-
My husband, Matt and I had the privilege of coaching Jarod's
soccer team in the Spring of 2002. We knew him briefly as soccer seasons
only last 2 months. In that time, however, we had a great experience getting
to know this bundle of energy coupled with lots of laughs and smiles. Jarod
was a great soccer player and his joy of life was contagious. Although, we
hadn't seen Jarod since our soccer season in 2002 he left a happy memory in
our hearts. As soon as I heard of the accident I knew exactly who it was.
That is how powerful of a personality Jarod had. The Murphy's
-
I did not know Jarod well, but after I realized I knew who
he was, I described him to others as a little boy that, in my opinion, could
find fun and happiness in anything around him. I remember watching him at
one of the football scrimages, he was just as happy as could be playing with
a water bottle on the side lines. Julie Hoffman
-
I never knew Jarod except to see him in church -- because my
youngest is Regan and she is in Jacob's class -- but I want you to know I
always thought Jarod was an absolutely adorable baby who grew to be an
adorable boy -- one of those kids whose face just makes you smile. Please
know your precious Jarod will never be forgotten. Martha Colaner
-
Jarod always had a huge smile which led you to believe he
knew something we didn't. At Halloween he was for certain the most energetic
kid in Silverwood Farms running from house to house. I will remember all of
his prize catches (bugs) which he made sure everyone outside got to view.
This house was blessed to have known such a happy and loving little boy.
The Watson's
-
I have a 6 yr old daughter Shelby who played tee ball with
Jarod this past Spring/Summer. Jarod was always the entertainment for all,
you could always count on Jarod for a laugh. He was a joy to know and he
will be missed. Becky Hughes
-
Jarod always had a ear to ear smile. The Bennett's were the
first family I met when I moved here in 2000 and Jarod ran right up to me
and introduced himself. At the Billy Grahamn Crusade Jarod was dancing away
when the bands played. I could go on for hours about sweet little Jarod. I
have no words to describe what I feel right now. I know that he is with God
and is smiling down on us. I can't wait to see his smiling face when I go to
heaven! Haley Cuffman
-
The first thing that came to our mind when thinking about
Jarod is the first thing you read about on your website and what we saw when
reading Jarod's obituary - he loved bugs! I think anytime he was out when we
were he would show us a new crawling critter he had discovered. At first we
thought this was a little weird (even for a boy) but soon realized it was
just one of the many qualities that made him the joyous child he was.
Another thing we remember is that he would always ask "where's your doggie?"
if we were out without Kramer or "can I pet your doggie?" if Kramer was
outside. When your family got Rocky he was very proud to introduce him to
whoever was outside. He was always smiling and such a friendly boy. I
mentioned what had happened to my mother who had stayed at our house often
over the last few years to babysit Meghan and she vividly remembered Jarod
stopping to talk to her on his way to the corner to catch the school bus.
She said he was so friendly and talkative that he didn't want to leave her
side to go catch the bus. I remember Jarod often skateboarding, scootering
or just walking around the neighborhood at the heels of his big brother and
best friend Jacob. They both were always very friendly and anxious to strike
up a conversation. You could tell that Jarod was very happy to have a big
brother like Jacob to look up to and hang out with. Steve, Jennifer &
Meghan Utterdyke
-
"Can I pet your dog?... pleaaasssseee Can I pet your dog ?"
