Kirk M. Key

My hard working son in law! miss him!

I can feel you around me. I’ve seen your signs that are telling me you are okay, but it still hurts. I love you so much, Kirk. I hope you know how much I will miss you stealing Emily’s Halloween candy! I will eat a candy bar for you!! Until I see you on the other side……Love Mom

Here is a gift of hugs and much love for you. We miss you more everyday, and will always have you in our hearts. Happy Birthday in Heaven Kirk. I can only imagine how wonderful it is. We Love You!

Purple for our Lord Jesus, our Savior!! Love and miss you with all my heart!!

Missing you so much tonight. Just wanted to tell you how much you are loved. You will never be forgotten. It’s so hard not having you here. Someday I will see you up there. I love you Son. Don’t ever forget that. Goodnight

Happy Birthday up in heaven Kirk. We miss you!

Leann & Todd lit a candle in memory of Kirk M. Key

Really missing you. Actually missing everyone right now. Doesn’t look like our family intends to forgive me anytime soon. Not looking forward to Christmas. I miss Lillian & really our whole family. Kirk, I wish you were here. I wonder if you were if anyone would understand. Really missed you on Thanksgiving. Actually cooked dinner for my husband & kids. Wish you could meet Kevin. He is such an amazing man. I think you would approve. He works really hard & treats me & the kids so well. I would be lost without him. Love & miss you so much. I think about you all the time. You are the only family I can come visit now who won’t get angry at me. Love you!

Dear Kirk, You are the best uncle that has ever lived.I love you.I love you. I am going to miss you opening your presents! I am going to cry and that is how much i love you!!!!!! I know that Emily misses you the same has i do! I wish you were here because i miss you falling asleep on Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU!love haley

Thinking of you…..missing you.

I chose this golden candle because it reminded me of my beautiful golden brown biscuits!

Missing you so much. The holidays are coming and I am dreading them so much. Nothing is the same anymore for our family. I want the kids to all have a merry Christmas but for myself i wish that I wouldn’t have to think about it. Please watch over Emily. This season may be hard for her. Please send her lots of hugs and kisses. Wake them up again Christmas morning with the lights and the music on. I will never forget all the Christmas memories I have from when you kids were little. They will be forever remembered in my heart even when my mind goes. I love and miss you with all of my heart. I will be thinking of you every minute. With all my love, Mom P.S. Merry Christmas to everyone in Heaven

I hope when the time comes that I hopefully join you, Mom, and Dad I will finally find out just why this world is so full of violence, hate, chaos, and misery. I don’t understand it no matter how I try to think my way through it. I miss you so much.You were always there when I needed advice, help with anything, and just a hug to help me through difficult times. Now it seems every day is difficult. I just want to scream at the top of my lungs. I think that may be the only way I can come to grips with what is my life. I hope it won’t be too long before I join you, I really don’t know how much longer I can keep treading water before I sink to the bottom. I feel as though I am halfway down now. The only thing I don’t have to worry about is that my loved ones who have left this world are in such a beautiful, peaceful place. I look forward to it. I love you and miss you with all my heart. Goodnight, Kirk. Love Mom

This is the butterfly on top of my car. It landed here one year to the day from when Kirk passed away. His picture is on my sun visor right under the butterfly. This sure made a believer out of me! I knew he would show me a sign and this is it! No doubt in my mind! I just wanted to share this with everyone in hopes it will help someone have hope in their time of sorrow. Love Carol

I am missing you so much tonight. I’ve been thinking about when Tom and I drove for you. The first new truck of the fleet was purple. It was the most beautiful truck. Every place we stopped people would stop and look at it. You ended up owning seven trucks, and was doing great. I always had so much fun when you would drive one, we were in our truck, and Keith and Rick would be in their truck. Talking on the CB for hours on end. That was when truckin was fun! I think we got to drive every new truck you bought. It was so sad when the price of fuel sky rocketed. I know we couldn’t run enough miles with fuel costs like they were for you to make any profit. So, it was a very wise move on your part when you decided to get rid of the trucks and go into the repair business. You knew so much about trucks and heavy equipment that I believe you could have fixed them if you had a blindfold on. I miss those days. And I miss you calling me when we would talk for an hour, and sometimes longer, about the business and anything else we could think of! I just miss you and everything about you. I would give anything if I could talk to you now. Well, I guess I will close for tonight, or should I say morning. I love and miss you with all my heart. My life will never be the same without you in it. Goodnight love Mom

Duanna Reid lit a candle in memory of Kirk M. Key

Everyone knows that I have been surrounded by lots of butteries since your death. I see them everywhere. But one butterfly in particular has left me in awe. Judi was sitting outside one evening and my car was parked just a few feet away. I have kept one of the tribute cards from the cemetery on my sun visor since you left us. I keep it there so every time I get in my car I can see your face. She just happened to look up and this huge butterfly was sitting on the top of my car right above where the card is at. Well, she ran in the house got her camera, went back outside and it was still there. She snapped several pictures but then her camera batteries went dead. She ran back in the house to her room to get her phone to try to get some more pictures. She went back out and the butterfly was still there. She got several more pictures very close to it. She just walked right up to it and he didn’t move. I’ve been telling everyone, since my garage sale before I moved, that I saw you, Dad and Mom fly by me. Sometimes I even doubted myself, but I know for sure now. This butterfly stayed on my car for at least seven to eight minutes. I know it’s sounds crazy, and sometimes I think I am, but I know it was you. It’s more than coincidence. What really makes me a believer now was the fact the day this butterfly landed on my car, above your picture, was on the day you passed away one year later. I have never wanted to know your time of death and I still don’t, but this incident with the butterfly was at 07:47 p.m. I wonder if it was at or around the time of your death. I still don’t want to know, but if anyone reading this knows the time you died and it was same time, PLEASE don’t tell me. Just become a true believer that you will see a sign from your loved ones who have gone before you. If not, believe in natures beauty. I will see if we can get a picture of it on here, It was absolutely beautiful. I love and miss you with all my heart, and one day I will see you again. I’m a believer!! Love Mom

It’s been one year ago today that you left us. Why then does it feel like yesterday? Nothing has changed just because the calendar says it has been that long. I still feel the same pain and agony I felt the night I got the call. I am doing better at controlling my emotions now. I cry on the inside now and on the outside when I’m alone. All the tears I have cried, all the prayers I have prayed for God to please let you come back to me, and all the dreams I have had dreaming you did come back, then waking up to feel my heart wrenching with the hurt I have felt for 365 days are all the same. Nothing has changed. I have heard it said that time heals. No it doesn’t. It just makes it easier to hide the way you really feel when others are around. I am working on being able to handle going places and doing things I thought I would never be able to do again. I did pay my respects for David. I didn’t think I could walk up to his casket without breaking completely into a crying episode. But I did. I would have felt terrible had I not gone up there. I also went back to the lake yesterday. That was probably the hardest thing I will ever do. But I did it. Why? Because I knew you would have wanted me to go. I felt you with me while I was there and I know it was you who let me have a wonderful day. You know I think about you every minute. That too will never change. So as I embark on the next 365 days things will remain the same. I will still be loving you and missing you with every breath I take. I’m just coping better with the pain, that’s all. I will be watching for you. I do believe I saw you with David since I asked you to show him around up there. My monarch butterfly and the dragon fly. DuAnna saw it too so I hope nobody thinks I have completely fell off my rocker! I will tell Cookie, Debbie, Steve and Jackie and their families to watch for the dragon fly. I believe that is their sign from David. Please remember no matter if it is just one year or the rest of my life, I will always love and miss you with all my heart and soul. So go soar around with all our family members and friends up there. I will be dreaming of you tonight. Love and miss you Mom

Happy Birthday my little birthday boy, who grew into a man when I blinked. Oh, how I remember the parties the candles, the birthday song and the birthday whacks and all the pinches to grow an inch. I remember the balloons, the cakes, the kids, the family celebrating with us. It’s your birthday. The day you made your grand entrance into the world. Everyone sitting on pins and needles hoping you and I would be okay. I had toxemia poisoning. There was a very good chance one or both of us would not make it. I went through 36 hours of excruciating pain, but there you were, all 8 lbs. 7 oz. You had all your fingers and toes and two beautiful eyes and healthy in every way. You were ready to meet the world, and I was ready to sleep for days, but the excitement and the joy replaced everything bad that I was feeling. Everyone smiling and laughing. I’ll bet every patient in St. Francis could hear us. It’s seems so strange now that the hospital you were born in is gone now, just like you. There will be no joy and laughter on this your 44th birthday. All I will feel is the pain and the hurt in my heart that has taken the place of the fun, and the parties. I remember you asking when your got older if I got you butter pecan ice cream. It was without doubt your favorite. You always liked Grandma’s red jello cakes. I hope your are having everything that you love especially celebrating with God and Mom and Dad. Bet you and Pappaw are doing a little picken, maybe even your version of Happy Birthday. I wish you birthdays without end. And I know you will never look a day older. I love and miss you so much. Sometimes I think I can’t make it through another day. I know you would not want me thinking that way, so I just keep on keeping on. Today I will think of you every minute, as I do every day. I will be sad that you’re not here,but you are in such a better place. I can smile about that.So as I close this birthday tribute to you, I hope you smile down on me Saturday. I love you with all of my heart, even though it’s broken in a million little pieces. All of us will be missing you. So goodnight my little birthday boy. Happy Birthday! I love you. Mom

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIRK!! MY MEMORIES OF YOUR BIRTHDAYS ARE WHEN WE WOULD ALL GET TOGETHER AN HAVE A BIG COOK OUT AN EVERYONE WOULD BRING SIDE DISHES AN ANGIE WOULD MAKE YOUR YELLOW CAKE AN CHOCOLATE ICING AN SHE WOULD MAKE A NOTHER CAKE FOR YOUR MOM FOR HER BIRTHDAY. THE KIDS WOULD HAVE SO MUCH FUN PLAYING AN AFTER WE WOULD ALL BE DONE EATING YOU WOULD GO OUT IN THE GARAGE WITH YOUR UNCLE RICK AN START PLAYING YOUR GUITARS. YOU BOTH WOULD START A SONG AN THEN JUMP INTO ANOTHER ONE THERE WAS A LITTLE SINGING WITH THEM TO. THEN WE WOULD ALL GO BACK IN AN SING HAPPY BIRTHDAY THEN EAT CAKE AN ICECREAM. YOU ARE SO MISSED I THINK ABOUT YOU ALOT. NOW YOUR CELEBRATING IN HEAVEN WITH YOU GRANDMAS AN GRANDPAS AN BONNIE AN JIMMY. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH

Luvina Catellier sent a virtual gift in memory of Kirk M. Key

I miss you terribly. No one will ever know how much. If I had one wish it would be for no parent to go through this hurt. But I know it still is happening and there is no way to stop it. It’s just life. A little eight year old girl drown in a retention pond yesterday. I can’t even fathom what her parents are going through. It has to be the worse pain known to mankind. It also makes me angry because a little life was taken that no doubt could have been saved if they were made to put fences around those ponds. People with swimming pools have to have fences, why not retention ponds? They say they need the water in case of fire. Firemen can tear down buildings and houses which I understand is hard, but to cut a lock off a fence? Even I could do that. It makes no sense to me, but there is not much of anything make sense anymore. I guess someday when I’m with you all up there I will understand the reasoning for the way life works. Until then I will just have to wonder. I will be thinking about you always. Never a day will go by that you would not be on my mind and in my heart. I miss you and I love you from the bottom of my very broken heart. Love Mom

It is almost your birthday and I am here trying to go to bed and thinking about you. I miss you so much. Why did God take you instead of me? Doesn’t he know he made a grave mistake? Kirk, if you were still here you would be so very disappointed in me. I have failed everyone I love. I will never forgive myself even if i could live a million years. I miss you and hope wherever you are you know how much I do. You are in my heart always. I think about you all the time. Happy early birthday big brother. I wish you were here for me to give a giant hug to and make fun of for being a year older. I miss and love you so very much. Goodnight.

It’s been 10 months ago today since you moved on to your new life in Heaven. Why does it feel like it was just today that I heard the words I never wanted to hear. I don’t even know how I have managed to make it to today. I still feel the heart wrenching pain everyday. Every second that goes by thoughts of you still dart through my mind. Some good, some bad. The forty three years that you blessed me with your presence, and of course the one minute that changed my life forever. It was truly an honor to be your Mom when you were a child, and an absolute honor and pleasure to be your Mom and your friend as an adult. You were everything a Mother could ask for in a child. I’m not going to say I understand why God chose you to leave us, because I don’t.I will never understand it. Sometimes I wonder if he is a kind and loving God, then why does he hurt the loved ones you leave behind. Why does he leave us to suffer your loss. I know I haven’t gone to church like I should, but I have always talked to and worshiped him in my own way. But i just can’t understand it. I can’t figure out his way of doing things but I guess I’m not supposed to know, just believe that someday I will know the reason. I hope so anyway. I love you and miss you so much. Seems like it is more and more everyday. The hurt never stops. Sometimes it eases up for a while when I remember all the things about you, but then I know it’s going to come back and hurt me some more. It won’t stop until I see you again. Waiting patiently for that day. So for tonight I will probably have a sleepless night. I’ll spend some of the time crying, some time remembering, and some time wishing you were here. I will spend a lot of time talking to you, too. I’m going to say goodnight early, but it won’t be easy getting through it. You were a wonderful Son, brother, grandson, nephew, husband, and most important a wonderful father. No wonder God wanted you! You are what Heaven is made of! Goodnight Kirk, I love and miss you from the bottom of my broken heart Mom

Happy Easter Kirk I’ve been thinking of Easter’s past and one memory I have was really so very funny although not at the time. Just like Christmas it was always hard to get you kids to bed, but when you and Keith were little I lived with my best friend on Smith Valley Road and we filled your baskets with tons of candy one Easter. Instead of baskets I bought small wheel barrows. We put all kinds of loose candy in them, like jelly beans, bubble gum, malted milk balls. They looked so cute when we got them finished, but we had one small problem, we had to move them from the kitchen to the living room. I picked one up and so did my friend, but she stopped quickly in front of me and we bumped into each other. All that candy from both baskets went flying everywhere. We had candy all over the floor, under the stove, under the cabinets, under the fridge, and all over the counter tops. What a big mess. I went back out in search of more Easter candy, as we had to throw most of what we spilled away. Needless to say, that was not a fun shopping trip. I couldn’t find any real Easter candy anywhere because it was late that night when I left. You kids still got your Easter wheel barrows. They didn’t have as much in them, and very little traditional ‘Easter candy.’ You both still loved them, never knowing that you almost didn’t get anything from the Easter bunny. I guess maybe you two were about 2 and 4 years old. I have pictures of them somewhere. Not sure where at. Even though I was in search of candy at midnight you still had a good Easter, but I sure was tired when we had to get up at 4am for the 6 o’clock sunrise service at Southport High School. I have such fond memories of holidays with you kids. I will never forget coloring the eggs and then off to Grandpa’s and Grandma’s to hunt them. You hunted real eggs back then. We always put pennies in plastic eggs when we started using them, but it has turned into quite and expensive holiday. Now its quarters, and dollar bills. The Easter bunny has been know to put fives and tens in there, too. But you can’t buy anything with pennies anymore. Back then you could buy a great big sack of penny candy for 50 cents. Those were the days. Anyway I am cooking breakfast this morning for everybody. I haven’t cooked for so long they might ought to go to IHOP!! Well, I will be thinking of you today as I do everyday, but this day is going to be a very sad one for me. I will miss you watching Emily hunting eggs. Last couple of years you would kinda stand back and let her find them without your help. I won’t tell anybody our little secret of how you and Keith hunted eggs until you were 30! Opps, sorry. I love and miss you so much.. I am coming to put a little something on your grave later today. Don’t forget to watch the hunt. I know you will be here in spirit. Love you with every inch of my broken heart. Love Mom

