ROCK - First dedicated to five who died tragically and young, a wall and pavilion now honor the memory of more than 300.
"One of them passed away only 300 yards from here," Steve Frantz, 60, of Washington Township, said of Bradley Wolfe, 17, who died in a car accident in 2007.
Wolfe's death, along with the deaths of EJ Beltz, Ryan Collins, Lane Frantz - no relation to Steve - and Kole Harris, prompted Steve Frantz to build the memorial. Collins died in a goose hunting accident and Harris in a motorcycle accident and the other two died as a result of car accidents.
All five were Pine Grove ares residents between 17 and 26 years old.
"We knew all of them," Frantz said.
Frantz and his wife, Doris, 60, who own the land on which the memorial was built. They named the memorial the Beltz, Collins, Frantz, Harris and Wolfe Pavilion.
"I believe you go to a cemetery to grieve, I wanted to make a place that you could to go and remember their life," he said as wind chimes sounded in the distance.
It stands at a spot on the Pine Ridge Farm along Newswanger Road, not far from a marsh frequented by ducks, geese and other animals.
The wall and pavilion, which took six weeks to build, were dedicated June 20, 2010, during a ceremony attended by 200 family and friends of those whose names are on the wall.
The wall has space for 500 names, and as of March 29, it contained 347. When the wall was dedicated, it had 212 names on it.
Frantz did not say how much it cost to build to the pavilion and wall. Volunteers helped and donated supplies.
However, he did call the wall "Priceless."
"I know exactly how much this wall cost," Frantz said, referring to the lives of those listed on the wall.
Visitors are welcome at the pavilion 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Additionally, anyone can purchase an inscribed brass plaque to pay tribute to loved ones. The plaques cost $5 and are available at R&J Trophies, 36 S. Tulpehocken St., Pine Grove. Call 570-345-2277 to buy a plaque.
Every message has special meaning for those who seek to remember those who died.
For example, one plaque reads " And even though I cry like crazy, even though it hurts so bad, I'm thankful for what God gave me, even though we couldn't make it last. I'm learning how to live without you, even though I don't want to. Loving and missing you always," signed Amber Wolfe.
Doris said she gets a feeling of peace when she visits the site not far from their home. In memoriam
The following are the names, ages and birth and death dates of the men for whom the wall and pavilion are named:
· Lane Frantz, 18 - Feb. 8, 1979 to Feb. 6, 1998
· Kole Harris, 20 - May 6, 1979 to April 14, 2000
· Ryan Collins, 19 - Sept. 20, 1984 to Sept. 5, 2003
· Bradley Wolfe, 17 - Feb. 19, 1990 to Sept, 13, 2007
· EJ Beltz Jr., 26 - March 14, 1982 to March 18, 2008