Memorial Day ceremony places cross
at spot of Jonathan Luna's deathby Bill Keisling
Posted May 30, 2005 -- A cross marking the spot of Jonathan Luna's death was placed by friends and supporters in the yard of Sensenig and Weaver Well Drilling Co., in Denver, Pennsylvania, on Memorial Day Sunday, 2005.
Cross at creekside marks spot of Jonathan's death
The cross was placed in the side yard of the well drilling firm, near the stream where Luna's body was found early in the morning of December 4, 2003.
It was a pleasant day. The stream that had been high on the morning when Luna died now ran shallow.
As preparations were made to set the memorial cross, several well-wishing neighbors walked over to say hello and to recollect events from the morning of Luna's mysterious death.
A neighbor who works at the well drilling firm pointed to where Luna's car made tracks in the frosty grass as it rolled across the lawn to the stream. "It was cold and you could see the tire tracks in the frost," he told us. "You couldn't see any footprints."
Afterwards, the large cross, bearing only the name "Luna," and the dates "1965" and "2003," was driven into the ground in a quiet ceremony that was sometimes emotional and bittersweet.
It took many heavy blows to drive the cross's base into the ground. Small sticks were used to shim the cross squarely in place.
"Jesus was a carpenter," I reminded the others as we shimmed the cross upright.
Jesus was a simple man. He spoke of love and forgiveness. The Gospels tell us Jesus came to his own cross in mystery, betrayal, doubt and pain.
And so it was for Jonathan Luna. We said a prayer before his cross, asking that Jonathan find peace, and that we may find the deeper meaning of his life and death.
