Chandler, my son we held you in our arms for only a few precious moments, we will hold you in our hearts until the end of time.
Love Mommy and Daddy
Chandler Thomas Kemp was born on Sept. 16, 2009. He died Sept. 16, 2009.
He lived a total of 39 minutes, but what an amazing 39 minutes. His father saw him as the light of the world. He didn’t have enough time to carry a bear or have a favorite blanket, but he represented love to his parents.
Before he was born, his parents were told that little Chandler had what is called a lethal dwarfism. They knew he was only going to live a short time. His parents, Thomas and Yelena, had to order a grave stone for their son who had not even been born yet.
Thomas walked into Summit Memorials. Akron Children’s Hospital referred the family there because they are the home of the non-profit organization, Memorials of Angels.
Memorials of Angels was started by Barbara Freeman. She has been in the business of selling tombstones for years. Watching parents of young children come in to order markers has deeply affected Barbara.
One day, Barbara’s husband, Ken, had been in Manchester Cemetery, laying the foundation for a grave when he noticed a lady tending to a nearby unmarked grave. When he went home, he told his wife. She quickly told Summit Memorials owner, Ken Noon, and he agreed to produce a stone for this family.
After Summit Memorial was notified that a little baby named Keith Watson II was buried there, they found the family and offered them a memorial stone for their son.
“We gave the family the monument for free,” Noon said. “But their church had raised the money for a marker. The family ended up giving the money to Barb to give to the next family.”
That is how Memorials of Angels began.
They have given markers to 140 children who have died since 2000.
Thomas Kemp wanted little Chandler Thomas Kemp to be remembered, but he did not want to take the marker for free.
“Barbara was so sweet,” said Thomas. “She sat down with me and showed me what other families have done.”
They looked at several markers. “Some were very cute,” Thomas explained. “None of them spoke to me until I saw this one. It was of a little boy who had passed away. He was holding a transformer and a hot wheel. I thought that was cool.”
This little boy had lived long enough to have interests, but Thomas didn’t know what to put. His son had not lived very long. There was one thing for sure about Chandler, though. He was the light of his parent’s life.
Chandler’s parents chose a lighthouse. Not just any lighthouse. Marblehead in Sandusky. They were married there. Chandler’s name was placed inside the beam of light that radiates from the lighthouse.
“Chandler was the product of our marriage and our love,” Thomas stated. “I couldn’t think of anything earthly to tie in to him because he didn’t have enough time. I’m going to tie his memory and the love we have for our little boy in with the marriage of my wife. To me the symbol of that is that lighthouse. I wanted the beam of light to have his name in it. Chandler was the light of my life up to this point. He was my son and that is how I want to proclaim his name.”
The words to Chandler from his parents were also on the marker. Thomas saw a similar verse on another child’s marker.
“The second I saw the words, We held you in our arms for a short time, we will hold you in our hearts forever. I broke up.” Thomas stated. “I started to break up right there. That really spoke to me.”
Thomas changed the wording slightly as a personal message to his son. “The pictures and the marker are the only things I am going to have to really say that he was here and that he was a part of our family.”
“I told my wife,” Thomas continued, “that the marker is the place that I will go to reminisce and remember about that time in my life. To me, this marker is the embodiment of everything that we hope Chandler can be.”
During their time of need, Memorials of Angels insisted on giving the family the marker for free.
“I told her I didn’t really know if I could take this from them,” said Thomas. “I’m not one to take charity, but to have Chandler was $17,000. All the things he required while he was here, and in the belly, and the cost of burying a child including the burial plot, it adds up.”
“I would have graciously paid what they were asking, but the fact they are doing it for free, is nice.” Thomas said.
The couple, while they were still pregnant with Chandler, walked in a walkathon for Memorials of Angels and gave them a check for $500.
“We want to pay them back for the monument and then some,” Thomas stated.
Cathy Wilmot of Portage Lakes, donates to the ministry. Cathy’s mother passed away in 2004. Instead of flowers she had money go to Memorials of Angels.
“Families in agony and pain need a memorial. Memorials of Angels do a terrific job,” said Wilmot.
“Lot of times the family does not have the money. They have other children, other obligations, ‘Well one of these day,…’ Well this will help one of these days get here quicker,” Wilmot stated, her voice full of emotion. “What about a mother who is divorced, unwed, or single and she lost her child. This is another mother tying to reach out.”
“It makes me cry,” Barbara stated, “but when I see the faces of the parents that thought they would never be able to mark their child’s grave. They have no money to do it. They ask how much and I tell them nothing. “
“I had my son 39 minutes,” Thomas concluded. “I held him when he died. This is the place I’ll remember my son and pray. This is how significant this is. This is just not a monument where his body is. This is a true place where I will go and remember him and pray.”
Anyone wishing to donate should understand 100 percent of the money goes directly to the children’s markers. Call 330-773-2385, or go online to towww.memorialsofangels.com for more information. They are located at 140 W. Wilbeth Road, Akron Ohio 44301.
If you have lost a child since the year 2000, contact the organization and they will mark your child’s grave the way you would like.