I guess you have noticed I haven’t been writing as much. I can’t get you off my mind, so I thought if I didn’t write that maybe, just maybe I would feel better by not pouring my heart out for everyone to read. But, it didn’t help at all.You are still in my every thought. I just miss you so much. I hope you can hear me when I’m talking to you. I just need to talk to you, hear your voice. I hear your voice in my head like you are right here with me. I hear your laugh. I hear you say ‘Mom, it’s me.’ I will never forget what you look like, what you sound like, what you stood for, what you believed in, and how you always worried about everybody but yourself. Your birthday is coming soon and I don’t know how I will ever be able to make it through that day. It’s about time for Keith and Amy to take the boat to the lake, but I won’t go this summer. It was on Saturday after a day at the lake that I came home to this horrible nightmare. I don’t ever want to have fun then hear the things I had to listen to that night. Those words still dart through my mind, and I picture you in my head at the shop alone. Needing help, and no one heard you cry. But I hear you in my head. I hear your cries. Your cries when you were born and your cries for help when you died. I hear you and I hope you hear me. I better close for now. I love you my baby. I miss you more than anyone will ever know. Goodnight. I’ll be dreaming of you tonight and every night. You will forever be in my heart. I love you, Mom

I miss you, Son, more than words could ever express. I’ve thought about you all day, like I do everyday. Life is so hard without you here. I wish I could have an answer for my one question I have, ‘why?’ Why did you have to leave us? Couldn’t God have taken a murderer or rapist, or child molester, etc. I don’t understand why it had to be you. You, one of the most wonderful, loving, honest, and caring person in this place we call earth. Well, the damage is done. It has broken my heart, and it will never mend. I would love to see you holding Emily on your lap telling her ‘Now, why do you need this or that?’ And her continuing to beg for whatever it might have been that she wanted. What a sight to see. I love it when the mommy’s and daddy’s hold my grandchildren when they beg for something. Brings back memories of you kids. Love it when I can see their little faces. Anyway, I’ve need to go pick up one of those children from the mall. But I love and miss you so much. I know it’s early but goodnight. love from the bottom of this old broken heart Mom

I miss you so much. I can’t even look at your picture without crying. I want you back and if that makes me selfish, then I guess I am. I just want to talk to you and hug you. I miss you so much. I’ve been trying not to write to you so much. I thought maybe that’s why I cry so much. But it isn’t the reason. I just want you home again. It’s Friday night, and I miss you and Emily coming to see me. If Angie went out with her friends you and Emmy would come over and we would watch Emily act silly, dancing and singing. She is always so cheerful and full of energy. She needs you in her life. I need you in mine. My family is not complete without you here.Life goes on but you are missing. I know everyone feels the same as I do, but I know I have to miss you the most. You were here with me for 43 years. I can’t understand how on earth I can ever go on without you. I am so fortunate to have all the kids, but we need you. We just need you. I just wanted to tell you that I love and miss you more every day. I sure hope you are okay. Sometimes I can here you hollar ‘Mom’ It’s almost like you are right here in my room. I don’t know maybe you are. I would like to think that you are.I think you are calling for me to help you. I should have been there to help you. And I wouldn’t be crying typing this to you. I’m going to close we have two ballgames tomorrow. I will have to get up early. So, goodnight Son. I send you my undying love from my very very broken heart. I will always love you and miss you. Thank you for being such a wonderful son. I couldn’t have asked for better kids. You all are the world to me. Goodnight Love Mom

My Saturday started out as most of mine do except this one turned out to be a little different. I went to Emily’s ballgame by myself and as I drove home I saw so many things that came to my mind about you. My first thought as I got to Southport Rd and High School Rd. was to turn and come to the cemetery, but I didn’t because it was so cold and I really wasn’t dressed to stand in the cold to talk to you, so I thought of you all the way home. The first thing that I saw as I was going south on 31 was McCalisters and it went through my mind as one of the great times we had there together. How you liked their sweet tea. That made me smile because I thought about how much sweet tea you kids had to drink growing up. The very next place I passed was City BBQ. I remember the first time you wanted us to go eat there because it was so much like Texas BBQ., and you were right! Delicious! So, I thought about that and then as I approached the mall all I could think about was you and your tools. About how when you were little you loved having play tools to help Pappaw fix things. I laughed that time because as you started growing up you started your collection of tools. Passing the mall I could see you in Sears pondering over what tool you wanted to buy. Craftsman and Sears sure made a lot of money from you. I remembered when you and Emily would come over on Friday nights and you would throw me hints like ‘Sears is having a really good sale on their tools’,’ I need to go by there and look at some of them because I need, whatever it was that you probably didn’t need you just wanted to stand there and stare at them.’ And then the ultimate hint was ‘I don’t like to take Emily with me because she gets bored.’ Then I knew you really wanted to go play at Sears in the tool department so I would tell you to go on and I would keep Emily and to take your time. That made a picture of you in my mind at the shop with your greasy clothes and a tool in your hand, in the height of your glory! So I kept driving and I got stopped at to the light at Tracy Road and a work truck almost identical to your big work truck passed me and on the side was the letters KnK. I almost had a heart attack because when I first got a glance at it I thought ‘Oh my gosh, there goes Kirk!’ But then reality set back in and then it was a long day of missing you.It just was so funny that I thought about you all the way home as a passed the places you loved. Then I cried. Back to what I do most every day at some point. This time was different because I was crying seeing you in your last few moments of your life being under a dirty car, with a tool that you probably bought at Sears, working on Saturday, then about to finish up, go home and clean up to go eat at maybe, I don’t know, maybe MaCalisters? or City BBQ? So that was my Saturday! Typical! Just wanted to tell you I love and miss you very much, and I think of you always. This is the end of this book! Gotta go to watch the commencement of Cameron graduating from the National Youth Council that was held here at the Sheridan Hotel over the weekend. So so proud of him! I will write again soon. Love you with all my heart Mom

I thought it was hard being a Mother but I find it even harder to be a Grandmother. I guess maybe that is how it was meant to be. I used to cry at night when all of you kids would do something and I would have to punish you for it. I find myself doing the same thing now as a grandparent, only now it feels even worse when I know one of my grandkids are in trouble and being punished for something they did. I don’t know why that is. Maybe it’s that I am a little older and maybe a little wiser, or maybe because it takes me back to when you kids were younger and I didn’t know if I had done the right thing punishing you.(as in all you kids) I never knew if I was too hard on you or not hard enough. I had no parent handbook that would tell me what to do in certain situations. It would merely be a coin toss up of should I do this, or should I do that. Either way, it hurt. I’m sure I made so many mistakes as a parent. I wish I could go back now and change things I did that now I think may have been the wrong decision. But I can’t. Now I have to learn to just let my kids make their own decisions on how to punish their kids. Sometimes that is so hard to do, because I don’t want them to make the mistakes I made and have to grow old regretting things you did. But, that is what I have to do. And from now on, I will. I miss talking to you about things like this. I could always count on you for some good advice. I miss that. I would like to think I did everything right, but that is just a dream. Anyway, I didn’t want to cry on your shoulder about the trials and tribulations of being a Mother turn Grandmother. I really wanted to tell you that I had such a good time with Emily yesterday. I went to her game, then they took me to lunch, then on to pet smart to look at the puppies and kittens. Emily would have taken every animal, rodent or fish home with her. She is going to become a very caring vet when she gets her degree. I had a good time with her and I hope she had fun. I love her so much. I know how proud you must be of her. I’ll bet everyone in Heaven has heard all about her. I wanted to tell you how much I love and miss you. I’m not going to ramble on any longer. I know you Angels have far more important things to do than listen to me. So, I will write again soon. With all my love forever Love Mom

For Super Bowl 46 here in Indianapolis. The Giants and the Patriots. This old town has never seen this much excitement. Good luck teams! Hope you enjoy our little neck of the woods!

Good morning Heaven! I’ve been thinking about you all morning, Kirk. I don’t know why, but I have been thinking about you sometimes being short-tempered. I woke up thinking about the time when we lived on Treetop Lane when we were eating supper and you got mad over something(I can’t even remember what). I had made spaghetti for supper and all of a sudden you picked up your plate and threw it at the wall! Well, needless to say, I was not very happy! I told you that everyone gets mad once in a while and everyone at one time or another throws things. The bad part about doing that, though, is you have to either replace what you broke or clean up your mess. You fixed another plate and as soon as we were done eating you got busy and cleaned up your mess. I can still remember thinking that I thought maybe you were hungry because it wasn’t very often that you would ever get that upset. As you grew up every now and then you would still have your little temper tantrums and I would make the excuse that it was because you had not eaten. I honestly do believe that because after that I kind of kept a mental notebook about you kids and it did always seem that when you were all acting up it was usually when you were hungry. When we become adults sometimes we all still act like that. I know I do too. (I learned many years ago not to throw and break my things because I never had the money to replace them!) I remember Todd and Rick telling me that you would get mad at the shop at times and thank heavens it was only tools on concrete! I guess we all have to vent our anger sometimes and that’s okay I think, as long as it doesn’t hurt someone. But a lot of times we humans are angry and take that anger out on someone not realizing at the time how bad we are hurting someone else. I’m sure when you kids were little that when I was mad I took my anger out on you, and for that I am truly sorry. I now try to watch my temper and not let it get the best of me. One thing though, you also told me Todd would get mad and throw tools at the shop. Do you think it might have been because he was hungry? Maybe so. I came to the conclusion after raising you kids that kids act up most of the time because they are sick, tired, or hungry, not because they are bad kids. I’m no doctor, but that’s just my opinion. Well, enough said about that. I didn’t get to go to Emily’s ballgame again this morning because we got some ice and snow last night and my car doors were frozen shut. I had to be at Camp Camby at 8 and knew I would not make it. I sure hope I can go next week. It’s the last one this season and haven’t got to go to but a few. I didn’t get to go while Aunt DuAnna was sick, but she is doing very well at soccer. She’s my little soccer star! I guess I better get busy. we’ve been moving some things around to keep DuAnna from falling and my bedroom is worst of all. I’ll be thinking about you every minute. I love and miss you so very much. All my love Mom

I love you, Son. Goodnight I’ll be missing you. Love Mom

Oh how I wish I could talk to you right now. I miss talking to you about stuff. You know like problems, good news, anything. Honestly I would give my life if I could just sit down with you and talk. Even if it was about the weather I wouldn’t care. I miss you so bad it hurts my heart. Someday’s it feels like I am doing so much better and just when I think that the flood gates get opened up. If I have time after Aunt DuAnnas therapy tomorrow I’m coming to see you. If not I will be there on Saturday after Emily’s game. I do have to say this again, losing one of your children, no matter how old they are is absolutely the most horrible thing that can happen to a parent. I will never get over this feeling of losing you. Well, enough of that. I’m going to close now. I love and miss you every minute of every day. Goodnight with all the love from the bottom of my broken heart Love Mom

Reene’ lit a candle in memory of Kirk M. Key

Just wanted to tell you how much I miss and love you.Still been very busy with DuAnna and I have had car trouble. Todd and Chad put on a new water pump and plugs and wires. It took them almost all day and you’ll never believe this, Todd didn’t throw a tool through his garage wall. They called my car some horrible names, like pizza trap (aka for piece of crap) That really hurt my feelings! Just kidding, but it wasn’t a piece of cake to fix it. Todd said that it was the hardest car he ever worked on. I really appreciated them working on it They are so sweet. I just love them to pieces. I know it is never an easy job working on my car. I’m going to close for tonight as I am so tired I had the kids for the boys while they worked on my car. Got an early morning coming up. I’ll think about you every minute of my day tomorrow just like I do every other day. Hopefully things will begin to quiet down now that the holidays are over and DuAnna is in Beech Grove for inpatient therapy. Still can’t wait to talk to her about her brush with death. I believe God sent her back for a reason, but she will be the only one who knows what that reason is. I love you so much and I miss you every second of my life. We all do.I may not be able to see you, but I know you’re here. I can feel you around me. I’ll try to write tomorrow night With love from the bottom of my broken heart Goodnight Son Love Mom

Luvina(mother-in-law) lit a candle in memory of Kirk M. Key

Happy New Year Kirk. We all miss you and love you so much. These last few holidays have been so strange without you there. But you are in our hearts and on our minds every single day. I hope this new year brings us all some kind of peace and comfort. We will always be thinking of you. Happy New Year.

I also have told everyone if she pulls through this, she will probably have one heck of a story to tells us about Heaven!!

I have some good news! Aunt DuAnna is off the ventilator. They removed it this afternoon and she is breathing on her own. She has come a long way from being dead for 6 minutes to how she is tonight. We are all so happy and I know you, Mom, and Dad are too. When they finally decided what was wrong with her, they started new meds and they started working right away. She is now on her way to recovery. Thank Heavens! Just wanted to let you know about her and to tell you how much I love and miss you. I’ll try to write more when I’m not so tired. Goodnight Son. I will be dreaming of you tonight. With love from my very broken heart Mom

Kirk I know you are having a joyous time up in heaven celebrating Jesus birth today. We miss you so much and this morning was good for us, but we miss you so much. You always got up and did your last minute wrapping and would go and get us coffee and me a cappucino from Daniels. You would wake us up and have the lights on and music going. We miss you so much!!! But I know where you are at the it’s so beautiul and peaceful and you know no pain or sorrow. What a day that will be when we are reunited. Until then, you will always live in our hearts and I can talk to you anytime. Tell everyone up there Merry Christmas and I know this is only temporary. I love you and miss you more than you or anyone knows. Merry Christmas!!!!!! Love you so much, Angela

We didn’t have a white Christmas, but we sure got sent a beautiful one. I believe you sent us those beautiful blue skies so we could remember your amazing blue eyes. And I also believe you sent blue to keep all our spirits up over the weekend and I really do believe it worked. We had the most fun we have had since you left us. I didn’t think this family would ever have fun again but we did and I am so happy. I know that you would have wanted everyone laughing and cutting up and acting crazy. Well, we didn’t let you down. The kids had such a great time opening gifts. It brought back a flood of memories from when you kids were little. All of you ripping and tearing and yelling’Mommy look, Mommy see, Mommy I got, Mommy just what I always wanted(although you had never before then ever mentioned that was what you had always wanted!!) Then a blue million toys clothes and pieces of wrapping paper all over the place, and me having to fix Christmas dinner in the midst of all that. At the time I didn’t realize how much those memories would mean to me as I got older and you all grew up and became parents yourselves. Now as I look back I know how important it is to cherish every minute you have with your children and family, because it can all change on a dime. I think if you had left here without me having my memories, I could not have continued to live. It’s now what keeps me going. All those nerve racking years of holidays that I thought I would lose my mind, now mean the world to me. Just watching my grandkids this Christmas made me realize what I have in my heart is the most priceless thing a person can own. Memories are something you can always share but something no one can ever take away from you. The only one that could rob my memories away are the hands of time and at that point in time that it would mean I’m one step away from being with you again. We did have a wonderful Christmas and now if I can get through starting a new year without you here, then I guess I will be doing okay. I love and miss you terribly.I better get going. I’m being so lazy today. I really don’t feel real well today, I think just the big let down after such a big holiday and I feel like I’m getting a cold. So, I will close for now and go back to bed for a while. I think I deserve it. I have to recuperate. I love you and will never ever forget the wonderful life i had from the day you were born! Blue skies again today! Umm! Love and miss you with every beat of this old broken heart Love Mom

Goodnight Son I love and miss you terribly. I’m so sad that you won’t be here for Christmas. This holiday will never be the same for this family. I can’t seem to find any words right now to write. I can’t put my heartache into words. There just aren’t any words that I could say to let you know how much you will be missed. Please be close to us as we go into the holidays. I need to know that you will be there in spirit. My heart is breaking. I love you with all my heart. You will be forever missed Love Mom P.S. please still keep watch over Sally. She’s somewhat better but not out of the woods by any means. Stay close to her and let her know how much we all love her. Goodnight

I GOT A GREEN CANDLE BECAUSE ITS MY GRANDAUGHTER EMILYS FAVORITE COLOR

sorry kirk I meant giving us Emily.

Give this hug to all of our loved ones up there, Kirk. Tell everyone Merry Christmas from all of us who love them.

