This website was created in the
memory of
My beautiful son,


Kurtis Robert Cleaver,


who was born in Wilmington Ohio on

November 16, 1979,

And went home to be with

The Lord

On June 29, 2004.



We will love, remember,
and cherish him
Forever.

YOU WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN,
MY PRECIOUS SON

A Prayer for Kurt



Lord, I know you have your ways,
but taking Kurt home
right now doesn’t make lots of sense
to some of us. In
fullness of life you sweep him away,
leaving us with
stunned memories of the years, days,
hours, and
minutes, we shared together . . .
memories we hold
tenderly in our hands now,
along with feelings
pulsating and pleading for him to
come back to us for
one last visit , one last word and
touch before we
send him on his way.

Perhaps you are thinking we need to
be reminded of the
fragile earthen vessels in which we
carry our own
hopes and dreams; of how we might
more often reflect
upon the silent wealth we have in
those we love. Or of
how the miracles in our lives will
always need tending
and attending.

But I know you have your ways.
So now it’s time for us
to thank you for giving us Kurt and
to begin to accept
the new presence he will have
in our lives.We will
lean, in time, different ways of
feeling his touch.

Thinking this is not a good time for
you to take Kurt,
we still know it’s now time to be
grateful to you for
the Life he leaves behind in each of us . . .

It’s time to celebrate life, even as
we cling to him
during these confusing times
of loss. So thank you
Lord for Kurt and his legacy of love.
We still wonder
if there weren’t a better way of getting
our
attention, but then you have your ways,
don’t you?

From the time Kurt was born I knew

he was going to be a handful.  With

beautiful blonde hair and blue eyes,

which I wanted so bad,  Kurt was always

getting into something. Full of energy and

always searching for something new to

explore.  He was beautiful from the day

he was born and just got

better looking as the years rolled on.

Kurt has one older brother, Ian

whose birthday is the day before Kurts.

That was always fun..

Kurt is my second son, blonde hair,
blue eyes,
full of mischief.

Kurt could never sit still. He was always
exploring everything around him.

He also had to overcome many obstacles 
in his short life,

more than most people do in a lifetime.

He would take one step forward,
and get set back two,

but that would never stop him from
taking another step

forward. again.

He had more compassion and love
for his fellow human

being than anyone

I've ever met.

Kurt loved sports and played

all of his life ~


From T-ball to football,

baseball and disc golf.

He and his brother, Ian, 

played as often as they could,

and Kurt got a hole in one at the

Winston Woods Disc Golf Course @

hole 17.

He played sports so often

that he wanted people

from his home town of

Wilmington, Ohio,

to enjoy it also.

He started researching on

 how to accomplish

that task, and finally wrote

to Marc Queen.

Marc responded, but

 Kurt left us before the opportunity

presented itself to get

back in contact with Mr. Queen.

I have made plans to

fulfill my son's dream of a

Disc golf park in

Wilmington, Ohio.


                    

  
          Kurt's favorite place to eat

was Chipolte,

He loved spicy foods, and

never met

a hot pepper that he couldn't eat.


I so miss hearing him come

through the

front door and saying,

"Hey mom, what's crackin'?"



Kurt loved to joke around,

and loved

to scare me.

He started that as a young child.

And that is one of the things

I miss so much. 

     How he is missed by everyone he

touched.             

He has solved it, life's

wonderful problem.
The deepest, the strangest,

the last.
And into the school of

the angels
With the answer forever passed.

How strange he should sleep

so profoundly,
so young, so unworn by strife,

While beside him, brimful of

hope's nectar,
Untouched, stood the goblet of life.


God knew all about it; how noble,
How gentle, how brave,

How bright his possible future,
Yet put him to sleep in his grave.

God knew all about those

who loved him
How bitter the trial must be;
And right through it all, God is loving,

And knows so much better than we

 An Angel Hug
Angels are ever all around us
And with love they do surround us.
When my heart is sore in need,
The Angels come my soul to feed.
They come to me from up above
and sing in whispers of Love.
When in my heart I feel a tug
I know that it's an Angels' hug.
(Author unknown) 

 
Kurt loves Jesus and while in the Marine

boot camp, he was a lay reader for the

church. I'm so very proud of my son's.

    
 Your smile makes me smile,

sweet boy.

Hugs with love,

marla     

Milo's mom forever

      
      Kurt had a nature you could not help

loving.

