service it was. Moving speeches, wonderful memories, heart-warming songs. It became apparent even early on in that ceremony that we are all better off for having known of the Wetterlings, personally or through the media. They are the family who never gave up hope after 27 years of the most unimaginable anxieties, terrors, never-ending anguish, all the while keeping hope alive for Jacob and for all other missing children.
Even after the terrible and sad outcome in early September when his confessed abductor and killer led investigators to Jacob’s remains, the Wetterlings refused to cave into despair. They honored Jacob and his memory with such exuberance, and in doing so and sharing it with so many people, they transcended sadness and once again brought hope – “Jacob’s Hope” – to one and all.
We say kudos to the Wetterlings; we say thank you, Wetterlings, for sharing your pain and your hopes with all of us. You have literally helped change this world for the better, with an unwavering “hope” being the key.
