Last week, police arranged a funeral in memory of an infant who had no family and was discovered dead near a recycling plant.
The young youngster, whose true identity is unknown, was discovered at Millennium Recycling in Sioux Falls, Dakota, in early August. Despite having no known family, scores of people attended a service on Wednesday to remember the freshly christened Gabriel James.
Pastor Travis Remme, who assisted in leading the meeting, spoke about the heartbreaking discovery and realization of the child’s unknown family, before adding, “Look at the family he has now.” An inquiry into what happened to Gabriel and other details about him, such as his age and length of stay at the institution, is still ongoing. According to MailOnline, police have revealed that it is still unclear if the “full-term” infant died naturally or was killed.
On Wednesday, a memorial service was conducted at Miller Funeral Home Southside Chapel to remember Gabriel’s brief lifetime. Speaking at the event, funeral director Matthew Koball stated, “It’s a difficult time when someone loses a child; it’s not the natural order. It’s the least we could do to give back to the community, and it’s the proper thing to do.”
Koball has lost two children and has commented on the profound pain that parents and families experience when a kid dies at such a young age. He continued, “We, regrettably, conduct a lot of little one funerals, but nothing quite like this. This is somewhat of a first for me. The smallest caskets are the heaviest to transport.
Hundreds of people attended the memorial service, which featured pallbearers who were Sioux Falls police officers. As guests entered the chapel, which was packed to capacity, they were met by the sight of infant Gabriel surrounded by flowers, teddy bears, and toy cars.
Staff at the recycling center displayed a giant bouquet that simply read: “We found you, and we loved you.” Pastor Travis Remme of The Rock Community Church in Rock Rapids, Iowa, led the service, which included his wife Jessica Remme, Pastor Katherine, Director of Spiritual Care at Dow Rummel Village, and Reverend John Helmueller of the Diocese of Sioux Falls.
In her eulogy, Jessica Remme Gabriel described herself as “an angel with small wings” who “enriched the lives of others in beauty and elegance,” adding, “An angel came for reasons we may not comprehend, a brief voyage with gifts so wonderful and guided by God’s hand. So rest now, small Angel; your mission on Earth is complete in the beauty of God’s perfect love; we sought His gift in you.”
When asked about how the incident affected her and her boyfriend, who had also lost a child, Jessica stated, “I mean, for me, especially, as a mother who has lost a kid, I know that pain. I can’t imagine what that mother was thinking or going through, or what her circumstances must have been to feel like she didn’t have a choice, or whatever it was. It serves as a reminder to keep an eye on your loved ones.