Happy birthday, Jacob!
(Editor’s note: the following wishes for Jacob were solicited randomly as a sample of the area-wide heartbeat for a missing child. The order of their appearance is also random.)
by Stuart Goldschen
news@thenewsleaders.com
Jacob Wetterling will be 12 years old tomorrow, Feb. 17. The St. Joseph Newsleader would like to wish Jacob the wish of all wishes and send him the hope and strength of all those who wish him the same.
Listen, Jacob. Can you hear the sound? Birthday wishes all the town around:
Happy birthday, Jacob. You are so special No matter what happens, you need to know deep in your heart that we love you and will never, ever, stop looking for you. I am sorry we cannot celebrate your birthday together, but when you come home we will surely celebrate.
Be strong Jacob. You need to be. Our arms are around you. God is on your side, even if we don’t understand why this happened. I hurt with you, Jacob, but please don’t give up hope. We will never do that. Someone knows where you are.
I love you and cannot wait to see your face and give you that long-deserved hug. Happy birthday, Jacob, wherever you are.
Sharon Barthel
8906 CR 4
Thank you, Jacob, for what you have done to the whole human community in uniting our minds and hearts in trying to find you and all those other children who have been taken from us.
S. Renee Domeier
St. Benedict Convent
As a librarian who once had the opportunity to work with a special reading class with Jacob, he said, ‘Mrs. Dickau, when are you going to bring me another good book like this one?’ I’d love to.
Norma Dickau
13803 Lakeland Road
We share our strength and hope with you and your family, Jacob, on your birthday.
Karen Erickson
411 W. Birch St.
We’ve missed you more than you’ll ever know.
Michael & Jerilyn McGehee
123 4th Ave. N.W.
We hope you’re home for your birthday. That would be the best gift of all. I wish you a really, really happy and very special 12th birthday. No matter where you are, no matter when you come home, we’ll always be thinking about you.
Pat Michaelson
9626 Crestview Drive
It would be a wonderful, uplifting experience if you would come back. It would shed a whole new light on the city.
Judy Weyrens
30 E. Minnesota St.
Happy birthday, Jacob. We have been thinking about you and praying for your safe return. We’re hoping you will be home soon.
Pat and Jed Weiser
225 W. Birch St.
Happy birthday, Jake. Don’t lose faith. I want to reassure you we are continuing to look for you to bring you home safe to Mom and Dad.
Ken Twit
213 E. Able St.
From the Mayor’s office, Jacob, I’d like to wish you the best – and the speediest return. Bless you.
Mike Loso
26 W. Birch St.
Happy birthday, Jacob. We miss you a lot. Come back as soon as possible.
Wonhi Lee
21 1st Ave. N.W.
Jacob, I wish you could be back home with your friends.
Loretta Herkenhoff
Albany
Happy birthday, Jacob. Wish you were back with us again. Miss you a lot.
Dennis Stueve
111 E. Able St.
Jacob, we wish you were back home with us.
Dennis Danzl
Opal
My birthday wish for you, Jacob, is that you be reunited with your family. For your birthday it would be really nice for you and everybody in this whole community.
Larry Engele
10422 Norway Road
I don’t know you, Jacob, but I feel like you’re kind of my son, too. Happy birthday. We love you and hope to see you come home soon.
Lucy Guerrero
206 9th Ave. S.E.
We’re feeling so very sad, Jacob. This is a day we would have imagined a great party with all your friends together. It makes it extra hard to know we can’t have you with us. We just hope you’ll be here for your next birthday, and it will be the best ever.
Patti McLoughlin
134 6th Ave. S.E.
Happy birthday, Jacob. I have a present for you. Come and get it.
Bill Lorentz
40 5th Ave. N.W.
Happy birthday, Jacob, and a safe return.
Greg Henry
408 W. Ash St.
Jacob, I wish you a happy birthday and hope whoever took you will find it in his heart to bring you home. That would be the best birthday present.
Chip Young, 9
45 4th Ave. N.W.
Happy birthday, Jacob. Your 12th birthday has come. Another year has begun. Keep that big smile and you’ll have friends for a long while. We all love you.
Caroline Roering
32184 CR 2
Jacob, you don’t know who we are, but we sure know who you are. We miss you and wish you were home. We have children of our own, and we know how much your parents love you and miss you, and I’m sure you miss them, too. We wish you a happy birthday and hope you’ll be home soon. All our love and prayers are with you from the Kroska family.
Susan Kroska
RR2, Schmid Lake
Happy birthday, Jacob. May your next one be spent at home. When you come back we’ll celebrate.
Steve Dehler
31 W. Minnesota St.
Jacob, you continue to be in our prayers and thoughts. As a community we are going to work and do everything possible so you’re brought back together with your family and friends.
Bernie Omann
9015 CR 5
Happy birthday, Jacob. We want you to return home for your birthday so our community may give you the biggest and best celebration. The community of St. Joseph loves you and all our children and needs you to return to us.
Rachel Stapleton
412 Birch St.
Happy birthday, Jacob. We wish you well.
Greg Reinhart
St. Cloud
Happy birthday, Jacob. I hope wherever you are you’re fine. We hope to see you home soon.
Judy Donabauer
Avon
Happy birthday, Jacob. We hope you’re back soon with your family.
Marcella Gill
814 E. Minnesota St.
Happy birthday, Jacob. We wish you were home to celebrate your 12th birthday. Hope you return home soon.
Shari Janson
St. Cloud
Happy 12th birthday, Jacob. Wish you were here to celebrate. I hope your birthday will still be special for you, and I hope you return home. We’re still praying for you. You can be sure we’ll celebrate it the day you do come home.
Joan Pfannenstein
13825 CR 51
Happy birthday, Jacob. We hope you come home soon and safely. We all care about you and are praying for you very, very much. I don’t even know you, but I sure love you and you’re thought of in my heart. Happy, happy birthday.
Pam Waller
St. Cloud
Jacob, we have a football waiting for you that’s autographed by the Vikings. Come home as soon as you can and pick it up.
Mark Zimmer
RR2
Jacob, I know everyone in St. Joseph and Sauk Rapids is pulling for you. And you’ve got a lot of friends all over the state and the country. They’re all waiting for you.
Philip Falcon
Sauk Rapids
Happy birthday and hurry home.
Hugh Knox
Avon
We’re praying for you, Jacob. We all hope you come home soon. Happy birthday. We hope you’re O.K.
Linda Viehauser
317 Cypress Drive
Happy birthday, Jacob. We hope you come home to celebrate it.
Mary and Kelley Backes
9803 328th St.
We’re still thinking about you, rooting for you and wishing you home, Jacob, so don’t give up hope.
Tim and Carole Robinson
9473 Crestview Drive
We wish you the best birthday present of all – your safe return.
Bob and Jim Krebsbach
St. Cloud/409 E. Able St.
I’m thinking of you on this day, Jacob, and wishing you home.
Elaine Wruck
Avon
Birthday card for Jacob from classmate Melinda at North Community School.
