OAKDALE, La. -- Timothy Lee Luedecke may be gone, but for many, his spirit remains as alive as it did before his death nearly nine years ago.
His grave in Oakdale Cemetery is a testament to that. Purple and gold flowers atop the black granite tombstone serve as bookmarks for a framed photo of Timothy wearing his No. 25 football jersey. Several crosses and angel figurines surround the grave engraved with a bible verse.
Yet the item that celebrates Timothy's spirit more than any other is almost unnoticeable at first glance.
A few feet away from Timothy's grave ? on a weathered bench with an iron leg that has been hit by a lawnmower one too many times ? sits a nondescript plastic container. Inside are a small notepad and a few pens. The words written on those pages that reveal much about the young man who died too soon.
Inscribed are messages left by friends, family and even strangers wanting to wish Timothy a happy birthday, to say hello to their friend or to promise they will see him one day in heaven. Others are filled with more sorrow, expressing how much they still miss him and can't believe that he is gone.
The current notepad is the 10th to be left on the bench. It has come to symbolize what Timothy meant ? and continues to mean ? to his family, friends, teammates and his community.
"I have had people come up to me over the years about Timothy," said Timothy's mother, Elaine Luedecke. "They say, 'If it wouldn't have been for your son, then I would have missed out on the best part of my life.'"
A STRANGER TO NO ONE
Elaine and Ziegler Luedecke welcomed Timothy into the world on Dec. 18, 1987. He was premature, weighing only 4 pounds, 14 ounces, and had to be kept at the hospital for nearly two weeks. His parents brought him home in a Christmas stocking.
As early as anyone can remember, the boy acted as if he never met a stranger.
"He once told a preacher that he might grow up and be a doctor or preacher but that he would never be a lawyer," said Timothy's father, Zeigler. "The preacher asked him why was that, and he said, 'Because lawyers lie.'"
"Timothy grew up wanting to be friends with everyone he met," Elaine said. "When I think of Timothy, I have to think of his love."
He decided early in high school to attend LSU's veterinary school. He was a consistent honor roll student who took time out to tutor junior high students. He studied martial arts and also aspired to become a volunteer fireman, as his father had done briefly when Timothy was growing up.
Timothy's biggest passion, though, may have been his faith. He loved services at First Baptist Church in Oakdale, often attending two or more on Sunday, and was quick to quote Scripture to friends and teammates.
"He lived a model life," said Nick Plumlee, a childhood friend and football teammate. "Everything he did, he held to much a higher standard. He was a man of God. Whenever we got down, he was there to uplift us."
"When Tim was a young boy, around 5 or 6, he would sit quietly and seem to be absorbing everything the minister was saying," said Susan Murry, one of Timothy's Sunday school teachers.
Timothy also was passionate about sports. He was on his high school track, tennis and football teams. Football was his greatest love, despite not being the most gifted athlete on the field.
The 5-foot-9, 140-pound defensive back played mostly junior varsity, and was still a backup on the varsity team his junior season. But that didn't stop Timothy from being committed to the Warriors football program.
Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/07/28/3527266/oakdale-teen-affects-community.html
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