By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

On April 26 approximately thirty people gathered in Hillside Cemetery to honor the baby who was found abandoned in a field on March 4 and commit him to his final resting place. After the song “How Great Thou Art,” accompanied by guitar, Pastor Kevin Tranel opened the service, saying that he was amazed by the attendance and that one of the reasons he appreciates living in Whitewater is that people respect that every life is important. Commenting on the name of “Baby Oak” that had been given to the newborn, Tranel found that the oak tree was seen as sacred in European mythology and that the species is known for characteristics such as resiliency. Referencing several Scriptures, Tranel offered assurance that even though Baby Oak’s life was short, he is precious to God and will be resurrected in the end. Finally he committed the child to God’s merciful care. Those who had brought flowers were invited to leave them by the small white casket.

Among those in attendance was City of Whitewater Police Chief Dan Meyer together with four members of the police force. Meyer told the Banner, “This was a tragic and difficult situation, and I personally felt it was important to be here for a sense of closure.” As the service concluded, the pastor acknowledged the presence of the law enforcement personnel, indicating that he recognized that there are times “when you see things you would rather not see, and would like to ‘unsee’,” and that the community is grateful for people who “feel the call.” He then led a prayer for the officers and their family members in the midst of difficult things.

Medical Examiner Nichol Tesch of the Jefferson County Medical Examiner’s Office, who had felt it to be important for Baby Oak to be buried close to his home and had been assisted by several volunteers in making all the arrangements, was also in attendance. After the service Tesch provided this statement to the Banner:

“Thank you to those that donated their time and resources to make this service happen and thank you to those who attended the service.  All lives should be celebrated and I think we did a wonderful job of recognizing Baby Oak’s short-lived but impactful life. 

The kindness of these people should be publicly appreciated!
Pederson-Nowatka Funeral Home of Watertown for the care and service to Baby Oak
Hillside Cemetery for the burial plot
Lake Shore Burial Vaults for the casket
The Bruch Family for their donation of a beautiful headstone (to be placed at a later date)
P.L. Gehl Memorial Company for gravestone design
Pastor Kevin Tranel for his services
Floral Villa Flowers and Gifts (Whitewater) for the floral spray
Wine & Roses Floral Shop (Jefferson) for the teddy bear and carnations”

Several of the people who attended the service had shown considerable concern that Baby Oak would be provided a respectful burial. The Banner asked one of them if she would like to say something about the importance of being there, and she provided the following statement. The writer preferred to remain anonymous.

There are many reasons that Baby Oak’s service and burial were important to me. First and foremost, no baby’s life should be wasted. In whatever circumstances a baby is conceived, the baby is not a mistake. Giving life is never the wrong thing to do. God has a purpose for everyone from conception through great age. There is someone wanting to love each baby that
is born if only given the chance.

When I was young our family took in an infant abandoned at the hospital because he had “defects” because his mother contracted German measles during pregnancy. We were told he would not live long as he had several holes in his heart. He was also blind and deaf. But he was a sweet, happy and much loved baby and it was devastating to us all when he died. The county
(in another state) where we lived at the time, would not allow any service for him, except that all the costs entailed, be paid by my parents. They simply were not able to bear that financially, so our precious baby was buried in an unmarked grave in a potter’s field unknown to us.

Having that background made it important for me to see that Baby Oak’s life was acknowledged and valued enough for him to be clothed and buried with dignity, and with the recognition that he was here, no matter how briefly, and will be remembered.