Kirk, We were out at your house earlier tonight for Christmas. It was a great evening although you weren’t here, which felt so odd. Don’t worry though because I got quite a few pictures of Todd reclining in your chair sleeping just like you used to. I don’t know if he knew I was taking them but it will sure be a good laugh. Angie had your house all decorated so pretty for Christmas and the kids were all so excited when Santa came to visit. I miss you so much. You have no idea how much I wish you were here. I think in the past few weeks it has finally hit me that you aren’t here anymore and unfortunately not coming back. I love you so much. I love all of my brothers! You would have cracked up tonight. DuAnna wanted pictures of everyone and of course, our family is goofy… so we had pictures of everyone… including one titled (the pic of everyone with back problems) courtesy of Collin. It was so funny, but I wish you would have been there and we could have taken a pic of the people who snore the loudest or fall asleep anywhere and of course that would have been a pic of you and DuAnna, lol. We all miss you so much. The holidays have been hard for all of us without you here. I don’t know how Emily does it, but man she is amazing. You sure do have a beautiful daughter. She is so funny. Everything was perfect except for you not being here. I love you and I know I will see you before I know it. Life is too short. I love you!! Good night and Merry Christmas. Oh, and Angie hung up your stocking too so I hope Santa sneaks in a few gifts for you!! 🙂 Love you!! Kristie

Good morning Wish I could talk to you. I love and miss you I’ll love you forever and always Mom

Here is a forever hug for you. Someday maybe I’ll get to hug you without eternity between us

I know I said I wasn’t going to write but I just had to tell you I have thought about you all day. Some thoughts good, some thoughts not so good. I couldn’t go to sleep without telling you goodnight. I miss you so. Kristie isn’t too good. She’s sick again. Hopefully in a few days she will be back to normal. She has hurt her back or something is going on. We were at Dr.’s office today. They are going to try the (I don’t know what it is called) but it sends an electrical shock every little bit. Her Mri didn’t show anything but it could be scar tissue from her back surgery she had a while back. I’ll tell you just about this whole family has back trouble Rick, Kristie, Keith, and Todd. I think they all got it from my Dad. It seemed as though Dad’s back would go out every Friday the 13th. We always told him he should not get out of bed on those days but would he listen? NO! He just kept on going like Rick does. Well I wasn’t going to write a book but I’m well on my way. I have Lillian and Caleb here, Jacob coming at 6:30, Collin at 6:55. Then off to take Lillian and Caleb to school then back here to get 3 little ones on the bus. That’s all before 8:30. Golly I don’t want to get up! But, I guess I better say goodnight. I know you probably know this already, but Emily’s little white mouse, Marty, passed away last week. She called me crying, breaking my heart. She said ‘Grandma I wanted you to see him and you didn’t get to.’ I asked her if she had taken any pictures and she had some on her phone. She sent me one and he was a cute little thing. They buried him and had a funeral so I know he is in your care now. Please take good care of him. She already got a hamster named Chewy. She sent me a picture but I’ll get to see him Christmas Eve. We are going to continue having Christmas at your house so Angie and Emily can keep things like we have done for several years now. Only thing that will be missing is you. I know you’ll be there, you wouldn’t miss that. Well, I have got to close. I could ramble on and on, you know me. But, don’t forget how much I love and miss you. Send us some snow Christmas Eve so we can have a White Christmas! I love you, Son I’ll be dreaming of you Goodnight Love Mom

Just got home from memorial service for you and Mom. It was so nice. Wonderful music and the lighting of the Tree of Life was beautiful. Angie gave me an ornament with your picture on it. It took my breath away when I looked at it. It will be forever one of my most treasured gifts. Renee’ gave me an Angel with your name on it and I will treasure it always,too. They served punch and cookies following the program. There was twenty two of us there, Keith couldn’t go because he had to sleep before leaving at 4 in the morning. I missed him, but I know he thought about us. I was thinking today about the Christmas in Texas when you and Keith were about 10 and twelve years old. We were going out to shop but for some reason you two didn’t want to go. I never really liked leaving you kids alone but since the mall was very close to Mom’s apartment I thought you would be ok. You kids always liked to shop with us because you always got something from Grandma after begging a little while, so I found it a little odd you didn’t want to go. Well, we shopped and when we got home nothing was out of place so I was very proud of you two. We spent a little while wrapping presents and when I went to put them under the tree it looked as though all the gifts that were already under there the tape was coming loose. Then I figured out the only ones the tape was coming off of was the ones with you and Keith’s name on it! Well it didn’t take a rocket scientist to know they had been unwrapped then re-wrapped. Finally after awhile you both confessed. So we learned our lesson then. Next year after that the gifts were numbered so you didn’t know who they belonged to! And talk about guarding the Christmas tree, I wanted to hire armed Pinkerton guards but we just never left you boys alone at Christmas with gifts under the tree! So when it was time to open gifts you both knew about half of what you were getting. I don’t think it’s as exciting when you know what you are getting. But it was pretty funny. We all had to laugh at how you two suckered us into that! I guess that it is typical kids stuff to snoop at Christmas time. I guess I did the same thing,too.(Don’t tell Grandma and Pappaw!) Anyway I just wanted to tell you about the memorial service, and tell you how much I love and miss you. I wish you had been there with us instead of a paper ornament with your name on it. But I felt the presence of you. That got me through it. Okay I better close for now. I’ll be dreaming about you tonight. I miss you so. Goodnight Son with all the love from my broken heart Love Mom

Just wanted to let you know I’m thinking about you and I’m missing you. I wanted to tell you goodnight before I get to sleepy.I want to tell you I love you and I’ll be dreaming about you tonight. So sweet dreams. Goodnight, sleep tight, I’ll dream of you til morning light. I love you Son with all my heart. Love Mom

Well, another day about over. A day missing you terribly. I’m sorry tonight I can’t write much because I have an early morning ballgame. Someone’s playing that we all know and love!! I’m just glad her games now are inside. I know we will win. I just really wanted to tell you I miss you so much. Also to tell you how much I love you. I love you thissss much. That’s a bunch. So I’m going to say goodnight and I will dream of you tonight. I’ll feel you at the ballgame!! With all my love Mom

Dear Kirk, I have missed you terribly today. I didn’t get to see you at dinner, I didn’t see you sleeping in the chair after dinner, and i didn’t get to see you making turkey, mayo, and lettuce sandwiches for supper. What I did see is everyone missing you as much as I do. I saw Emily gleaming with pride for her most delicious fried apples she made. I saw everyone enjoy a good meal(or at least I hope it was good!), and I saw the kids running and playing just like little kids should. This is what I felt. I felt such pain not having you here. I felt bitter sweet joy that this wonderful family came today(not a complete family without you). I felt your spirit flying around us letting me know that you were here with us all day. I felt the air move as you passed by me, and I felt at peace finally when I realized that you are okay and that you made this holiday a good one for me. I felt Mom and Dad there with you. Mom probably making everyone a fantastic meal(wish I could cook like she did), and you and Dad probably doing a little pickin to little brown jug. Dad sang that song to you several times when you were little like he did me, DuAnna, Rick and Judi when we were young. Okay Son, I have to close for a little while. Rick just came and asked me to play Uno. Boy they all must want to get beat awful bad when they asked me to play!. I’ll be writing again in just a bit. I love you my baby. Thank you from the bottom of my very broken heart for getting me through the day with only a few million breakdowns. I love and miss you. Love Mom

Well the Uno game is over and I hate to admit it but guess who won. Did you guess? You were right, it was me!!! They all are terrible Uno players. I guess I need to start giving lessons on how to win. There’s really only one thing you have to do and that’s be score keeper!! (That was me too). I’m just kidding, I won fair and square. I just wanted to tell you goodnight and that I love you and miss you. This Thanksgiving Day that I dreaded for months, thanks to all you in Heaven, wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. It was wonderful having our most beautiful family here to share this day. With all my undying love goodnight my Baby Love Mom

Thanksgiving weekend is coming to an end. Everyone here is completely wore out! I had Emily and Haley stay all night Friday, and Collin, Jacob, and Tyler stay last night. They all had fun I hope. The girls wanted to play Uno and Hangman and the boys played Bey Blades. I love having them stay. It’s so funny to watch them. Emily is a riot. she can crack a wisecrack so fast and have you rolling in the floor and so can Tyler. Haley has always been a little pistol. And Jacob and Collin, well they are into that crazy orange, and Fred plays black ops on u tube. I couldn’t have asked for better kids. They were all so good. I made it through the holiday and I feel good about it. Dinner went well, everyone in a very good mood. the kids all behaved and leftovers were just as good as Thanksgiving Day. I thought of you every minute and I missed you so much. I guess I’m kind of coming to terms with you being gone in body but I know you will always be here in spirit. I now you didn’t want to leave us, that’s how I know that you railed against death but God had better plans for you so you had to go. It was probably as hard on you to go as it was for us to lose you. But someday…..! I wanted to tell you how much I missed you having dinner with us. It will never be the same again. But we have to keep the tradition going for the kids. I’m sure all of us felt the same way about you not being here. I know you would have wanted me to be strong for the kids. So I tried very very hard to be strong and I surprised myself how I stayed, for the most part, calm and composed. I think maybe you had a little bit to do with that. Thank you. Well, I think I’ll close for now because I am very tired. I love and miss you with every beat of my broken heart. I’ll be dreaming of you tonight and every night. Goodnight my Baby Sweet dreams. Love Mom

I love and miss you so much. This holiday is going to be so hard for me.I don’t know if I’m strong enough to stay composed in front of the kids. I doubt that I am but I will try to get through somehow. I just wanted to say goodnight and tell you I love you with all my heart. I miss you desperately. I want you back. You were my first baby. I remember so well the first time I got to hold you in my arms. There was a bond, a kind of love I had never known before. I go back to that moment daily. I just need to hold you one more time. But I know so well that it is one wish I will never have come true. Someday I will get to hold you in my arms again and I will never let you go. I will be dreaming about you again tonight. Until I get to see you, I will go on loving and missing you terribly. With all my love, my heart, and my soul, Goodnight my baby Love Mom

Good morning Kirk, Hope all is well in heaven. I’m sure it is.We have been busy getting ready for Thanksgiving. Rick and me had a huge water mess in the kitchen this morning. A fitting came loose under the sink and we had about 2 inches of water everywhere. But we got it cleaned up now and have the fans going. Angie, Emily, Todd, Leann and Haley came over last night and we set and played hang man on a dry erase board Judi bought last week. We have had a lot of fun playing that game. It’s something that all of us can play since the little ones know how to spell words. There are a few times they have left out some letters or forgot to put one in where it belongs but I just see that as making the game more challenging. Some of the sentences have been crazy like’Did the Pilgrims eat turkey?’ That one was Rick’s. I’ve got a good one next time we play. It will be ‘Is Rick a turkey?’ It is really fun. The kids have had more fun with that dry erase board than one of those $60 games!! It would make a good Christmas present for the kids. A little poem I want to share with you. I don’t know the author but if I was a poet it would have been what I would have written. You never said ‘I’m leaving’ You never said ‘goodbye’ You were gone before I knew it Only God knows why A million times I’ve needed you A million tears I’ve cried If love alone could have saved you You never would have died In life I loved you dearly In death I love you still In my heart you hold a place That no one else can fill It broke my heart to lose you But you didn’t go alone For part of me went with you The day God called you home Author unknown Well there it is, exactly how I feel. I do want to thank Faye Reid for having this on her facebook page. That’s where I found it. Okay, now I’m crying again as usual and can’t see what I am writing so I guess I will close for now. I’ll be thinking about you every minute.I love and miss you my baby. From the bottom of my very broken heart Love Mom

I’m sorry I haven’t written for a while. We have Aunt DuAnna in the hospital again with a blood clot. Don’t know how long she will be there. I went with Angie to pick your headstone on Saturday. It is going to be so beautiful. What she is having written on it is a very beautiful tribute to you, and Emily is having the sweetest Inscription on it. You will love it and so will everyone else. I’m not going to say what will be on it , because I want everyone to go see it when its on. I’ll let everyone know when it’s done. I can’t wait. Rick and Todd and Leann have been putting us down a new kitchen floor. It will be so pretty. We have the house in a terrible mess. Everything from kitchen is in the middle of the living room, and family room. Didn’t realize how much junk we have. It will sure be nice when it’s done though. I miss you so much, Kirk. We have had a mystery over a picture of you but I think Angie finally solved it. It was taken at your house Sanyo camera. She found the picture and had it printed out, but still haven’t found camera. She said it might have one of Emily’s. Anyway it is a great picture of you. I love it. Well I better close for now. Got to go watch for the kids to get off the bus. I’ll write more later. I love and miss you from the bottom of my very broken heart. Travel lightly Love Mom

The Broken Chain We little knew that day, God was going to call your name. In life we loved you dearly, In death, we do the same. It broke our hearts to lose you, You did not go alone. For part of us went with you, The day God called you home. You left us beautiful memories, Your love is still our guide. And although we cannot see you, You are always at our side. Our family chain is broken, And nothing seems the same. But as God calls us one by one, The chain will link again. Author: Ron Tranmer

Today was the last day for this season of soccer. Emily’s team won game 1 but lost game two. It is so disappointing for the team when they lose but they sure gave the other team a run for their money. The other team was two levels higher that our team, so had they played a team on our level we probably would have stomped them! It’s all in fun anyway but they do like to win so we were happy for the other team that was from the Louisville Kentucky area. Hope they all had a safe trip home. It’s good that next month we will be indoors for the games. It is getting mighty chilly sitting outside. The kids will stay warm at least. I sure did miss you at this one. I took some pics with my phone myself cause I didn’t have one of the little kids with me to take them, so they probably won’t turn out. They all know how to make videos and take pics, but I’m like the worst person to take pictures, but however I’m better at it than learning how to use facebook!! I wanted to tell you,as if you didn’t already know, how much I love and miss you. Each day that passes is a hurt in my heart that will never go away. I hope you liked your turkey and your happy Thanksgiving sign. As soon as Thanksgiving is over I will take those off because I have Christmas things for you to put on.The trees at the cemetery were beautiful this weekend. I took some pictures with DuAnna’s phone. Well, I better close for now. Pretty tired tonight, but that doesn’t mean I will sleep. I usually don’t. Goodnight Son I love you with all my heart and soul. It will never die. Dreaming about you tonight. Love Mom

Thank you so much Faye. I too miss the days when all the kids were little.It’s so hard to believe when they are small that something like death could take them away so fast. My only wish was that I should have gone first. Kirk had so much to live for and a little girl who will not have her Daddy to watch her grow up. She was the light of his life. I hope as the years pass she will not forget the man who loved her so much. He was so proud of her and if you were to see her you would know why. She is so beautiful. As long as I live I will never understand why I am still here and he is not. Maybe someday I will. Thank you, also, for the quote you posted on facebook. I don’t know how to do facebook yet. I guess my time now is devoted to keeping Kirk’s memory alive on the website, and not on facebook. Although I read the things on there I’m still not taking the time to learn how to write. I do appreciate you thinking about me. I am still not coping very well with this. Several nights a week I cry all night feeling guilty because the day this happened I was having fun at the lake and he was needing me and I wasn’t there for him. I only can hope that he forgives me for that. He was such a joy for me when he was growing up, and a wonderful loving caring adult. He makes me proud as all my children do. They are the light of my life. And these eight little grandkids of mine, well, the sun sets and rises in them. So honored they all belong to me. I know you feel the same way about Jason and Ryan. I am so glad to hear that the three of you have worked through your differences. You too have something to be so very proud of. What a great family we have. Thank you again for the gift for Kirk, and the quote you posted for me. I will remember what it said and tell myself that everyday for comfort. With love from the bottom of my heart Carol

Just a quick note to let you know I have been thinking about you and I love and miss you very much. This day after Halloween has been very sluggish for all of us. For some reason everyone said they had upset stomach from my chili last night but I think it may of had to do with the 20 lbs. of candy each of us ate. Or it could have been Uncle Ricks dish he made.Either way none of us felt very chipper today. So I am going to close for tonight so I can get some sleep. Chewing those tootsie rolls takes a lot out of ya!! I love you Kirk. I will never stop. I miss you, but someday I will be with you again. With love from the bottom of my very broken heart Goodnight Son Love Mom

