Memorial For Gidieon Cook Gains Permanance With ‘Love Lock Fence’
By Liz Shepherd
InkFreeNews
WARSAW — Eight-year-old Gidieon Cook’s memory lives on through a love lock fence established by his family at Harrison Elementary School.
A boy who loved to play and enjoyed Legos and Pokémon, Gidieon lost his life in a car versus pedestrian accident on June 10, 2019, while attempting to cross Husky Trail, in front of Harrison Elementary.
A memorial to Gidieon has been there at the scene since the accident more than two years and nine months ago, but now, there is an added sense of permanence.
Gidieon’s family and close friends met at the vigil site outside of the school on April 2 to put the first locks on the fence. The site is at the intersection of Husky Trail and North Pointe Drive in Warsaw. Those in attendance placed their locks around large pictures of Gidieon and threw away the keys. Many of the locks currently at the site are blue, with some carrying written messages like “I miss you” and “Love you Gidieon.”
Keri Cook, Gidieon’s mother, is encouraging the community to place a lock at the site in remembrance of loved ones, even if they didn’t know Gidieon.
“It’s a fence of love represented by locks,” said Keri. “This is going to represent all the loved ones that we’ve lost but will never be forgotten. It can also represent those in the military that are overseas and remembering them while they’re away. In this case, you can keep the key for when they return and pull the lock for them off the fence, or just keep the lock on the fence so others can see and pray for them as well.”
Keri said those who place locks can write names or a small note on the locks.
“I know I’m not the only one who’s lost a loved one and I would like to share the area and prayers with others who leave a love lock as well,” said Keri.
Those who would like to place a lock are encouraged to keep them on the two sections of the fence with Gidieon’s pictures; the lock fence could possibly expand if needed later on.