He had a heart that was purer than gold,

And to those who knew him and loved him,

His memory will never grow cold.         





        




         
                 

                               
              
               

















Gone from the earth so swiftly,

Just like a flower in bloom,

So young, so fair, so loving,

Yet called away too soon.

We'll meet him some glad morning,

Resting by waters fair,

He is waiting for our coming,

In the upper garden there ~

Safe in the arms of Jesus.
                    

                     
       

My heart still aches in sadness,

And secret tears still flow.

What it means to lose you,

No one will ever know. 
                                                    
                                   
                           

                   Things I miss most deeply

                   Are the hardest things to say.

My dearest son, I love you,

In a very special way.

If I could have one lifetime wish,

One dream that would come true,

I'd pray to God with all my heart,

For yesterday and you.

                               

I love you, baby.

I'll see you very soon.

Sleep with the angels, baby boy.
                          

    Kurt, Ian and their dad @ Ian's wedding

We often sit and think of him

When we are all alone,

For memory is the only friend,

That grief can call it's own.

Like ivy on the withered oak

When other things decay

Our love for him will still be green

And will never fade away.

  I'M SENDING THIS FROM

HEAVEN TO LET

YOU KNOW THAT

I'M JUST FINE,


GOD TOOK MY HAND

 AND WHISPHERED,

"WELCOME HOME SWEET

 CHILD OF MINE".


I THANK HIM EACH

AND EVERY DAY FOR


THE WONDERFUL FAMILY

AS YOU ALL ARE,


PLEASE KNOW

I'M STILL BESIDE YOU,


ALTHOUGH I ANSWERED

"THE MASTER'S CALL."


GOD PROMISED ME THAT

SOMEDAY, YOU WILL

ALL JOIN ME TOO


I'LL BE WAITING BESIDE THE

 MANSION THAT HE

HAS PREPARED FOR YOU.

I TOUCH THE WALLS

OF JASPER AND WALK

ON STREETS OF GOLD,


I HAVE SUCH A BEAUTIFUL SET

OF WINGS, AND UP

HERE IT NEVER GETS COLD.

THERE'S NO SICKNESS, PAIN, TEARS,


IF ONLY YOU COULD SEE,


YOU'D ALL BE SO PROUD OF

THE MAN I HAVE TURNED OUT TO BE.


I GIVE CREDIT TO THE FIRST WOMAN


I EVER LOVED, AND ALWAYS WILL,


THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAMA.,

AND KNOW THAT I STAND

BESIDE YOU STILL.


WHEN YOU THINK OF

 ME EACH DAY AND

A TEAR BEGINS TO FALL

 FROM YOUR EYES,


KNOW YOUR ANGEL IS

WATCHING OVER YOU


FROM MY HOME UP IN THE SKIES.



~ WRITTEN BY DAWN ELMORE...

IN LOVING MEMORY OF

KURTIS CLEAVER"

                                  
A Parent's Prayer

Dear God,

You sent a child to me

To fill my life with joy,

And only you knew which was best

A little girl or boy.   

Somehow I took for granted, Lord.,

That we would have a lifetime.

And I made so many future plans

For that precious child of mine.

Enchanted  by that miracle,

Caught up in each new day,

I guess  I didn't hear you, Lord,

When you said, " This one can't stay."

I trust you, Lord, Thy will, not mine,

Yet I can't understand

This sudden loss ~ the emptiness ~

Lord, guide me with your hand.
                              

  I know my child's an angel now

But my heart is aching so,

I'm sorry I wasn't ready, Lord,

       To let my baby go.    

There wasn't time for one last hug,

There was no final kiss,

Oh God, it's all those special smiles

That I already miss.

                          
So Lord, could you do just one small thing

For me especially?

Please hold my angel close to you

And say goodbye for me.

~ amen

THANK YOU, CHERYL, MOM TO

sweet angel,

 Jeremy Radford 

I love you both.

xxxooo

~SUSAN


       

These next few items are for Kurt's

grandmother,

Myra Stoner,

      who went to be with The Lord on

     May 29, 2007.

       We  will always love and 

      miss you, mom.     
     
                                
           
  

As I loved you, so

 I miss you

In my memory you are near

Loved, remembered, longed for always

Treasured with a love sincere

~

You are where I cannot see you

And your voice I cannot hear

Yet I know you walk beside me

Never absent, always near


                   
                                                  

           

   I miss you, son, more than I can say

Looking forward to the time when we can all

be together again, someday soon.
                    