Just got back from a very fun evening with Emily and Angie. I got a grand tour of the animal houses. They are all so big since the last time I saw them. I got to see her new bedroom. It is so cute. I love it. I felt your presence in there and I know she can too. She has the most beautiful violin. I hope some day she will make those strings sing. If she’s like you it won’t be long. I can’t hardly wait. We had a really good time at school for Grandparents night. She got some books and bookmarks. She really had fun going all through those books. She couldn’t decide which ones she wanted but she has a lot of reading to do. She will probably have them read this week. They took me to dinner at one of my very special places to eat, Bob Evans. I had my favorite dinner, fruit plate with banana nut bread. Oh it was so good. Loved it. We had fun talking girl stuff you know.After we ate we went back to your house and I got to play with that wild little dog. She is so cute. She can run circles around Emily. We talked a lot about you tonight. It made me feel so good to get to talk with them about you. They are still taking your death as hard as I am. We would cry one minute and laugh the next. It’s really hard not to cry because we miss you so terribly bad. She is going to get your headstone ordered soon. She said she saw some beautiful ones on the internet. She can’t decide which one she wants. I’m sure it will be beautiful. We have an early ballgame in the morning, but I may not go to the first one if it’s too cold. I guess in my old age I can’t take the cold like I used to. But I will see one tomorrow. Well I better get off here and get ready for bed. I wanted to tell you about my evening and to tell you goodnight and I love and miss you very much. I will write again tomorrow. You will be in my dreams tonight. With all my love from that same old broken heart, Goodnight Son Love Mom

I have been thinking about you the last few days. Last Friday night was our famous pumpkin carving night. Amy and Keith hosted this one. We ordered pizza for supper and they let the carving begin. All the little ones didn’t want to carve after they dug out pumpkins guts which really isn’t that unusual as you know. So the adults got to do most of the carving. However, when they were finished the little ones took full credit for how good they turned out. We lugged all of them out to the front porch and lit all of them. I think there were 9 or 10 lit all at the same time. They really were very cute. As i watched all the kids, so excited to see them all lit, it brought back so many memories of when you kids were little and we would carve pumpkins. I can finally admit that I hated carving pumpkins!! But i would do it anyway just to see you kids having fun. And you always did have tons of fun. Pumpkin carving has been a family tradition since you were little. As near as I can tell it will remain a tradition for many more years. I don’t think I will get to see Emily tomorrow night, But I understand she is going as the mad hatter. Collin is a ninja, Lillian is Mario, Caleb is something scary,(I can’t remember his name), Jacob, Tyler, and Haley will be a surprise. It will be fun, but I’m afraid it’s going to be cold. I was just informed Haley will be a witch. So once again the little goblins will be on the prowl. And as for us adults, we can’t wait for them to bring their candy bags back so we can check all the candy before they eat any of it. I predict all the good candy will have ‘something wrong with it!!’ Usually all the reese and snickers, m & m’s and cherry tootsie roll pops are the ones that are not good for the kids. So all the adults confiscate all of those. There is only going to be a few more years we can fool them with story! I sure wish you were going to be here to have fun with Emily. I know how much fun you always had making her holidays fun. I’m sure she will miss you. I know I will. But I miss you everyday holiday or not. I guess I will have to try to get used to the idea of not having your here for the holidays. It’s going to be so hard and I am not sure I can do it..I don’t want to ruin the kids fun so I will try to get through it with a smile, and then cry when no one is around. I miss you so much. Well, I am going to close for now. Tomorrow will be a busy day and a late night. I’ll be thinking about you with every breath I take. I love you more than my words can express. Please watch over all the kids tomorrow night while they trick or treat. Maybe one of those reese cups may make it all the way to Heaven. I love you bunches. Goodnight Son Love Mom

Goodnight Kirk You are always on my mind and always in my heart. I will dream of you and Heaven tonight. I hope you see my tears that I cry for you. I will be crying until I see you again. This family misses you so much. Please watch over the kids for me. I know you can do all things in Heaven. Thank you all up there. I love and miss you with every inch of my heart. I will write tomorrow. Love always and forever Mom

Good morning Kirk I just wanted to tell you I love and miss you more and more each day that passes without you here. I’ve been staying at Kristie’s. She had to go to D.C. again. It was like a last minute thing Monday afternoon. She only had about 2 hours to get ready and catch a 6:00 flight. She should be back tomorrow evening. I never dreamed that this job would turn out so wonderful. The attorney she works for is going to Singapore next week. He is in very high demand all over the world. He really thinks she is doing a good job. Already she’s learned a lot of legal lingo. She really likes it. Well I am going to close for now. Aunt DuAnna wants to go to the grocery store. Man, that grocery store line sounds like something I’ve heard before. Oh yeah, I remember now. That was your first really big hit!! I love you so much. I hope you know how much. Todd told me he went to the cemetery last week. I was so happy to hear that. The kids have all had such a terrible time coping with this. Just as bad or worse than me. I think they all have some regrets. Please help them to stop thinking about the regrets and focus on the good times you kids used to have. Squirt gun battles, Easter egg hunts until you were quite old.(I won’t say how old) Well, I will be thinking about you always. I love you Son, with all my heart. Sure wish you were here. Love forever and always Mom

I am missing you so much today. You have been in my every thought as you are every day. I have found it very hard to write on your wall the last couple of days. I have sat down here and started to type, but each time I did I just couldn’t. Thoughts of all the terrible things surrounding your death makes me weak and I have to go have a good cry. Crying isn’t helping. Anger isn’t helping. Pleading with God to let you come back hasn’t helped. I don’t know how other parents cope with a loss of a child. I just can’t hardly live on your memory alone. I want to talk to you. I miss your voice, I miss the soft kind words when you spoke. I don’t ever remember hearing you say or feel anything but kindness and compassion. Not ever a bad thing about anyone. Even when you were mad I don’t think you could have called someone a bad name or said a bad word about anyone. I guess maybe it’s true that the good really do die young. A young Indy car driver was killed in an accident on the track and when I heard them say he was only 33 years old I immediately thought how his parents felt when they got the news. It had to have been exactly how I felt. Not wanting to hear those words ‘there’s been an accident’ and ‘he is dead.’ There will never be any getting over the shock and the pain. Nothing will ever ease the horrible pain in my heart. So I know first hand how that drivers parents will try to remember the good while never forgetting the pain. It’s so very hard to do. I hope they can deal with there son’s death better than I have dealt with the death of my child. It’s not fair that a child dies before his parents. It shouldn’t have to happen that way.I guess I better close for now. We have Cameron, Collin, and Caleb spending the night. So far they have been good. They are playing x box 360. That keeps them quiet for a while. I love and miss you with all my heart and soul. I’ll be thinking about you every minute. So with all the love from the bottom of my broken heart, I will wait patiently until I see you again Goodnight Kirk Love Mom

Good morning Kirk Hope all is well in Heaven. I had another sleepless night. Not only because I miss you so much but I also think I may have gotten stung by a bee yesterday. It’s right on my ankle and it hurt all night long. It looks as though it might be getting a little infection in it. I don’t think I got the stinger out. Anyway, I’ve been missing you so bad these last few days. I’m going to try to come to the cemetery today. I just want to sit and talk to you with no one else around. I will probably take Caleb home in a little while so I’ll be out there then. Our internet still isn’t working right. I keep getting kicked off as usual. So before it goes off again and I loose a long letter I am going to close and i will be there soon. I love and miss you with all my heart. Love Mom

Ok I’m going to try this again. What I wrote a little while ago didn’t go on your page because I got kicked off the internet again. I wanted to tell you that Collin and me came by to see you after Emily’s game yesterday. It was the first time he had been back to the cemetery since your funeral. He broke my heart when we walked up to your grave. He got down on one knee, bowed his head, and patted the dirt. He stayed that way for a long while so I finally asked him what he was thinking. He looked up at me with tears welling up in his eyes and shook his head. I got down on my knees and hugged him and told him it was ok to be sad. I told him I was sad too and that everyone gets that way sometimes. I asked him if he remembered the funeral and he told me he did.He agreed it was a very sad day for all of us.We just sat there for a while and then he asked me if we could walk around. Of course I said yes because I love walking there. He saw markers of babies, children, Moms and Dads, Grandparents, our brave service men and women who had lost their lives, and the really old graves we had to guess at who they were. He was so excited and couldn’t believe the pictures on the markers. Pictures of houses, trains, trucks, lakes, and boats. The shapes of the markers. Hearts, diamonds, angels. And of course all the flowers and things on the graves. He was just in awe I think. He wants to go back. I think we could have stayed there the rest of the day but we had left Aunt DuAnna in the car. The trees hadn’t changed colors to much but if the hurricane force winds we are having don’t stop all the leaves will be gone before they can change. I better close for now. I’m ready to go to Emily’s game today. I will be thinking of you every minute. I love and miss you so much. So if you watch Emily today you will probably see them win! I will write more later. With all the love I have in this very broken heart I will watch for you Love Mom

Another day without you is tearing me up inside. I miss you so much. As I take Kristie to and from work each time I pass Raymond St.. I get the most horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. I picture me on my way to the shop cleaning bucket in tow excited to see you, Rick, and Todd. I get the temptation to go out there just to stand and look at what used to be. I used to always go that way even after you guys told me not to. I don’t like stoplights. That was why I wouldn’t go the guys way!! Every day I pass several Celadon trucks and I can see me driving along in one of your beautiful trucks you had. I see on the side of the trucks that they have electronic logs now. You really can’t cheat anymore. I pass flatbeds with oversize loads and it brings back New Jersey and huge slabs of concrete. I take north 65 as if I am pointed to Chicago, the place no one likes to go.{next to New York and L.A.} I constantly thinking about you the whole 2 hours I am gone. Sometimes longer depending on traffic which at times can be a nightmare. I guess everything I see, everywhere I go, everything I do reminds me of you.I still cringe when the thought of that night crosses my mind. Nothing has ever made me feel the way I did when we got the call, not even when my Mom and Dad passed away. It’s different I guess when it is your child.Don’t get me wrong I was hysterical when they passed away too. Nothing can ever take away the hurt and the ache you feel in your heart. It won’t ever go away. At least it hasn’t for me. Well I better close for now. Got to get up early for my trip in the morning. At least I don’t have to keep a log book although I should since it is over 160 miles a day. Wow, much easier to write it than drive it! I love you and miss you with all my heart. I will think about you every minute. I’m coming to the cemetery this weekend. Can’t wait to see the trees. I’ll bet they are beautiful. Okay see you then. With love from the bottom of my broken heart Mom Hope this goes on you page. We can’t keep the internet on. Ricks got it going for a little while but I don’t want to take any chances. Love you

Good morning Son, I just finished writing the beautiful poem Bob and Rose gave me. I hope you like it as much as I do. I’m sure you will. I went to Emily’s ballgame yesterday and they won 7-1. Angie gave me her school picture while we were there. She is so beautiful. The minute I saw it I could see you. She has your beautiful blue eyes, and that little smile you always had. I’m going Wed. to eat lunch with her at school. She is so excited that she gets to buy my lunch from her account. I’m very excited to get to go. It will be nice to meet her teacher and her friends, over taco salad and chocolate milk! Yum!! I have missed writing on your wall while I stayed up at Kristie’s last week. I’m home now until she goes to New York. I will write as often as I can. I miss you. I want to talk to you and give you a hug and a I Love You. I know you can feel it up in heaven. I love and miss you so much every day of my life. I think about you every minute of my life. And I will forever. I stopped by the cemetery yesterday on the way to Emmy’s game. Your wreath is hanging in there even with all the wind. I wish I could have stayed longer than I did. One day I am going to come by myself so I can stay and talk to you as long as I want. It’s going to start getting cold soon, and I won’t be able to stay long so I want to be there as much as I can now. I better close now. I have got a million things to do today. Whether or not they all get done is a whole other story! I love and miss you with all my heart. Write again soon. With love from the bottom of my broken heart Mom P.S. DuAnna and I saw you at the game yesterday!

I love and miss you. You were really missed today. I wish so much that you could be with us again. Our day was lots of fun, but i made everybody mad at me. I am just going to stay here in my little room and keep my mouth shut. I am about to avoid times when everyone is together. They might not go home mad. Oh well life goes on. I’ll be thinking of you every minute. Love Always and Forever Mom

Emily’s ballgame has been canceled so no going to Bloomington today. Kristie left a while ago for Washington D.C. She probably is already there. Please watch over her while she is there. Zach was supposed to go but he had something come up with his little girl. So she is by herself. Although she is probably in the most secure area in the nation. Her beautiful hotel is just a few blocks from the White House on Penn Av. When she gets back from D.C. she will be going to New York. That really scares me. Hope you liked what I put on your grave yesterday. I thought it fit you and the cemetery perfectly. DuAnna is going to start on the Xmas wreaths soon. You know they will be beautiful. Keith and Rick worked hard yesterday getting the new gutters up at their house. Chad pitched in and helped and when he thought he could sit down awhile the toilet started leaking all over every place. So Chad and Todd helped him with that. His work has been never ending. It’s so nice when everybody pitches in. Things go so much faster. I love the fact that the boys are spending time together. We see now how important that is. It’s a shame we all didn’t spend more time together when you were here with us. It sure has opened some eyes about how precious life can be because you never know when the last thing you say to each other might really be the last thing said. We have found that out the hard way. It hurts all of us so much that you can’t be here. If there was a way I could come and get you, I would have already brought you home. But I can’t do that, so I will miss you so much until I see you again. Changing the subject, I don’t know if Angie ordered you a headstone or not, but if she hasn’t I will be saving every penny towards getting you one. I think everyone will pitch in. It probably won,t be a big beautiful expensive one like a lot of them around you, but at least family members on down the line will be able to find you. I better close. I hope this goes through when I hit share. There has been several times I have written and it didn’t go through. But I don’t mind. I think you already know what I said. So, I am going to close for now. I love and miss you and you know how much. Before I forget, we stopped at Keith and Amy’s to look at the gutters and once again we saw the Monarch butterfly go right past us when it was beginning to rain. Imagine that. And in the rain!! ok I will be thinking about you every minute.I love and miss you more than anyone will ever know. With all my love from the bottom of my broken heart Mom

Love you and miss you so much.

Keith, Amy, Cameron & Collin lit a candle in memory of Kirk M. Key

Good morning Son, I just wanted to tell you I miss you so much. I have been thinking about you every minute this morning. I had to take Kristie to work this morning. Its up at 96th and 421. Very long way in traffic. My brown van had to go to the junk yard. It needed a new engine and the car wasn’t worth fixing. She is going to get a car hopefully when she gets back from Washington D.C.. She leaves Sunday morning. Kirk, I don.t know if anyone up there had a hand in her getting this job but it was surely Heaven sent. Her and the kids lifestyle will change so much for the good. She really loves it and everyone is so nice to her. Even the attorneys are down to earth and very friendly. She loves the attorney she works for. I want to thank everyone who helped her get it from the bottom of my heart. Well, my day hasn’t started out so well, but maybe if I go back to bed and pull the covers over my head when I get back up things will be better.I talked to Angie a few minutes ago. She was calling me to let me know what time Emily’s game is Sunday.She told me Emily has started her fiddle lessons. She says she really likes it. She kind of put the bango aside but maybe she will get back interested in it if she learns the fiddle. She is going to be like you as far as music goes. I wish you could be here to help her with it. Maybe you can give her a little help from up there!! Well, I guess I may lay back down for a little.It is cold and cloudy and I deserve it after driving to the north side in rush hour traffic! I will be thinking about you all day. I know you will have a good one. Hope mine gets better. I love and miss you so much, you don’t know how much. I wish there was a long distance line to Heaven. I love you and I will never stop missing you. With all my love from the bottom of my broken heart Mom

Well the things I wrote last night did not show up on your wall. I don’t know why. I lit a candle for you and sent you a hug. I hope you got it via brain waves. I miss you Kirk. I think about you all the time. I wish I could see your face. I know you are probably going to think this is a little corny, but I I saw you from the waist up coming through my bedroom wall. I had been laying there thinking about you as I do every night, but last night was different. I swear on a stack of Bibles that I saw you. You stayed just a minute but long enough for me to get a good look at you. You looked so handsome as usual. I was so shocked I couldn’t even talk to you. It was like I froze.But at least I got to see you and I know you are with me. Yeah I believe in ghosts because I saw one. YOU. I know every one will think I have fallen off the deep end, but I don’t care. I took Aunt DuAnna to the doctor today and I waited in the car for her and there you were fluttering right in front of my windshield. Kirk I know I am not crazy and I am positive I was not dreaming. And if it makes me feel closer to you then I don’t care what anyone else thinks. I believe that loved ones who have passed on can show us a sign of some sort that you are around us. And who knows for sure you are not that Monarch butterfly. How can someone dispute what I have seen if they have never experienced it, So I am going to keep on watching for you every day. I will never stop until I can join you and Mom and Dad, and my Grandmothers and Grandfathers, and Aunts and Uncles, and friends that are with you. Please look after all of us down here. Keep all of us safe if you can. I absolutely could not handle another loss of someone in this family. I still am wanting to write my poem that Bob and Rose got me. It it so beautiful. And it makes such good sense. I get really emotional when I read it so that’s why I still haven’t put it on here.My eyes are blurry anyway most of the time so that plus tears means I can’t see. Well I guess I better close for now. There is not going to be any room on here for anyone to write to you. So you fly lightly up there. I will still be thinking about you and watching for you. I know I will see you again. I love you so much. All of us miss you so much. So I will close with love from the bottom of my broken heart Mom Hug and Kisses

