Memorial of children who have died in Springfield at risk of closing

Vernon Donnelly and Angela Ward purchased the property in June 2010 and, after learning its history, opened the memorial in 2011 to honor Morrow and Leach. It now serves as a memorial for around 30 children who were killed by violence or accidents in Springfield.

In their 14th year, Donnelly and Ward need help with upkeep. Donnelly is sick and Ward is unable to manage the entire site by herself.

“We need participation; we need the community to come out and say, ‘We want this,’ because if you don’t show that we want this, why should we be the only one that cares?” Ward said.

Ideally, Ward said someone who loves the pond and needs the nearby warehouse would buy the site.

The memorial site includes a wall of names, a pond featuring fish and a statue of Morrow and Leach, as well as areas to sit.

People or groups interested in helping should coordinate to keep up the memorial at least every other week May until July each year, Ward said.

The site has struggled with juvenile vandals for years with statues being damaged, the fish food container being broken, fish killed and the fountain unplugged, Ward said.

One time the memorial was left with more than 300 pounds of dead fish after the fountain was unplugged, Ward said.

Anyone feeding the fish should use the food provided at the memorial, Ward said.

After the memorial opened, numerous parents went to Ward and Donnelly and told them how meaningful the site could be.

After some back-and-forth, including after Donnelly heard from a mother whose daughter died in a car crash involving a drunk driver, they decided anyone who has lost a child can get a spot on the wall.

The wall features a heart painted to mirror the shape left by cracked asphalt on Penn Street, Ward said. Two best friends who lived in the neighborhood made the heart in the asphalt “their thing,” she said.

The girls were run over by a driver fleeing the police and one of the girls, 12-year-old Kayla Mongold, died while her best friend held her hand, Ward said.

When the city tried to repave the asphalt, thereby covering the heart, Ward said she refused to allow them but eventually someone took a photo and they painted the heart on the wall instead.

Volunteers are welcome to help clean the memorial anytime, Ward said. They do not need to set up a time with the owners ahead of time.