“You only get one chance to live your life, so
live it the way you want to, enjoying every
second of it, never thinking back about past
mistakes, but only thinking ahead to waking up to a new and better tomorrow.”
-Wade M. Lurk |
November 21st, 2006
Friends Looking Out
For Friends -
"The New Buddy System"
In April of 2006, Wade lost his life to an accidental drowning. After a night out with his friends who were also seniors at Valle High School in Ste Genevieve, MO, Wade went to drive home, became disoriented and drove into a lake and drowned.
The Buddy Card spawned from Wade’s tragic accident in an effort to help kids get through a confusing and difficult time. The Buddy card is an attempt to get people to start looking out for each other.
When kids are very young and just starting school, teachers use the “Buddy System” to help kids look after each other. When 1st graders go on a field trip they are assigned a buddy, when walking across the street they hold hands with a buddy. If the “Buddy System” is good enough at 5 years old, it is certainly good enough when we are older and unable to look after ourselves. On the night Wade went missing, where was his buddy? The Buddy system is good because it allows for people to look out for each other, whether it is walking across the street or making sure that someone is not left alone when they cannot take care of themselves.
As we try to make sense out of Wade’s passing and we try to turn this tragedy into something positive, we need to get people looking out for people. We need to reinstitute the Buddy System. The same Buddy System that you learned when you were 5 is the same system that can help you in bad situations today. In Wade’s case maybe he could have called a contact for UNCONDITIONAL HELP. Maybe a friend could have called a coach or teammate’s parent to help Wade. Anytime anyone feels uncomfortable or is uncomfortable for a buddy, you should have someone you can call for UNCONDITIONAL HELP. Unconditional help is the kind of help that solves the problem without judgment, without ridicule, without asking questions, etc. The kind of help that keeps people safe and looks for answers later. There are many people who love you. There are many people who want to be your buddy and help you in your time of need.
You will find two different versions of the “Buddy Card”. Please use whichever card you choose and copy onto heavy stock yellow paper. On one version of the card is a memorial to Wade, a Blessing from the Mother of Perpetual Help Devotion. We call it the “Buddy Blessing”. On the other side are 4 blank spaces. Write 4 names and 4 phone numbers on that card. Please list different people, like a coach, an uncle, a friends parent, a friend, etc…You must be comfortable that in a time of need you would have no reservations about having that person contacted.
| Please
Print These Out And Use Them With ALL Your Friends |
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| Click
Each One To See and Print Them |
April 25, 2006
Scholarship awarded to late Wade Lurk
STE. GENEVIEVE -- The Ste. Genevieve community really didn't need any
more evidence of the size of the loss it has suffered with the death of
Valle Catholic High School student Wade Lurk, but it came today.
The Raymond T. Sexauer Pro-Life Essay Scholarship has been awarded to
Wade.
The award is based on an essay Wade wrote earlier in the school year.
The winning essay is selected each year, by an independent teacher,
Nancy Damato, who is involved in pro-life activities and education in
Jacksonville, Florida.
No member of the pro-life committee in Ste. Genevieve, Ste. Genevieve
Parish or Catholic School or the Raymond Sexauer family is involved in
the selection of the winner
The winning essay was selected in late February but it wasn’t until
just this week that it was learned who wrote the essay.
The scholarship will be presented to the Lurk family and portions of
the essay will be read at the annual Celebrate Life Banquet Thursday
evening.
The scholarship is given in memory of a devout Catholic teacher and
pro-life advocate, Raymond Sexauer, who taught math for many years at
Ste. Genevieve public schools.
A previous note
from the guest book, from Wade's Mother - Well its going on 3 months
since we lost Wade and it does not get easier. I sure miss his big smile
and his big bear hugs. Wade was such a happy kid loving life. Wade we
celebrated your 18th birthday 6-6-06 the day you looked so forward to,
who would ever have thought you would not have been there. I know you
are with us all the tme keeping a close eye on us, just wish you could
be with us in person. I guess some day we will understand why.I know you
are in a beautiful place where there are no worries. I am sure you have
met up with your grandparents and a few cousins. Bet you have even
played some poker by now. Well watch over all of us and give us the
strength to go on when times are tough. Life is not easy. Help guide
your friends in the right direction. Well until we meet again some day I
LOVE and MISS YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!Thank you to all of Wades friends for
still keeping in touch. That really means alot to all of us. You are a
great group of friends. Always keep Wade on your Mind and in your Heart.
Love, Mom
Guest
Book
Jim G. Wilder
Eulogy of Wade Lurk
After seeing so many people pour into this church yesterday and today, I realized that in five minutes I can’t do justice to the life of such a very special person.
Last night as people came through the line to express their sympathies, I heard many of them ask the question, why did it have to take so long to find him? I too felt that way. For a moment, I even felt bitter, asking God, why did you make us suffer so long? I prayed for an answer.
It finally hit me. All the time that the hundreds of you helped searched for Wade, he was actually finding each of us. Just like he touched so many in his life, Wade continued to touch even more of us in his death.
By the time Wade was found, he quite possible touched the lives of millions through his attention in the media and the chains of e-mail transferring from well-wisher to well- wisher across the world. What a blessing for someone so young.
Over the past few weeks, I have come to know Wade even better then I could imagine. So many people have told us stories about him. What a wonderful kid he was to have been so young yet have touched the hearts of so many.
Tina and Mike, your strength and faith in God and the Blessed Mother has been an inspiration to us all.
Jordon and Brook it is going to be hard for a while. Please try to be strong. Your mom and dad will need you to be there for them now more then ever.
Mom, dad, Jim, and Rosalee, remain strong in your faith. Do not give in to your grief over the loss of Wade. The rest of your grandkids still look to you for inspiration and strength.
To all of Wade’s friends and family, especially you still in the prime of your life, please help us add meaning our loss. Remember Wade often. Think about those you love and let them know it every day. As Wade wrote in his high school year-book, “You only get one chance to live your life.” How painfully true that is. Please do not let Wade’s life have been for nothing. “Live [your life] the way you want to, enjoying every second.”
But please don’t go down the same path that led us here today.
Thank you all for such tremendous support over these past days and weeks. Our families are truly grateful.
I love you Wade.
--Uncle Jim
“This is the kind of person Wade was,” Sara Menard said. “He
was an entrepreneur and one way he made money was to (portray) Santa
Claus at Christmas. If he knew a family was hurting, he'd visit them.
They might say, ‘No, Wade, we're not going to celebrate Christmas this
year, don't come by.' And he would say, ‘Okay, well, I'll be over in a
few minutes.'
“Just being around him was uplifting.” click
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