Memorial at California High School remembers those who died

Organizer Mary Rush talks with the Turner family after a brief dedication for a new memorial in front of California High School to remember 14 students and employees who died while studying or working in the California schools.
Organizer Mary Rush talks with the Turner family after a brief dedication for a new memorial in front of California High School to remember 14 students and employees who died while studying or working in the California schools.

 

Lives lost while studying or working at the California School District are memorialized in a new setting in front of the high school.

Among the first 14 names, dedicated Saturday, are students Matthew Merrill and Michael Turner.

Merrill, son of Shawn and Michele Merrill, was 13 in 2007 when he died in a four-wheeler accident.

"It always means a lot when the community remembers," Michele Merrill said. "This is the only way to make new memories."

Turner, son of Mike and Susie Turner, was 17 in 2004 when he drowned at a lake.

"He's missed dearly," Mike Turner said.

Chris Arnett died at age 16 in a car accident.

Matthew Anderson died at age 13.

Aaron Rohrbach died at age 16 in 1993.

Others named at the memorial include Nikole Borton, Chris Terry, Marisol Cardoso, Cesar Cardoso, Kimberly Toebben, Lisa Oswald and Jessica Floyd.

The memorial also recognizes staff and faculty who died while employed with the district, like Bo Abbott and Kenny Williams.

The memorial was born out of the Rush family's desire to remember husband and father, Guy, who worked more than 20 years in the school's maintenance department.

"It took me a couple of years to come out to the other side of his death," said Mary Rush, memorial organizer and wife of Guy Rush.

She and her sons, Daniel and Derek, organized motorcycle poker run fundraisers for the last five years. 

The early years, proceeds benefited the Patriot Guard and the Disabled American Veterans. The last couple of years, the proceeds have been saved toward this memorial.

In the future, Rush would like to add landscaping around the memorial, which might be funded by the sixth annual poker run Sept. 10.

Guy Rush died unexpectedly seven years ago. He was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and a former railroad engineer. He and Mary, married 33 years, were avid motorcycle riders.

"He was very well liked in the community," Mary Rush said. "He got along with everybody."

Guy Rush enjoyed being around the students and, as a former Jefferson City High School football player, he enjoyed attending Pinto games and preparing the field, Mary Rush said.

"The memorial is not really about Guy, but we did it in memory of him," Mary Rush said. "Once I started researching and finding kids, we wanted their memory to stay alive."