Well, there is a chill in the air today. Winter is not to far away. I hate the thought of it. I went over to the storage to get some of my jackets, and I swear I don’t think I could squeeze a blade of grass in there. Kristie had car trouble this morning. You know it’s her car when it’s running, and then it’s mine when it isn’t!! Just kidding. Uncle Rick and Todd towed it home from the north side of town. Nothing too bad wrong with it. They think it’s the thermostat, but it is very hard to get to it in that clunker. Rick and Todd both now have bad back trouble. It just runs in this family. I remember my Dad’s back going out all the time. He had a board under his mattress that he slept on. It was quite often a coincidence that his would go out on Friday 13th. We always told him he had better stay in bed on all Friday 13ths. Of course like Rick he was hard headed and stubborn, and he would be up working even if it was hurting so bad he couldn’t stand it. Nothing very seldom ever stopped Dad and Rick. I don’t know how you worked on those trucks as long as you did without having really bad problems with your back. I remember a few times you were hurting pretty bad with yours. Just like Dad you let nothing stop you from getting under those trucks. After all the trucks and heavy equipment that you worked on, as dangerous as it was, I still am having trouble dealing with the fact that the car fell on you. I always worried that something might happen when you and Rick and Todd were working. You chose a very dangerous career. But I know it was what you wanted to do. You enjoyed what you did for a living. You didn’t quite make it to what you really wanted to do and that was do only road calls. I never quite figured out why that was what you wanted to do. So cold in the winter and steaming hot in the summer. Not to mention how dangerous that would have been. Working on a truck in the middle of the night on the side of the road would not be a good thing. But now I don’t have to worry about where you are at. You won’t ever hurt again. I know you are safe where you are at. I miss you very much. Some of my days are very hard to get through. I try to pretend things are not bothering me but they are. Who knows, maybe someday things might get better for me. It’s hard to tell. It seems to me that this horrible accident just happened yesterday. I believe that is how it will be for me for a long long time. I better close for now, but I wanted to tell you I love and miss you. Next time I write I am going to write the poem Bob and Rose gave to me at the funeral home. It is titled ‘A Child of Mine.’ I want it to be on your tribute wall so everyone will know where I got it. They both are so sweet. Bob was really going to miss you. He trusted you with his truck and he knew you would be fair. All your customers that came to the funeral home basicly told me the same thing. You were very well respected. So any way, I love you with all my broken heart, and I miss you more each and every day. Travel lightly up there. You are still breaking in a new pair of wings. You are probably in the wing repair business!! Love you Baby Mom

I miss you so bad tonight. I have been thinking about all the same things I think about daily but tonight it hurts worse. I just want to see you and talk with you. I keep looking up to the sky hoping to see your face in the clouds, but you are never there. Can’t you let me see you again. It’s Friday night. The night that you & Emily sometimes would come over when Angie would go out with her friends. You would always call & ask me if I wanted you to bring me something to eat. I just wanted to see you & Emmy. She would always put on her comedy show and dance around like the night would never end. I wish now that they hadn’t ended & you would still be here with us. I miss Emily . She is so busy with all the things she is doing, she doesn’t have time for this old woman anymore. I am happy for her that she has so much to do. All I do is miss you. Haley and Lillian asked her to spend the night with us tonight but she was decorating her new bedroom tonight. I guess she now has your office as her room. She wanted it painted lime green & blue. I think it will look cute when it’s done. Well I have cried on your shoulder long enough so I will sign off for now. Remember I will be thinking about you. This Sunday is the anniversary of 9/11. I hurt for all the people who lost loved ones on that terrible day. I know now how it feels to lose someone so quickly that you love so dearly.. I hate the feeling and I want it to go away and let me just remember only the good times instead of dwelling on the night you left us. So far I haven’t had much luck, but that’s nothing new. I love you Kirk more that anyone will ever know. I love each and every one of you kids with all of me and more. Don’t ever forget that. You kids are my life. You kids are the only thing in my life that has made my life complete. I have nothing else. But nothing is more important to me than you kids. You had to leave us but we will all be together someday. What a reunion that will be! I love you Son. Goodnight & sweet dreams With love from the bottom of my broken heart Mom

Kirk I miss you really bad tonight. I want to hear your voice. Sometimes I can close my eyes and I imagine I can hear you talking to me. I wish it were true. I was thinking tonight about the time you about killed me when you were having a nightmare. We lived on Spring Cypress Rd. I hadn’t gone to bed but all you kids were asleep. All of a sudden about midnight you let out the loudest scream I had ever heard. I ran down the hall and you met me at the bedroom door with arms flying. I tried to grab you to wake you up but you started trying to fist fight me. Of course you were a lot taller than me so needless to say you probably would have won that fight, but I was determined I was going to win. And I did. I shook you so many times to get you to stop taking swings at me. Finally you just stopped, turned around without waking up and climbed back in bed as nothing ever happened. Next morning I told you what you had done and you thought I was joking. Believe me, I wasn’t. You laughed that sweet little giggle you had when I told you how bad it had scared me.That was one noisy night!! From then on I think I slept with one eye opened in case we had any more nightmare incidents. I wish I could hear that giggle again. It never changed through the years.I just wanted to let you know what I was thinking about. I am getting ready to go to bed so I guess maybe that’s why I thought about that. I wanted to say goodnight & that I love & miss you so much. I have thought about so many things I could put on your wall. So many memories. I will try to write as many as I can. Well goodnight Son. I will dream about you. With love from the bottom of my heart Mom

Hi Kirk I just was thinking about one of the pictures on the dvd from the funeral home. It’s the one with your hair cut in different lengths. It was the day before school pictures were to be taken. You had taken the scissors and cut the front. I about lost it! There was nothing I could do to straighten it up before school the next day. I am glad now that I couldn’t. It made a cute picture of you. And it made a memory for me to hold in my heart & my mind for the rest of my life.It was just another time that you showed what a curious little boy you were. Now that I look back on all the things that got taken apart, or got destroyed is probably how you learned so much. I know you never really had a Dad in your life that would ever teach you anything until Uncle Rick came to Texas. He taught you so much from then on clear up until you passed away. He taught you about racing & let you help him build the dragster. You both were on top of the world when you took it to the drag strip. And you should have been proud of it because you built every piece of that car. You started with nothing and built a car that went down the track. It was great. He taught you how to hunt & handle a gun the way it should be done. He taught you about trucks. I remember when you would call Rick with a problem & he would stay on the phone with you for hours while you did what he told you to do to the truck part that you were fixing. Uncle Rick was always glad to teach you things that in the end finally paid off. He was really proud of you when you started your own business. He also was there for you when you needed help. I don’t remember him ever letting you down when you wanted to learn. He was there for you until you passed away. I think maybe he misses helping you learn more from him. But he taught you how to be a man with deep family values, honesty, & how to always be polite. That is why all of your customers kept coming back to you. They knew they could trust you. All of the above and then some is why I am so proud of you. You made me proud to be your Mom everyday of your life. And I am still so proud to be your Mom now. Nothing will ever change that. Well I guess I better close for now. I just wanted to say goodnight & I love & miss you bunches. Goodnight Son. From your very proud Mother from the bottom of my heart Mom

I want to talk to you. I want to hear your voice. I can hear you in my mind. I can hear your voice, but it’s not like being able to talk & look at you. I miss you so much. I don’t know how to handle this. I don’t want everybody to see me crying all the time. So I hold it in, & then out of no where here comes the flood. I am so hurt. I still can’t believe this has happened. I want to talk to you about the shop. I want to hear you tell me how things are going in your life. I miss that. I miss our talks that we had. I miss you saying ‘I love you Mom.’ I want to be able to tell you that I love you in person. I am so sorry and I regret not telling you often. But somehow I thought that guys don’t want to hear that from their Mommy’s. I don’t care. I regret it. I know I can’t bring you back. If I could have you would be home with Angie, & Emily. You would be getting up early to get to the shop & have things ready for your customers. You would probably now be getting ready to go to bed. I wish I wish But there have never been too many of my wishes come true, and I am sure this one won’t either. I’m just saying. I know I ramble on when I write but it makes me feel like I can somehow communicate with you. I don’t know for sure if you can hear my thoughts but I hope so. Then you would know how much I love & miss you every minute of every day. I will see you again, I know. I will find you & hug you, & kiss you, and tell you over & over how much I love you. There will be nothing that will keep me from finding you. I am getting ready for bed & I don’t know if I will leave this life in my sleep, as much as i don’t want to leave everyone here that I love so much, I know I will get to you if that is what is planned for me. So, I will see you someday when the the time is right. Goodnight Son I am so proud to be your Mother. with all my love Mom

Hi Kirk, I couldn’t sleep so I thought I would write a few lines. I have a very cute guy spending the night with me. He is so cute. Can you guess?? It’s Tyler. He wanted to stay all night with me, & Rick. Chad is having problems with the sewer line in their house again. He has a man coming about 7:00 o’clock to give him another estimate on what it will cost. I hope he can get it fixed soon. He rented a jack hammer yesterday & got all the concrete out so they can see where the problem is at. That is the problem living on a slab. If you have to find a spot that is broken you have to break up the concrete to find it. Don’t know why they build houses on a slab. Well, maybe he can get it fixed today. I hope so anyway. We all worked outside yesterday. Got a lot of stuff out for heavy trash day. That’s today. It’s starting to shape up now around here. I know I piled so much of mine junk on them,but they didn’t care. We just keep trying to find room for all of it. OK, I probably need to get back in bed. Seven seems to come.around pretty quick. I love & miss you so much. But I am going to stop writing so much from now on. Just remember that I will be thinking about you every minute. I don’t want the kids reading all the sad stuff I put on here from time to time. I will still be sad.though. I will talk to you later. I miss you so much. Love from me Mom from the bottom of my heart;love you.

Kirk, I wish you were here right now for so many reasons. For one, I miss you terribly. I am not sure how any of us are going to get past not having you. Maybe one of these days I will be able to accept it. I don’t know. I just wanted you to know that I finally got the most amazing job offer I ever could have expected to get in my life. I am so excited that something is finally starting to work out for me. This will change me & the kids lives drastically and in a good way. I wish you were here because I know you would be happy for me. You were such an amazing big brother when it came to things like that. I know I prayed every night that I would get this job and I prayed that you could hear me and hoped that you could help and you must have. I am super nervous about going back to work full time, but I don’t think I could do it if I hadn’t got the chance to work for you. You really helped me more than you may ever know. I know I won’t get to start until the middle of September as long as the background check goes well which I can’t imagine it wouldn’t, but you know I worry about everything. I talked to Angie tonight. I wish I knew what to say to her. Sometimes I just am so confused. I don’t want anyone mad at me and God knows I make mistakes, but they are not intentional. Anyway, I love you dearly & as soon as I get some money I am coming to the cemetery to see you. I love you always!!! Love, Kristie

Dear Kirk, oh how I wish you were still here with us. For some reason tonight my mind keeps going back to that terrible night when you left us. I hope you did not suffer. I couldn’t stand the thought if you did. I hope you left this world in peace and I hope you are at peace now. I am still waiting for time to heal this wound I have to my heart, but it hasn’t yet. Maybe I am not letting time heal my heart, I don’t know. I just know it is still broken. I was finally able to write a few thank you notes to friends and people you did business with. I am sorry I have taken so long to do it but I couldn’t bring myself to write about you leaving us. It’s the hardest thing I have ever done.You know, saying thank you for coming to my son’s funeral. I appreciate all the prayers and kindness people had for me so I hope they don’t think I haven’t been thinking about every person who came, every one who sent the beautiful flowers, and everyone who was so thoughtful and did so much to help me get through this. All the thank yous in the world couldn’t express what I feel for all of them. I try very hard not to be sad, but it is very hard not to be. I miss you so much. I would gladly give up my own life if it would bring you back. I know that is just wishful thinking. I could go on and on,but I need to get in bed. I need to get up early again for a Doctor’s appt. I will be thinking about you. I will be dreaming about you. So goodnight my Son. I love you with all of my heart. Sending a kiss and a hug Hope you can feel them Love forever Mom

Hi Kirk, Well I accomplished a few things today believe it or not. I cleaned my car on the inside. That took most of the morning. Getting ready to go to Lafayette tomorrow.I will be glad just to take the drive I need to get away for a little while. We should have a lot of fun. I am going to bed early tonight. I need to get up early. So I wanted to say goodnight. I miss you & I think about you & all the kids all the time. I will never stop missing you ever. Hope you know that. I love you with all my heart. Goodnight Son, I will talk to you tomorrow if my computer holds up. Hugs & Kisses love you Mom

Somehow what I wrote about going to Lafayette has been erased. I don’t know how that happened but it should be here. I won’t enter anything about it again. Just wanted to let you know. Love Mom

Dear Kirk, I hope you can hear these new songs that have been posted. Great great songs! I am so glad that Cameron came with us today to see you. We had a wonderful time walking & reading all of the headstones. I hope you enjoy your flowers we brought. DuAnna made the basket of flowers. It was really pretty. As we walked through the cemetery, I noticed how many other parents have had to bury their children there. I know I am feeling just as they do, so I know I am not going through this alone. It is just as hard on them as it has been for me. But i know God will help us all when we need it. He won’t let us down! Well, guess I better get to bed. I got an early morning coming up tomorrow. Goodnight Son. I love you with all my heart Mom

Goodnight Kirk. We love you and miss you very much.

Dear Kirk, these songs I dedicate to you. I miss you so much. Hope you like them if you can hear them. Love you with all my heart Mom

This song is for Emily. I know she really misses her Daddy.

Love the song. Remember you are never alone either. We are always here for you, DuAnna, Rick, & Mom.

