A sad time …

I had set up all those posts to post while we were enjoying ourselves vacationing in Myrtle beach.  We were to leave on Tuesday, July 26th and be gone for 2 weeks, staying at the beach for a week and then visiting family on the other side of South Carolina.  We got a devastating phone call on Sunday evening …

Brian M. Kessler

  SPRING GROVE Brian M. Kessler, 22, died unexpectedly of natural causes on Sunday, July 24, 2011 at CAMC Teays Valley Hospital, Hurricane, W.Va. Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Jacob's (Stone) Church, 5152 Stone Church Road, Glenville, with his pastor, the Rev. Paula L. Murray officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Viewings will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at the Geiple Funeral Home, Inc., 53 Main St., Glen Rock, and from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. Saturday at the church. Brian was born on September 5, 1988 in Hanover, a son of Steven H. and Vicki E. (Stark) Kessler of Spring Grove. He was a 2007 graduate of Spring Grove High School and was currently serving as a Specialist with the Pennsylvania National Guard, having served one tour of duty in Iraq. He also had been employed with AAI in Hunt Valley, Md., serving on the GOCO team in Afghanistan for six months. He was a member of the Lutheran Congregation of St. Jacob's Stone Church and enjoyed hunting and fishing. Besides his parents, he leaves a sister, Erin "Brooke" Eyster and her husband, Jason of Hanover; a brother, Brent A. Kessler of Spring Grove; his paternal grandparents, Harold and Shirley Kessler of Glenville; a niece, Madison Eyster; and a nephew, Landen Eyster. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the St. Jacob's Stone Lutheran Church, (designated for help and support of troubled veterans) 5152 Stone Church Road, Glenville, PA 17329.

 

  He was a wonderful person, an awesome brother, and an even more awesome uncle.  He would give the shirt off his back to someone who needed it and in fact, on his way to WV with the ARMY, he stopped to help people who had been in a motorcycle accident right in front of him. 

He was one of Landen’s very best friends and in trying to calm his fears while Brian was deployed, I would assure him that Brian would not die in the army- when he asked me that very question many times.  To him, he died in the army, because he knew he was going on the annual training with the army and he knows he did not and will never come home.  He knows he did not die in combat so that helps a little bit. 

We did go on our vacation – just later – so I will post about that later.  Right now we are getting ready for school to start and hoping Landen especially, can work through his anxieties and have a great school year! 

Thank you to all our friends and family who have been so supportive and helpful, bringing meals, sending cards and praying for us.