Remember Me

~ song by Deanna Edwards ~

Remember me whenever you see a sunrise

Remember me whenever you see a star

Remember me whenever you see a rainbow

Or woods in autumn colors from afar.

Remember me whenever you see the roses

Or seagulls sailing high in a sky of blue

Remember me whenever you see waves

shining in the sun

And I'll be remembering you.

Remember me whenever you see a teardrop

Or meadows  still wet with morning dew

Remember me whenever you feel love

growing in your heart

And I'll be remembering you.
                   
              





         
              

I would like to take this time to thank

each and every one of you who have

visited my precious son's sit and lit a candle

for him, or sent poems, or words to

comfort me.

A special thank you to my newest

friends at

Precious Memorials.

Girls, I don't think I could do this

without you.

You have all touched my heart in

the most angelic way.

I love you all.

This is the hardest and most painful

experience of my life.  Sometimes,

I don't think I am going to make it,

but with

Kurt, God, and my friends and family,

I am trying each and every day to go on.

Before Kurt left us, I hardly ever cried,

 but lately,

since my angel left me, I have done

nothing but cry.

My heart is just a shell now, my soul

has a hole in it,

and my mind is reeling.
                     
             

~author unknown~

Last night while I was trying to sleep,

My son's voice I did hear

I opened my eyes and looked around,

But he did not appear.

                                
    He said, "Mom, you've got to listen,

You've got to understand

God didn't take me from you, mom,

          He only took my hand."            

       

When I called out in pain that night,

The instant that I died,

He reached down and took my hand,

             And pulled me to His side.                 

           

He pulled me up and saved me

From the misery and the pain,

My body was hurt so badly,

       I could never be the same.   

My search is really over now,

I've found happiness within,

All the answers to my empty dreams

     All all that might have been.       

   

I love you all and miss you so,

And I'll always be nearby.

My body's gone forever,

But my spirit will never die.    

And so you must all go on now,

Live one day at a time.

Just understand ~

God didn't take me from you

He only took my hand.

   A Time To Grieve ~ A Time To Heal 

Have you ever noticed the

many mixed up emotions

 involved in grieving?

   On one hand you feel restless, 

and on the other hand you feel as

though you don't want to move at all.

You feel desperately alone, and yet

you don't want anyone around.

You feel scatterbrained, forgetful,

and yet, . . .frantically meticulous.

You feel like crying at nothing, and at

times you can laugh at anything. 

Being in a crowd of people is fine, as

long as they don't talk to you, but yet,

if they don't talk to you, you feel as if

nobody cares.

You want so desperately for

someone to mention your loved one,

to remember the life that was.

And yet, it can make you feel furious

if all they want to talk about is the

 dead one, and never mention the

 living ones.

Grief settles over you like a hot blanket.

You're as cold as the winter snow.

Grief presses on you like a steam roller,

You're always floating above yourself.

Grief boxes you in on four sides and

 introduces you to a

pain no one should have to know.

But then, once again, you begin to

 feel compassion.

You can relate to other parents

who have had an experience

similar to your own,

And eventually, with a light as

 sharp as a sunburst,

You hear yourself saying your

loved one's name

with an unfamiliar smile on

your face.

You remember some of the

funny times, and feel

laughter building in your throat.

One morning you will notice the

 sun is shining,

the flowers are bursting with

 the brilliant

colors of spring.

Three seasons have passed

unnoticed ~

And somehow,

 you are still here.

Even though your loved

one is still here,

You feel your heart swell with

a love you never knew

could exist.  And you find a place

 in your life

For something called

Peace?

Even then, ever so gently,

the memories enfold you

in a warmth as soothing as

a cool shower on a

hot summer day.

So you find you want

 to remember,

And tender memories of

love lift you to

unreachable heights,

To the brightest stars,

To the lovliest touch of your mom.