Judi This is so beautiful! I love it! I hope all the kids will look at this and be able to understand life a little better. No one knows what the future holds, but you can’t waste time here being afraid of what probably won’t happen. I read a saying one time out in California that said’The things you fear the most are the least likely things to happen.’ I saw that at a time when things were not going well in my life. I was always so scared that something bad was going to happen. I sometimes could not breathe. I cried all the time. I worried about everybody non stop, but once I started saying that to myself over &over my fears became less scary. I started taking deep breaths, and I found I really could breathe. I just did that every time I thought something bad was about to happen. That is how I got through a lot of scary moments in my life. That was 27 years ago & I still say that to my self all the time. It really was the best thing I have read in my life. It kind of brought me back to real life. It made me not worry about things that I had no control over. I told myself that life is in someone’s hands that would not give me more than I can handle. Kirk’s death has been very hard on me because I am his mother & no mother want’s to lose a child, But I am not going to worry myself to my death over his death. If I do that I will not be able to enjoy the time I do have with my other kids & grandkids & the rest of my family & friends. I will soon be able to better handle the ruff time I am going through & I WILL be celebrating his life not mourning over his death. I only wish that the kids can get over their fears just as I did. We just need to take care of each other, and none of us will ever be alone! Thanks Judi, this song has lifted me up and I know it will for everyone else, too. I love you. Carol

Good morning Little Rose Bud. Here I am again but, I promise I will not bore you to tears! I just wanted to say good morning. I know you liked Judi’s song she posted. That was awesome!!!.I honestly think that really listening to that song is going to help all of us. It is so true. I hope everyone I know will come away from listening to it with a heart that is a little less heavy. I can’t write long because my slave drivers are probably about to call! I hope your day in heaven is wonderful. I’ll be watching for you!! I love & miss you a bunch! We probably will be coming out later. Love always from the bottom of my heart Mom

Mom, Listen to this song. I think this must be how you feel without Kirk here anymore. I love you!! ~Kristie

Good morning Son, Another day is starting out with the sun shining but in my heart it’s black stormy clouds raining pain of you not being here with us. I wonder when that time heals everything is going to come. For me I haven’t felt one ounce of healing yet. I hurt so bad. I know I always will. Nothing can make you leaving us any better. You were such a big part of this family. It doesn’t feel right without you. You helped each one of us in some way throughout your life, When things didn’t go right you took all the worry away from us and carried it yourself. I am so sorry you had to do that because I think that is why this happened. You were always worrying about everyone but yourself. You had so much on your mind and that’s why you were not thinking about safety that night. I think you were thinking about how you were going to make things alright for everyone else. I know we talked about the things that were worrying you just before you left. I still have not told anyone what we talked about and probably never will.But I hope everyone knows now how much you did worry. That’s why this happened. You just weren’t thinking about your safety but how instead how you were going to come up with how you might be able to help us. I thank you Son for being such a great man from the time you were very small when you had to become the man of the house several times to being the warm loving man that helped everyone when you were older. So many people thought so highly of you. I am so proud to be your mother. I want the other kids to know how proud I am of them,too. I love all of you so much. I can’t explain how I feel. There are no words that can possibly describe the feeling I have for each of you. I guess that comes with being a mother, Well, I have rambled on long enough for this morning. I know you have more important things to do like practice with the Angel band! So I will say goodnight later on but for now have a wonderful day up there. I love & miss you with all my heart Love Mom

Good morning Kirk Hope all is well in Heaven. I started off my day looking at little paper t shirts that Haley & Collin made for school. They were so cute. They had to paste on them things about themselves that they like to do. Collin had pictures of basketball, football, 4 wheelin, & spaghetti. Haley had pictures of us at Xmas, Leann’s family But the sweetest one was a picture of you & Kristie. It was at Xmas at your house. You were unwrapping a gift that was something with Jeff Gordon #20. She told her Dad he better not take that picture off! I am sure she will tell everyone in her class all about you. I thought that was cute.I am waiting on Todd, he is taking me for my blood work. I just wanted to say good morning & rise & shine little rosebud. I love you with all my heart & I miss you so much. I wish we could turn back the hands of time & do this all over again.I don’t like the words I had to hear that terrible night. I hate them. I know they are just words, but it cuts me deep in my heart. Now my heart is broken. But I will see you again. Save a place for me with palm trees! I love you Son. I better go. Love you bunches & miss you so bad. I will think of you all day. Loe Always Mom.

Me and Todd were watching old school rock videos today. A white guy came on that had a huge afro. Todd busted out laughing and I said ‘what is so funny?’ He then preceeded to remind me of how your hair used to look like back in the day. And how much Angie looooved it!! We laughed for a while talking about it. Todd and Uncle Rick went to the guitar place up by the mall today. Uncle Rick gave Todd a really nice drum set when we moved and they went in search of some drumsticks. The drums are in our spare/computer room right now. I almost hope stores dont sell drumsticks anymore, cause you know as well as I know, Todd is going to need alot of practice!! And it will be noisy! Hahahaha! But, he is just like you, that if he puts his mind to it, he could be an awesome drummer. He is proud to own Uncle Ricks drumset so I am happy for him. Im sure one day everyone will be begging him to play for them. Well I gotta hit the hay. I gotta work in the morning. That alarm clock sound comes around awful early. We miss you, love you, and think of you everyday. You are always in our hearts. xoxo

Leann I just listened to your song you added. That is such a beautiful song. You are right that everyone should feel something from this song. It should bring tears to anyone’s eyes if they have a heart. Beautiful Love Carol

Hi Son Sorry I am so late writing to you, but I laid back down after I got the kids on the bus. When I got up I hurried over to the storage to unload more stuff before it got to hot. I just had time to set down. Hope your day has been full of heavenly sunshine! The sun here is just HOT! I love & miss you very much. I have been thinking about you all day. I believe that you did what I asked you to help out with Kristie getting this Executive Assistant position with the # 3 ranked law firm in the nation for Patent & Life Science attorneys. She has made it through all but one interview & that should be going on right now. Please Please Please give her some Devine intervention today to get through this last one. She doesn’t have much confidence in her self so if you could give her a boost I would know that you really do get the messages. I love you with all my heart & I never will stop loving you. I am going to close for no got more stuff to move around. I’ll write more in just a little while. Have a good day beautiful blue eyes Love Mom

Hi Kirk I miss you & I want to talk to you face to face. I think about all the time. Today a picture of you holding Emily came into my mind. It is how I remember the two of you. Her laying her beautiful little head on your chest. And you hugging her so gently yet with all your might. It tears me up inside knowing that she will never get another hug from you. You are going to have to send them down from Heaven for her. I know she will feel them when her memory of you crosses her mind. I never dreamed anything this terrible could happen to our family. So you have to help all of us get through this. It’s not going to be easy. We all miss you so much. We all love you with all our hearts.If I could bring you back I would. If I could trade places with you I would. I want you to be here for your brothers & your sister. I want you here for all of us. But most of all I want you here for Emily. I feel so sorry that she will not have you there for her first date, for prom, for graduation, for you to walk her down the aisle when gets married, & to share in all her lifetime accomplishments. I want you to be here when she goes off to college to become whatever she wants to be.[I am pretty sure she will be a veterinarian!] Kirk I know how much you loved that little girl & I know how much she loved you. I don’t understand how God could take you away from her. And then I think of all the little children that have lost their parents in these good for nothing wars. How can God do that? Would you please ask him that for me? I really need to know what is more important than your little Emily? Maybe I will someday make since of this thing called life, but I sure haven’t yet. I better close for now. I need to be up early to go get my blood work done. I love you & I want to see you & hug you, & just look at you & see you in your greasy clothes & shoes you always wore to the shop. The smell of that grease would smell so sweet right now. Goodnight Son I love you with every inch of my being. I’ll dream about you. You have sweet dreams too. Love always Mom

Good morning Son Here comes some sunshine for you. It looks like it is going to be nice here today. Probably not as nice as where you are though. They had a memorial service for the victims from the stage collapse this morning. It brought tears to my eyes to think what the parents of those people must be going through.I I know first hand what they must be feeling & thinking. All the questions,All the whys? All the what was God thinking? Why did he take my child? How can life go on? How can I possibly live not being able to comes to terms with the way they died? I can tell you I still cannot come to terms with your death. I still have all these questions & no answers. There may come a time when the hurting eases up, but I will never understand WHY? It was a sad start to my day, but I have sad starts & endings to my days. And the in betweens are just as bad. I just keep thinking I will get to see those beautiful blue eyes again. I am so glad that your beautiful blue eyes do not have to cry any more. All your suffering is over. So I will just keep on keeping on until I join you. I love you so very much. To me each day gets a little harder, not easier. I don,t believe that stuff of time heals everything. It hasn’t for me. Well, I better get busy.Still not done yet putting things away. I will think about you all day. I love you, I miss you. I would jump off the end of the earth for you. I love you with all my heart Mom

Good morning Son I don’t know but I think you might have been a little yellow canary this morning. I have never seen one here but there was one sitting on Rick’s car mirror. I was sitting outside & that little bird just appeared on there. I felt you in my heart. I had been thinking about you since I had gotten up. I don’t know if things can happen that way for me to see you, but I believe they can. What a wonderful way to start my day!! I hope yours will be just as great. Yours can never be bad where you are if I’m right. Getting a hug & a I love you from you would be like having your cake & icing too. But I know you sent me a air hug & kiss and that is why I didn’t feel it. I felt it in my heart. Well Todd & Leann got moved. Their house is just so cute. Chad & Ann are having problems at their house. The main sewer line broke inside & flooded their basement. It’s going to cost them around $5 thousand to get it repaired. I don’t know how they can afford that with Chad not working right now. I wish I could help them but we are all in the same boat that’s sinking. Keith & Amy are going to move this weekend. They have painted & carpeted the whole house except the kitchen & bath. It really looks nice. I don’t know how they learned to lay carpet but they did. They have a busy day ahead of them so please don’t let it rain on them, I mean if you can do that sort of thing. I think you can. OK I better get busy. I’m going to take some things to the storage that I don’t need right now. So you have a great day & I will tuck you in tonight. Oh, by the way, Kristie has another interview with those attorneys. If you can help her in any way to get that job, I would be forever thankful. I love & miss you with all my heart. Mom

Uncle Kirk I love you Love Haley

Good morning Son. A beautiful day is beginning. I hope it stays this way. Our day will be busy again with getting Keith & Amy finished moving. By tomorrow they should be completely finished. We will all finally be survivors of this huge moving mess.I wish I knew what to do to help all of them but I feel like I am in the way. I love all of you so much. I always wondered how I would feel if I lost one of my children. now I know. Heartbroken for the rest of my life. I hate this feeling. I want you back. Our time was to short. We didn’t get to say our I love you, I’ll miss you I’m sorry, or our goodbyes. Now we can only do that in our prayers. I won’t ever say goodbye to you because there is no such thing, It’s until we meet again. I believe that. I got to get going. I will be thinking about you all day. Please remember me, Emily, Angie & everyone else down here that loves you.. We are still taking your death day by day. I really don’t think there is any other way. I love you so much & will miss you so badly again today. But I have to keep going. I better close for now. You know I will be back tonight. Have a wonderful day Love you with all my heart forever & forever Love Mom

Another day without you. I miss you so much. I tried to stay busy today but you were all I thought about. I stayed outside as much as I could today watching for you. I didn’t see you but I could tell you were with me. Sometimes I just feel you around me. Maybe your spirit is what I sense. I would give my right arm to be able to hug you again. I don’t know if you can see the pain in my heart but it’s there. My heart will never be whole again. You will always be in my mind , my heart, & my soul. I will never let you go.I can’t. At least not yet. Me & the kids, & Aunt Judi, Aunt DuAnna,& Uncle Rick want you here. Not to mention how much Emily & Angie need you. I would have laid down in front of a freight train if it could have kept your here with Emily & the kids. But I guess there was nothing I could do to keep this horrible accident from happening. I will never be the same again. I love you & miss you. Please watch over all of us. Keep Emily safe & in a great frame of mind so she can do well in school. By the way, Cameron is still taking your death very hard. He told me he had a dream about you where he seen your eyes in a can of paint.He cried & it broke my heart to see that. Let him know if you can that things will be alright . Well, I better close for now. Don’t forget how much I love & miss you. Sleep tight. Love always Mom

Goodnight Kirk. We love you and miss you terribly.

Dear Kirk, Today has not been a very good day for me. I cried a lot today. I just thought about you all day long. I miss you more & more everyday. I thought time is supposed to make things easier but it hasn’t for me yet. There are days when I don’t even want to get out of bed. I know I shouldn’t be hurting all the time but I am. I don’t know what to do to make it better. I try to stay busy & I try to think about our good times. My mind wanders back to that night when I heard those horrible words that there had been an accident at the shop. Oh how I didn’t want to hear those words. They just haunt me. I wish I could have helped you & I am sorry I wasn’t there when this happened. If I could turn back the hands of time I would have been there & I would have lifted that car off of you. I am so sorry. I will never forgive myself for not being there for you. That is what a mother is supposed to do. Protect her children. I feel like I failed you. I love you so much. I love you with every part of me. My heart is broken & will never heal until I see you again.I don’t know how long that will be. I will see you I promise. Well goodnight Son. I love you & miss you so bad. I am still watching for a sign from you. Please hurry because I have a hard time waiting. Hugs & Kisses I love you with all my heart. I will be dreaming of you tonight. Love Always Mom

To Those Whom I love & Those Who Love Me When I am gone, release me, let me go. I have so many things to see and do, You mustn’t tie yourself to me with too many tears, But be thankful we had so many good years. I gave you my love, and you can only guess How much you’ve given me in happiness. I thank you for the love that you have shown, But now it is time I traveled on alone. So grieve for me a while, if grieve you must, Then let your grief be comforted by trust. It is only for a while that we must part, So treasure the memories within your heart. I won’t be far away for life goes on. And if you need me, call and I will come. Though you can’t see or touch me, I will be near. And if you listen with your heart, you’ll hear, All my love around you soft and clear. And then, when you come this way alone, I’ll greet you with a smile and a ‘Welcome Home’.

Sherry Wesner sent a virtual gift in memory of Kirk M. Key

Hey Kirk. Todd and I have been so busy lately with moving and helping your mom with garage sales. I didnt want you to think we forgot about you. Just wanted to say ‘HI’ for now and will write more when I get a chance to sit down longer. Work is really busy today. And its only 8:30 in the morning!!!! Yuck!! We love you and miss you.

Good morning Kirk, Just wanted to say HI before I go garage sale again today. This will be the last one ever!! I love & miss you so much.I will write more tonight when I get home. Tell everyone HI for me & I love them too. Have a wonderful day & I’ll be watching for you to flutter around us today. Love Mom

Dear Kirk, Sorry I couldn’t write this morning, I couldn’t get on the internet for some reason. Uncle Rick worked on my computer & I was finally able to get on tonight. I have been so busy today trying to get ready for the garage sale[or moving sale as some would call it!] I really call it junk for sale. Todd, Leann, Chad, Tom, Amy, DuAnna, all helped me or I could not have gotten ready for it. WE are all going to be back in the morning at 7 o’clock sharp! I sure hope everyone shows up because I really need them. I hope you are watching over us tomorrow as I may get a fine for putting up garage sale signs. It is a ‘ law’ that you can only put them up in your own yard, but no one else is following the law. So if I get a ticket I may need a little Devine intervention! Don’t let them put me in the slammer for a few signs. Well I better go. I need to get up early. I have missed you a lot today. I was teasing Todd about how you used to tell him ‘ no matter how fast you slide into the parking lot you’re still late!!’ We all get a laugh out of that. I love & miss you so much. I may not have time to write in the morning, but remember I am still thinking about you & as soon as I get a chance I’ll write. Angie & Emily couldn’t come this evening so I held out the snowmen & Halloween stuff that I had for her. Well better go. I love & miss you with all my heart. Hugs & Kisses Mom

Dear Kirk, sorry I am so late waking you up so I guess you could say I let you sleep in! I have been busy trying to unpack my stuff. Don’t seem to be making much progress. I have to much junk! The kids told me they were going to book me on the show [hoarders] They sure got a good laugh, but I didn’t see any humor in it!! Todd & Leann are getting ready to move also. they don’t have 1/2 of the stuff I had. They bought a really beautiful house just north of Chad & Ann. So me, Keith & Amy, & Todd & Leann are all moving at just about the same time. Well I got to get busy or Judi won’t think I did anything while she was at work. It will all come together sooner or later. I love & miss you so much. I still don’t know why this happened but I think God has you doing something far more important & that’s why He called you home so soon. Only the good die young, so they say. I write more tonight & tell you about my exciting day!! Love & miss you Hugs & kisses. Always on my mind & in my heart Mom

Good morning Kirk, I have been missing you all night. I keep thinking I should have been the one to go.I hate that it was you God took. I am angry because you were so young with a family, & I don’t have anyone that depends on me. Emily needs her Daddy in her life. I know you were hurrying & just got careless the night you left us. I know you wanted to get Angie’s car fixed so she could get a new one. She cannot look at the car now. I don’t think I could either. I don’t know how I will ever make it through this. I can’t seem to let go of you & let God have you. If that is being selfish then that’s the way it is. I can’t help it. I want you back here with us. this is where you belong. Life is not the same & never again will be I miss you more than words could ever express. I want to hug you. I want to tell you I love you. I just want to see your face again. I will someday. I will cherish every memory I have of you forever. I love you, Son. Nothing or no one will ever change that. Have a great day today, I will be thinking about you all day. Wis I could be there with you, but that would mean me leaving the other kids. I guess that wouldn’t be fair to them. Oh, by the way, today is Lillian’s birthday. She is officially a teenager. Now is when the real trouble starts! OK you have a wonderful day. Tell everyone HI for me. Miss & love you with all my heart Hugs & Kisses Mom

Kirk, Another day without you here has past. I really missed you yesterday. Todd & Leanne had a cook out at their house and invited everyone over. Angie & Emily came and it seemed so strange to not see you with them. Emily got to swim and shoot everyone with her squirt gun. I think she seemed pretty happy but I know she misses you. We all miss you. It was really nice to get to be with our family yesterday. I think mom finally got all of her stuff moved yesterday. It will not be the same without here at her house now. I am a sad but I know it will probably be better for mom to be around Judi, Rick, & DuAnna instead of being alone so much. I hope you are watching over mom and if you could some how reassure her that everything will be okay. Maybe reassure all of us because sometimes I really don’t know. All I know is life isn’t the same without you here. I just want you to know I love you so much & I hope you know how much I think about you. You were a great big brother. One of these days I hope to see you again. I love you <3 Love, Kristie

Remember Me …….when flowers bloom, early in the spring Remember me on sunny days, in the fun that summer brings Remember me in the fall, as you walk through leaves of gold In the wintertime, remember me, in the stories that are told But most of all remember, each day, right from the start I will be forever near, for I live within your heart Judith Bulock Morse

Good morning all you up in Heaven! I love you all. Kirk, I think everything will be moved today.Things are finally coming together. I still have to get my things in order in my new home, but I look forward to getting things put away. I will be out to see you as soon as I can. I don’t want you to think I forgot about you. that will never happen Well, I am up & at it,but, I don’t know where my movers are at. They better get started before it gets too hot. OK, honey, I better get my car loaded so I may not be able to write again until Uncle Rick gets my computer hooked back up. So I love you & I miss you with all my heart. Please watch over us, Kirk. Have a good day in Heaven. Love you Mom

Dear Kirk, Everything I do or things people say make me miss you more. The days just keep rolling by & I still am stuck on June 25 2011. I am having such a hard time moving on. I guess I just don’t want to. I have to be here for the kids, but I think I am not doing a very good job at it. I want you back here with us. I really feel so incomplete without you. I know I shouldn’t feel that way. It’s being selfish I know because I still have everyone else, but I think deep inside we all feel that way. We just want you back here for Emily, Angie, & all of us. I know you are in my heart but I want to hug you with my arms. I know I will get to one of these days. I look forward to that day. I love you. I need to get some rest, so I’m going to let you go fly with the Angels. I’ll be watching for you. Love you forever & always Mom

Good morning Kirk, I hope you know that all of us think about you every day. Our love for you will never end. I know you will be with us in spirit until it is our time to join you & all our loved ones who are up there with you. What a sight that must be to see! I want to get this move over with soon. This mess is driving me crazy. Keith will probably get the rest done this weekend. They have big plans to fix this place up. I feel sorry for them. Have they got their work cut out for them! But they can do it, & the boys are a big help,too. Well, I better get busy. I am sending sunshine your way. Your days are all sunny & wonderful. take care, & be sure to watch over everyone for me. I love you with all my heart. Love Mom

Love Mom sent a virtual gift in memory of Kirk M. Key

Sorry I couldn’t wake you up this morning,Kirk,but I overslept. I had to go to the store with DuAnna. I was once again up almost all night. I love you, Little Rose Bud, I miss your little giggle. I miss you giving me a hug.. I miss seeing you on Sundays after you & Angie & Emmy got out of church. I miss the roadhouse rolls you would always bring me. I miss seeing you at work with grease from head to toe. I miss coming to the shop & cleaning & doing your paperwork. I miss everything about you. I may not be able to see you but I can feel you in my heart. So I know you are not very far away. Don’t go any farther than you are & someday I’ll catch up with you. I love & miss you so much. DuAnna took me out to lunch today & now I’m afraid I won’t have enough gumption to get anything done today. We had Chinese. I hope you can hear all the songs that everyone’s put on here &read the most beautiful poems. I love them all. I better get busy. It’s suppose to 98 today so I don’t think I will be working in the garage. Have a great day & tell everyone HI for me. I love you, Son, & I am missing you every minute of everyday day. Love you with all my heart Mom

Love To All Mom sent a virtual gift in memory of Kirk M. Key

Good morning Kirk, I’m starting another day. Hope it’s a good one. I have so much to do as it is getting closer to the weekend. Keith is getting the rest of my things then. In a way I’ll be happy to have someone to talk, but I am also sad to go because this old house holds a lot of great memories, & a few not so good memories{ like when Grandma had her stroke}. I am so glad that Keith & Amy are taking the house. I know they will make great memories too for their family. I think they are really excited to be moving. They have big plans for this house. Please watch over them &keep them safe. Even though they know this house, it is still moving. We all know about moving, Don’t we. One good thing is the boys will still be in the same school. Well, I better get busy. Collin wants strawberries & I have to clean them & pour a ton of sugar for him to dip them. Have a wonderful day. Tell everyone {HI} for me. I will tuck you in tonight. I will miss you all day.I just want to thank you for all that you did for me. I will never forget them. Gotta go Love & miss you, Mom

Thank you Carlisle-Branson for letting us pour out our most precious memories of our time we had with Kirk. I would hope that all funeral homes have a tribute wall for grieving family & friends. You treated my Son with dignity & respect & for that I thank you Your kindness made our family & friends feel welcome. We will never forget how you helped us through such a tragic time. Thank you again, Carol S. Smith

Leann All I can say is WOW!!! What a great song.Thanks for putting it on here so Kirk can hear it. I just know he can . Love you Carol

http:// http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCQTr8ZYdhg

Kristie I love this song! It has been one of my favorites for a long time. How did you think to put this on here? I’m glad you did because I know Kirk liked this song. I had Judi put Over the Rainbow on here. I don’t know how to do that yet. Kirk used to be able it. I know he is loving all this music. Keep putting songs on here. I love listening to them. Love you with all my heart Mom

Great song Amy. I have never heard of that group before. Thank you adding this on Kirk’s tribute wall.Another song i will enjoy listening to. Love Mom

Love You Bunches Mom sent a virtual gift in memory of Kirk M. Key

To my sweet Son, I have had my mind on you all day. I was thinking about the night you & Angie & Emily came over to see me. It was on a Saturday night, & you had 3 cd’s. You were so exited & said ‘Mom, you have got to hear this guy sing, & play guitar!’ So you put all of them on my computer. After listening to him I was an instant fan! You told me some of your favorites & I told you which ones I liked. Turned out we both liked some of the same songs. He is one heck of a entertainer. No frills, just good music. That is why I had to have 2 of his songs played at your funeral. Hopefully he found a few more fans that day. Ray LaMontagne is destined to be a great musical artist and will probably make millions. Thank you for introducing me to his music. I remember looking at his picture for the first time, & I thought to myself ‘Wow, this guy reminds me of Bob Dylan & his music he played, but the best part is when you look at him it’s like Jesus looking back at you! I don’t know but I wonder if it was some kind of sign something was going to happen & we just didn’t see it. I hope you are still listening to Ray up in Heaven,but for some odd reason I think God has been listening to him all along. Well, another day has passed {too many} since you left us and our hearts still cry out for you to come back to us. But we know that can’t happen & the best we can hope for is knowing we will see you again someday. I look forward to the most wonderful sight! Goodnight Son, I love you more each breath I take, & that will never end. I love you, baby. Mom

Sorry Kirk I thought the hockey sticks were Golf clubs. So pretend!!!!!!! LOVE YOU MOM

Collin Key lit a candle in memory of Kirk M. Key

The Elvis song is for your Mom. Please don’t let her ever walk alone!

I’ll never forget the car ride to Houston when we were in our Hank Williams, Jr. stage. Your impression of Hank was priceless!

Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy. When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure. -Author unknown

Good morning Kirk, I am trying to get started to try to move more boxes. Here it is 9:15 in the morning. You would already had a days work done by now. I will be thinking about you today. I will get to the cemetery as soon as I can. Well gotta go. I love & miss you with all my heart. Love Mon

Well, another day has passed & it feels like yesterday that you left us. I really don’t know how I am going to get through these nights. This still does not feel real More like a dream that I can’t wake up from.When I see your picture on this tribute page, I just lose it. I miss you so much & I love you more than life. I worry about you, your brothers, & sister. I worry about all the kids. I worry about Angie & Emily,etc. In other words I worry about everybody.But that is a habit I won’t give up. I love you all with all my heart.Kristie got mad at me today. I don’t like to be fighting. Kristie & me have never got along with each other. I don’t know how I get sucked into a fight. But it won’t happen again.I am going to sign off for now. I love & miss you. I will write tomorrow. I am worn out from this move. Sleep tight I love you Mom

We all miss you so much, Kirk. You will always be in our hearts…

Hi Kirk, I hope you are enjoying the poems. They are so beautiful, & help me to kind of understand why this tragedy had to happen. Some of the writers are unknown so It makes me wonder if maybe they are written truly from above. I do hope you are OK. I just couldn’t bear to think otherwise. I cried so many tears that there must be flowers & trees sprouting up everywhere. I miss you. I miss your beautiful blue eyes. I miss you saying ‘I love you, Mom’, I miss you & Angie & me laughing at all the silly things Emily can come up with. I miss your giggle. I miss you sleeping when a tornado could come through the room & not wake you up. I just miss everything about you. There will never come a day that you won’t be in my every thought. The kids all miss you, too. They all can put on a really good front, but they forget who they are trying to fool! We all want you here with us. It’s not right without you. I know someday we will all be together. Until then, I will dream about that day, I love and miss you beyond words. Sleep tight. Love Mom

Supermom00 sent a virtual gift in memory of Kirk M. Key

I would like to thank you for such a kind message about my son, Kirk Key. He always tried to be fair and honest with his customers. He had strong family values and treated people the way he would have wanted to be treated. He loved his work, guitar picking, and racing. I know he would have jumped at the chance to play music with you. I do believe he is picking in Heaven. Your heartfelt sympathy is greatly appreciated and will always be remembered. Thank you again, Carol S. Smith

Kristie sent a virtual gift in memory of Kirk M. Key

It’s almost been a month since you been gone and we all still can’t believe that you are gone. I am trying my best to keep my promise to you to help and be there for Angie and Emily as much as I can. Each and every one of us carries a part of you inside our hearts. Please watch over and give your mom strength. ‘Although it’s difficult today to see beyond the sorrow, May looking back in memory help comfort you tomorrow. ‘ Author Unknown

Love Mom sent a virtual gift in memory of Kirk M. Key

Well, another day has passed & it is still real that you are not here. Sometimes it hits me like a ton of bricks. I keep telling myself you, Angie & Emmy will be coming over after church. But that hasn’t happened yet. I know you are here in spirit & as long as you are I will be alright. I hope you are at peace. No more worry. No more stress. You deserve to just rest & do nothing! Todd wants so bad to keep the company going. He wants to do road calls. Bob Burton has trucks lined up & waiting. Maybe someday he will get it going. I miss you so much. I feel like I don’t deserve to live. This is just not right. But this is the way God planned our journey. I am so thankful to have had you here for 43 years. It seems just like yesterday you were born. When you were about 6 weeks old everybody told me to start feeding you a little baby food. So, being the inexperienced mother, I bought baby food. I had never done that before, so I bought the bigger jars to save money. We were at Aunt Sissy’s one Sunday & I pulled out a jar of something that smelled of crud & heated it. We did that in a pan of hot water.{no microwaves!} I began to feed you when Sally walked up to see you. She said, Carol! What are you feeding him? I told her baby food & how I was trying to save money & she started laughing so hard. I was feeding you junior baby food with whole peas, carrots, & potatoes! The really funny part was you were chompin that stuff down! Needless to say I learned my first lesson about baby food! And from then on it was one lesson after another in raising babies! Sometimes the ride was a little bumpy, & sometimes totally unbearable but in the end you survived & grew up to be a wonderful loving & understanding man that was well respected by many. However, you did like to eat good. I guess it was that little boost of junior food! Well, Son, I need to go to bed & see if I can sleep. I love and miss you so much. Goodnight Son. Loving you forever Mom

Goodnight Kirk. I put a few songs on here for you that I know you will enjoy listening to. And now your mom, and everyone, can listen to them anytime they want also. We love you, miss you, and are thinking of you always…

Kristie lit a candle in memory of Kirk M. Key

Good morning Kirk I hope you heard me tell you goodnight last night. My arm was hurting so bad I couldn’t type. So I sent it via dream waves. I miss you so much. I wish you were here. We all need you to make this family complete. But I guess God had better plans for you. The doctor gave me some medicine & it’s really making me sleep. Still don’t know what is causing the pain yet. I wanted to write down the songs we played at the funeral so they can always be remembered. Wild Horses, & A Falling Through, both by Ray LaMontayne,& When I Get To Where I’m Going by Brad Paisley. I hope you enjoyed them. I will be thinking about you. Love & miss you Mom

Good morning Kirk Hope all is well in heaven. I’m sure it is wonderful. Wish I could say that about down here,but I can’t. Just going to muddle through another day, but I just wanted to tell you I love & miss you, and I think about the day I’ll get to see you again. I wish you were here. Everyone misses you terribly. Well, I’ll write more later. Love & miss you. Mom

Good morning Kirk, How’s heaven? I know it has got to be so wonderful. I have to go to the doctor this morning. Hope your day is good. I just wanted to say good morning as I have to hurry. I didn’t write last night because I am having trouble with my shoulder again. I love & miss each more each day.Hope you know that. My love forever & always Mom

Amen

i love you, i miss you. i really wish you didn’t die like that i love you and wish that you love flying around in heaven drinking coffee and sleeping on the couch. love, caleb

Reene sent a virtual gift in memory of Kirk M. Key

Good morning Just wanted to let you know I love & miss you. We are going to be moving some things today to storage & up to Judi,DuAnna’s today. Tonight is Emily’s party. I know you will be there too. She said to me the night you passed that you didn’t get to see her get to her double digits & you just wanted to be at her party. I told her you would be watching from heaven. So don’t fall asleep! I don’t think you will since you haven’t had to be working! She will have fun because there will be so many kids there. Well, I got to get busy. I’ll be thinking about you all day! I love you, Kirk. Love always Mom

I really can relate to this poem. I know he is with all of us! Thank you so much. Love Carol

Those we love don’t go away, They walk beside us every day, Unseen, unheard, but always near, Still loved, still missed and very dear. – Anonymous

Carol sent a virtual gift in memory of Kirk M. Key

Cathy Oschman lit a candle in memory of Kirk M. Key

Keith Key lit a candle in memory of Kirk M. Key

Well, it’s getting late & I’m, going to try to go to bed. When you & Keith were little & we lived with grandma & Pappaw when it was time for bed you both would run into their bedroom & jump in their beds & hide under the covers thinking they wouldn’t see you. They thought it was so cute that they would let you lay with them while grandma read her magazines & pappaw read his Louie Lamoure. You would fall asleep & I would carry you both to your beds, knowing the next night we would do it all over again. They loved you both so much. I hope you know you are in my every thought. I miss you with all my heart, & I love you more than life. But I have to try to move on because of the other kids. I pretend to be strong, but inside I’m completely broken. Well, Goodnight Son. I long to see you again. Love Mom

Fly away on the wings of a snow white Dove! Here is one for you! Love you Mom

Good morning Kirk. I am sending some beautiful roses, to go along with your moms sunshine, and add to your colorful flowers you allready have in heaven. Im sure it is a miraculous sight up there. We just wish we could share it all with you. Me, Todd, and Haley will be at Emmy’s party Saturday. I asked Angie if Emmy wanted anything in particular, and she said she just wants money. lol! That works for me! She can buy something she wants then! Im sure she will have plenty of fun and she will get everything she asks for! I know she will be missing her daddy that day. We will all be there for each other and be strong for her. Have fun up there today, and I will be thinking of you…

Kirk, you are everyones guardian angel now. We love you and miss you.

Hi Kirk! Im sure you had another wonderful day in heaven today. Todd, Chad, and I went over and helped Rick and DuAnna move some stuff around the house. They are getting Carols room painted and trying to get everything organized for when she moves in. Me and DuAnna talked about you today. How you loved racing and working on things. She also told me how you cried so hard on Ricks shoulder when you saw that first race car when you were little. I was looking at pictures of when you kids were all little and the closeness of you brothers and sister looked just as strong back then as it is today. They all miss you so much. Todd still tells me stories about work and the funny things you guys did together there. He told me one story about how you and him could be working on a truck together, and you guys would all of a sudden hear Ricks footsteps shuffling across the floor (when he walks with his cane) and you would look at each other and say ‘whats he want now?’ And then you guys would laugh. Todd has a hard time talking about you but I think it helps him to do so, and I sure dont mind to listen. I am glad that I got to come up to the shop as much as I did, because I know that was both of you’s most comfortable place to be. Working on things and helping each other. He misses you more than I can tell you. And thanks for always laughing at me when I would call you sometimes because Todd wouldnt answer his phone. (I think he did it on purpose so I would bug you and not him). We did always get a good laugh out of it though. Goodnight Kirk. Love you, miss you, always thinking of you.