Reach up to the heavens with arms

open wide
Take hold of its beauty, breathe

it inside
Take in its majesty, memorize its

grand views
Engulf its bright lights and

magnificent hues

Look above the aged trees that

touch the sky
And listen to the whispers of the

mourning cry
Listen through the whirring breezes

and you can hear the names
Sobbing with great heartache, crying

out with such pains
Names of all loved ones with silent

prayers unsaid
Echoing with profoundness inside my head

And now the sun burns in my ears your

 sweet voice
Saying don't thirst for what once was,

this is the Lord's choice
Now I know there's beauty below,

 but up here there's no compare
There's no pain, no heartache,

there's no despair
You can lay your head upon

the angel's knee
And know no pain, just

filled with such glee

I know you miss me, I

 miss you too
But I'm sending an angel

to watch over you
The angel will let you know

 I'm always near
To ease your heartache and

 wipe your tears
And the next time you reach

 up to the heavens above
You'll feel the kiss of all my love

So please don't let the grief

 consume your soul
And remember through God,

you too can be whole
And when you think you

can no longer stand
I'm up here in heaven with God,

 waiting to take hold of your hand
So listen beyond the whispers

 of the mourning and you'll see
I'm with the Lord our God
I'm finally free.

Kurt's girlfriend and future wife

I love you without knowing

how, or when, or from where.

I love you straightforwardly,

without complexities nor pride.

So I love you because I know no other

way than this ~

Where "I" does not exist, nor "You."

So close that your hand on

my chest is my hand, so close that your

eyes close

as I fall asleep.

And into paradise may the angels lead you .

ALL My Love Always,

    Your Boo      

                               
Thank you for loving my son, Rebecca.

I will always love you for that.

            ~ Susan                 
                   
        

     
           

  DESIDERATA

GO PLACIDLY AMID THE NOISE AND HASTE,

& REMEMBER WHAT PEACE
THERE MAY BE IN SILENCE,

AS FAR AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT SURRENDER
BE ON GOOD TERMS WITH ALL

PERSONS, SPEAK YOUR TRUTH QUIETLY &
CLEARLY, AND LISTEN TO OTHERS,

EVEN THE DULL AND IGNORANT;

THEY
TOO HAVE THEIR STORY

AVOID LOUD & AGGRESIVE PERSONS,

THEY ARE VEXATIONS TO THE
SPIRIT, IF YOU COMPARE YOURSELF

TO OTHERS, YOU MAY BECOME
VANE & BITTER; FOR ALWAYS

THERE WILL BE A GREATER & LESSER
PERSONS THAN YOURSELF,

ENJOY YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS

AS WELL AS
YOUR PLANS

KEEP INTERESTED IN YOUR CAREER,

HOWEVER HUMBLE; IT IS A
REAL POSSESSION IN THE

CHANGING FORTUNES OF TIME. EXCERCISE
CAUTION IN YOUR BUSINESS

 AFFAIRS; FOR THE WORLD

IS FULL OF
TRICKERY, BUT LET THIS NOT

BLIND YOU TO WHAT

VIRTUE THERE IS;
MANY PERSONS STRIVE

FOR HIGH IDEALS;

AND EVERYWHERE LIFE IS
FULL OF HEROISM.

BE YOURSELF. ESPECIALLY DO

 NOT FEIGN AFFECTION. NEITHER BE
CYNICAL ABOUT LOVE; FOR IN

THE FACE OF ALL ARIDITY &
DISENCHANTMENT IT IS

PERENNIAL AS THE GRASS

TAKE KINDLY THE COUNCIL

 OF THE YEARS, GRACEFULLY
SERRENDERING THE THINGS OF YOUTH.

NURTURE STRENGTH OF SPIRIT
TO SHIELD YOU IN SUDDEN MISFORTUNE.

BUT DO NOT DISTRESS
YOURSELF WITH IMAGININGS.

MANY FEARS ARE BORN OF

FATIGUE AND
LONELINESS, BEYOND A WHOLESOME

DISCIPLINE, BE GENTLE WITH
YOURSELF.

YOU ARE A CHILD OF THE UNIVERSE,

NO LESS THAN THE TREES & THE
STARS, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE HERE.

 AND WHETHER OR NOT IT IS
CLEAR TO YOU, NO DOUBT

THE UNIVERSE IS UNFOLDING

 AS IT SHOULD.

THEREFORE, BE AT PEACE WITH GOD,

 WHATEVER YOU CONCIEVE HIM TO
BE, AND WHATEVER YOUR

LABOURS & ASPIRATIONS,

IN THE NOISEY
CONFUSION OF LIFE KEEP

PEACE WITH YOUR SOUL.

WITH ALL ITS SHAM AND

DRUDGERY & BROCKEN DREAMS,

IT IS STILL A
BEAUTIFUL WORLD. BE CAREFUL,

STRIVE TO BE HAPPY   
                              

 I've loved this poem since I was a little girl.

Kurt loved it too. I hope you do too