My baby, I just don’t think I can write a memory through my tears tonight. I,m trying so hard to be strong but I don’t feel strong now. Judi put some good pictures on here of you & Wayne with the race car. That was a long time ago but to see your face anyone can see it would always be one of your favorite things to do. I love & miss you so bad. But I know I will see your sweet face & those beautiful blue eyes again. Just a matter of time. So, goodnight Son I love you so much. Mom

If We Could Bring You Back Again If we could bring you back again, For one more hour or day, We’d express all our unspoken love; We’d have countless things to say. If we could bring you back again, We’d say we treasured you, And that your presence in our lives Meant more than we ever knew. If we could bring you back again, To tell you what we should, You’d know how much we miss you now, And if we could, we would. By Joanna Fuchs

Good morning Son. I was trying to read some of the nice things everyone has said about you, but I keep getting teardrops on my glasses. So to think better thoughts, I thought about the time your glasses fell into lake monroe when you fishing. If I remember right Keith was with you. Boy, if I lost mine in the lake I would have to deep sea dive till I found them! You know I would never do that because I am too afraid of the water! I’m packing up some more of my junk to get ready for this move. It will be a big change in my life,but I think I will be better. It’s been hard to be alone. I spend most of my time crying. I have a doctors appointment on Monday. I’ll be missing you forever. I would give anything if I could trade places with you. I’ll write more after while. I love you kiss kiss hug hug! Mom

I remember getting a phone call from you on a Friday night wanting to know if I would cut your hair. At first I was shocked that you called and actually wanted me to cut it. You and Emily showed up a few hours later and you was ready to get your haircut. I think that is what finally convinced Keith that I wouldn’t mess up his hair if I cut it. I think he was thinking if Kirk let Amy cut his then I will be ok to have her cut mine…

Good morning Kirk. Ilove you! Mom

I will be missing you…

Dear Son.I don’t know how I can ever be the same again. All the kids have tried to make things easier for me, but it just is not working. When we are all together it’s not the same without you. All the kids are acting as if everything is ok, but I can see how much they are hurting & missing you. I know all of us will keep you in our minds & heart every day. I wish I could have been there that night at the shop so I could have helped you. I know I could have lifted that car off you. I also wish it would have been me. Angie & Emily need you so much more than anyone needs me. I don’t understand God’s way of thinking. You had so much going for you. I am so sad. I know I will never be completely happy ever again. I love this family more than life,but it’s not our whole family anymore. Something is missing and that something is you. As I type I keep looking at your picture & wonder how on earth this could happen. I’m beginning to think God is punishing me for not being a good Mom to you. Kirk I always tried to be good to you and Keith,Chad Kristie,& Todd. We didn’t always have what we wanted but I tried to give you kids everything I had. And that was my undying love for you. I would do anything for you kids You kids have been my whole life from the moment you were born. Now that you aren’t here I feel like I let you down because I wasn’t there to help you. I guess God wanted to bring it to our attention to make sure we all let each other know how we care about each other before it is to late. This sure has been a hard lesson to learn. I can’t even put into words how much we all cared about you. But somehow I think maybe you knew. At least I hope you did. Well goodnight,son. I love and miss you terribly. Love Mom

Collin sent a virtual gift in memory of Kirk M. Key

Kirk, I miss you so much. I know you are in a better place than here, but I guess I am selfish because I would rather have you here. You were an amazing brother. My only regret is we didn’t get to spend more time together. I hope that Keith, Chad, Todd and I are able to spend more time together. I love all of you so much. I don’t know what I would do without my brothers and now you are gone and I am trying to figure that out. It hurts to see everyone in so much pain and missing you so much. I bet you had no idea how many and how much people loved you. I think about you everyday and I have promised not to take life for granted anymore because I have learned that it sure doesn’t last long and I wish I could just have one more day with you to tell you all the things we assume everyone knows but never tell each other. Like how much I loved you and what a great brother and father you were. How much I really miss hearing you play your guitar or laughing at you falling asleep in the chair or on the couch. You will be missed forever. I hope you know I will always keep you in my heart. I will never forget you. I love you so much!!!! Love, Kristie

Hi Kirk! My sister Suzanne got Todd a metal sign to hang in the garage and I wanted to tell you what it says. It says: Big Daddy’s Garage, and under that it says: thrifty car repair, lawn engineering, temporary plumbing, jar opening, small appliance repair, some school projects, no warranties, repairs, or refunds, but we try hard!! It has pictures of some tools on it too. We both thought it was funny and I know you would be laughing at it and probably making fun of him 🙂 We love you!!

Hi Kirk! I wanted to tell you, I was priveliged enough to get my nails done Wednesday at Awesome Emily’s nail salon, and she did a heck of a job. She painted them bright green with the black on top that cracks when it dries. (she did the same to grandma carols) All my patients at work have complimented me on my beautiful nails! She is a wonderful girl and reminds us all of you. She told me at Burger King Wednesday night that Haley had to go to the bathroom ‘to take a crap’. I laughed out loud because she sounded just like you. I hope you know Todd misses you so very much and he loves you dearly! As do the rest of us! We will always be thinking of you…

Good morning Kirk!I was thinking that you might get up and want pancakes for breakfast with Mrs Butterworths syrup! I know I never made them as good as Grandma, but I tried! I think that was one of your favorite foods! And, of course, you would have to have your cup of coffee when you got older.Do you remember Grandma always saying ‘ Girls, get up and go make Kirk a cup of coffee!” I know she would of jumped right up & made it herself if she could have. I just was thinking about you & wanted to write about that memory before I forget. I love you & miss you! Mom

I miss you so much. You and Emily are my life and I can’t imagine going forward without you. I still can’t believe that you are gone and I wont see your beautiful eyes here on earth. But one day, we will all be together in heaven. I know you are making a place for all of us. I love you so very much and never said it enough. I will never say goodbye, but until I see you again. What a glorious day that will be!!! I love you with all my heart.

Mom lit a candle in memory of Kirk M. Key

Good morning Son, Better night last night! I just went to bed thinking about how it must feel to be with God in heaven. I know we will all see you someday. I woke up thinking about the time you smelled just like a little rose! You had been talking to some neighbor kids that lived behind the house on Lockwood. I just thought you were playing but when you came in I went to give you a kiss & your breath smelled like roses! You told me the kids gave you some candy! Of course I panicked & called the doctor, we didn’t have poison control if I remember correctly, and he told me not to worry everything would come out in the end very quickly!! You know what I mean, don’t you? Well, come to find out you actually ate several bath oil balls. Needless to say we never let you stand at the back fence anymore! The only good thing that came out of that was when it did come out it smelled like roses!! I have to laugh every time I think of that & wonder why it must have tasted good to you!! I love & miss you so much, But i see you every time I look at Emily. She is so beautiful. I want you to know I think about you constantly. Hope you are having fun in heaven. I love you Mom

Haley Smith sent a virtual gift in memory of Kirk M. Key

Mom sent a virtual gift in memory of Kirk M. Key

Happy 4th of July!!! I hope there are fireworks in heaven for you to see. I love you so much!!! I miss you and wish you were here. Love you, Kristie

Dear Kirk, I got to spend time with Angie & Emily yesterday & Emily is coming back today to spend the night with me. We miss you so much. I know all of us will be alright someday but we want you here with us. Last night Judi & me went to Walmart late & when we came out fireworks were shooting all across the sky. I got such a good feeling because it felt like you & everyones loved ones were showing us what it must be like in heaven. I think God wanted us to know you are all OK there! Emily gave me a manicure yesterday in purple & blue nail polish that cracks as it dries. I think she did a great job even though I was her first client! Awesome Emily is the name of her shop! Of course, she needs some practice, I was very proud to go to Chicago Pizza (one of your very special pizza spots!) & show them off. Kirk, it’s so hard for me to make it through the night. I can’t hardly close my eyes because all I do is think about you. I know it will take time, & that I will be able to sleep someday, but it’s so hard. I guess I still haven’t come to grips with this yet. I know you are in a better place now, but it just don’t feel right down here anymore. I don’t think I told you often enough that I loved you so much.I just feel like I let you down. I want you to know that now. I just happened to look at my calendar of light houses & this month it says ‘Lord light the way for us.’ Maybe that’s why I saw so many fireworks last night! I love you,son. I know I will see you soon! Love Mom

Carol Smith Mother sent a virtual gift in memory of Kirk M. Key

Todd And Leann sent a virtual gift in memory of Kirk M. Key

Kirk (A dweller by the church).

Happy Fourth of July Kirk. We miss you, love you, and think of you everyday. We always and forever will!

Leann sent a virtual gift in memory of Kirk M. Key

Caleb Smith sent a virtual gift in memory of Kirk M. Key

Dear Son, I just sitting here thinking about how from a very early age you liked to take things apart and put them back together. One time came to my mind. When you & Keith were about 4 & 6 years old Grandma & Pappaw bought you a set of walkies for you to share for Xmas. A few weeks after Xmas I found the walkies talkies in your bedroom trash can completely smashed to pieces. Well, needless to say, I was just about to come unglued! When I asked which one of you did it , you both said ‘not me!’ Well , it was easy to see which one of you did it because you immediately started crying because you knew you were in BIG trouble! I gave you each a chance to confess. Both of you still wouldn’t say. I told you if one of you didn’t tell me you both would get punished. That is when Keith started crying hysterically and you just kept on trying to convince me of your innocence! So, I told Keith he would have to get a spanking first. I asked again if you would tell me. You still wouldn’t tell me & you were going to throw Keith under the bus! Finally, before anyone got punished you finally did tell me the truth. I knew you liked to take things apart,but I had to ask you why & how they got smashed. You told me that you couldn’t get them to come apart so you just smashed them with the hammer! Well, Keith sure was relieved you confessed,and I couldn’t punish you cause you both were so darn cute! I guess that’s when you first started your career taking things apart & putting them back together! I hope you didn’t build your career using a hammer! I have to pride myself to believe that is how you always tried to do your best, and be honest. I love you and just can’t believe this has happened. Cameron told me that God just needed a good mechanic! I guess he was right. I will miss you so much. I am sure i will have plenty more memories to share. This one just stood out in my mind. I am so sad you are not here. I will never go one day in my life that I won’t think about you constantly. I should have gone first. I love you. Mom ( and that’s when the ‘not me ghost’ moved in with us!

I miss you You were taken from this life too soon They say you are in a better place Where pain does not exist and you Are smiling down on all of us But I want you here I want to hear you play your guitar one more time See you fall asleep after Thanksgiving dinner Smell the scent of oil from the shop on your clothes Hear your voice speak kindly like you always did I want to feel your touch as I give you a hug This is not fair! You were so young Such a great brother and an amazing husband and dad What will we all do down here without you? Each day I wake up and think this is a dream That you aren’t gone and this is some alternate reality The truth is you are not here You are not coming home I won’t see you at work Your smile and bright blue eyes like they were I want to scream at God and tell him he made a mistake When he took you from us he caused so much anguish He caused so much hurt and so much pain. I wrote this poem for you, Kirk. You have no idea how much you will be missed. I love you always!!!!! ~Your baby sister, Kristie

Todd, Leann, And Haley sent a virtual gift in memory of Kirk M. Key

Carol Smith sent a virtual gift in memory of Kirk M. Key

Reene’ Rippy sent a virtual gift in memory of Kirk M. Key

May he always be your ray of sunshine!!!!

Chad, Ann, Jacob And Tyler lit a candle in memory of Kirk M. Key

Carol Smith lit a candle in memory of Kirk M. Key

Kristie & Lillian & Caleb Smith lit a candle in memory of Kirk M. Key

Coco DiGiovanni lit a candle in memory of Kirk M. Key

Carol S. Smith lit a candle in memory of Kirk M. Key

To the family of Kirk, you will remain in our prayers. The Kenwood E. Ramsey III Family

Alison Wells lit a candle in memory of Kirk M. Key

To all his family and friends, we are so very sorry for your loss and Im sure there aren’t any words than seem to help in these times of grief. You all are great neighbors and Im sure you will all pull together and help eachother. May god bless all of you and may Kirk shine upon us everyday! If any of you ever need anything, please dont hesitate to ask, we are right next door and are always here for a fellow neighbor… anytime! Sincerely, The McDonough Family

I have so many memories of you Kirk. From when you lived on Union to hangin on the strip, running around downtown, and hanging out with Shelly and them. We grew up and not seen each other in years but often I thought about you. I wish I would have gotten in touch withyou. You are dearly missed and loved. Cheryl

Lillian lit a candle in memory of Kirk M. Key

Kirk was an honest mechanic, a real rarity these days, and had a sunny personality. He will be greatly missed. Dick Geiger, CKS Company, Inc.

Barbara Pinnick lit a candle in memory of Kirk M. Key

Bet there’s a heck of a poker game going!

May God be with you, Marcie, and his family and loved ones at this difficult time.

Andy Christy Joint & Clutch Service, Inc lit a candle in memory of Kirk M. Key

Kirk, We miss you very much…. Love Keith Amy Cameron and Collin..

You were a fantastic nephew, too.!

Carol Smith (Mother) lit a candle in memory of Kirk M. Key

A tragedy at such a young age. Rest in Peace Kirk We will keep your family in our prayers

Luvina Catellier (mother-in-law) lit a candle in memory of Kirk M. Key

David & Tina Carter/Austin lit a candle in memory of Kirk M. Key

I think my favorite memory was when we used to have easter egg hunts and also the family reunions down at Dick and Sally’s. I miss those reunions.

When Kirk was a teenager, he really wanted a guitar and one day I found one in a dumpster while I was throwing away some trash. First and only time I did a dumpster dive but Kirk got his first guitar! I love you, Kirk, and will miss you!

Kirk, I still miss you so much. I know Mom is with you and Grandma now so please show Mom how things work up there. You know how she was with new technology. Hopefully Heaven hasn’t been upgraded a million times so you have to try to get used to it again like a new software update with each release. If it is I know you will take care of Mom and show her the way. I know we all miss you, Grandma & Mom so much it hurts to write this. I think you would have been so proud of Angie and that she spoke at Mom’s Service. She did exceptionally well. I know I am very proud of her. You were very lucky to have her as your wife and friend. Emily is amazing too. She is definitely going to be a very successful young woman within in the coming years. She is very fortunate to have had you as long as she did and to have Angie also. Angie has been the epitome of strength and courage through all of this. From where you are you probably already know but in case I really wanted you to know. It has been so difficult to lose you and now to lose Mom. I know all of us have or are working in some way to keep Mom’s memory alive. I believe you would be proud. I love and miss you and Mom beyond belief. PS: I know you probably already know but I am not sure how everything works after we leave this place exactly so I only know by explaining here. I got married in 2012. Losing you the way we did made me realize how short life truly can be. We did not have a wedding. The main reason for not having a wedding was because I always believed you would be the one to walk me down the aisle at my wedding and you were not here all of a sudden. I apologize I didn’t have a wedding for everyone to come to but it was not going to be the same without you. Mom and I had talked forever about you being the one to walk me down the aisle at my wedding and I trusted you and looked up to you so much. Just so you know our marriage is very well and we had our eighth anniversary August 17. We skipped celebrating this year so we could spend more time with mom, but that was so much more important. I try to imagine what you would have done and I bet you would have been right there for Mom also. No worries though, we all were. Keith, Chad, myself and Todd as well as Angie, Amy & Kevin. Also, Lillian and Emily and some of the other grandkids too when they were allowed to come. Judi, Rick and Pam were also there as much as anyone could be and so many came to visit while she was in the hospital. I know you would be so proud of Keith. He held her hand when she passed. I cannot even imagine how much strength that took for him but that is when Mom decided to join you and Grandma during that special quiet moment while Keith was alone with her. He is so brave to do what he did and I know you would be so proud of him too. I promise I was not trying to write you a book, but it has been so long and I needed to catch you up on some things and also I truly miss you and losing Mom made me realize that whatever I thought I had accepted in the grief process of losing you is that I still have not gotten completely over losing you. You will always be my big brother. You always watched out for me and protected me and so did Mom. Life doesn’t feel the same at all anymore with both of you gone