with huge saucer brown eyes Jarod used to stop me as often as I was out with
Ollie our toy poodle . From the time he was standing on his own Ollie was
well petted ! And later when Jarod ( and family) got a dog the joy was
unbounded !"Have you seen MY dog ?"" We have a dog !"... This energetic
little boy always seemed such a bundle of energy and joy.. like the dog he
loved "bugs" too and I guess this should have told everyone that he was
connected in a deep and spiritual way to nature and to God. Perhaps because
he EVEN loved bugs which are so small and insignificant he was more
connected than the rest of us are. Jarod sleeps and dreams the dreams of
bugs and dogs of bright summer days and fun and awaits his loving family and
friends. Like a flash of light or a shooting star he has swiftly entered and
left our world. He was always fast and his life raced by much quicker than
we ever thought it would. Goodbye Jarod and God Bless you. Cheri Brinkman
-
I would like to thank you for driving me to that tournament
in Indiana. That gave me the time to get to know your son, Jarod, a little
more. Oh man, this little boy put a smile on my face the second I met him,
he could not be any cuter. Ali McKiernan
-
My husband, Matt and I had the privilege of coaching Jarod's
soccer team in the Spring of 2002. We knew him briefly as soccer seasons
only last 2 months. In that time, however, we had a great experience getting
to know this bundle of energy coupled with lots of laughs and smiles. Jarod
was a great soccer player and his joy of life was contagious. Although, we
hadn't seen Jarod since our soccer season in 2002 he left a happy memory in
our hearts. The Murphy's
-
I had the pleasure of knowing Jarod and Jenny. Jarod was in
my son, Alex's, preschool class. I will always remember Jarod as a
bright-eyed, energetic little boy. He would bound out of class into Jenny's
arms and tell her as quickly as he could everything he had done and made
that day. He would be pulling out all his artwork and showing her how hard
he had worked on it. Carrie Besl
-
Jarod was a very special little boy! He walked through our
classroom door everyday with such energy and with a big smile on his face.
His laughter was contagious! I can recall that he always had some sort of
trinket,toy, or special item he wanted to show me. I could always count on
Jarod for a hug at the end of a busy day! He was a loving boy that was loved
by everyone in our class! You will always be in my heart Jarod! Miss Hern,
Jarod's Kindergarten teacher
-
All children are special but for today only one held my
attention. Today I attended the funeral for my nephew Jarod Bennett, 6 yrs
old and full of mischief. He was taken swiftly but much too soon. I will
miss him greatly. Please keep him in your prayers. Aunt Dottie
-
This is Jarod's Grandma Elsie Randolph, Thanks to everyone
that helped us through this most difficult time. I loved Jarod so much but
he would want us to go on. He would come to my house and ask for the little
Rusty Wallace car as soon as he came in the door and wanted to play with it.
I have a creek by my house and he would want to go catch crawdads from the
creek and put them in buckets or jars and he would call them his lobsters.
We will miss his big smile, his big shining brown eyes and his ever present
big and wonderful personality, he liked everyone and wanted to always tell
them or show them his bugs he would catch. When I would be at his house he
would say Grandma can I put on my frogger boots and you go outside with me
to catch bugs and we would go outside and he would turn every rock over and
catch all the bugs he could find and put them in his bucket. I got to take
Jarod to his football game in Centerville and watch him play, and he made a
tackle and after the game he came up to me so happy and said Grandma did you
see me make the tackle on the boy with the football, he said that was his
first tackle when the other player had the ball, he was so happy that day.
He was a special little boy and I will keep him in my heart forever. I love
you Jarod From Grandma
-
I have a 6yr old daughter Shelby who played tee ball with
Jarod this past Spring/Summer. Jarod was always the entertainment for all,
you could always count on Jarod for a laugh. He was a joy to know and he
will be missed. Becky Hughes
-
Our family had the privilege of knowing Jarod this past
summer during T-Ball season. Our son Kayne and Jarod were team mates. As we
all know the little ones who play T-Ball are more interested in the dirt,
wearing their glove on their head or just sitting down somewhere in the
field and hope for a ball to come their way. I will never forget during a
game Jarod came running in from the outfield to his mom. I was sitting close
and could hear Jarod ask "Hey mom, what are we having for lunch?" Of course
mom told him they would talk about it after the game and for him to go back
to the game. I will never forget that time. It was what T-Ball is all about
for a 6 year old. "What's for lunch." The Collins Family - Eric,
Danielle, Kayla and Kayne
-
Jarod was a very special part of our first grade class. He
was always happy, always there with a funny thing to say, and he had a
special way of making friends with everyone. He was very interested in
science, animals, and bugs. He would often ask, "Are we doing an experiment
today?!" One thing I could always count on is when I would leave at the end
of the day, exhausted and ready to go home, Jarod would yell from the
playground something like, "Are you going home now?", "Are you going home to
play with your dog?", "Do you really drive a car and can I come see it?".
And the last person I saw on Friday at 5:00 was Jarod, waiving and yelling
"Goodbye, Mrs Robinson!". Jarod's 1st Grade Teacher Mrs.
Robinson
-
How am I ever going to forget my last meeting with that
beaming little boy? On a snowy, wintry day, Jarod was a little ray of
sunshine. On Friday, December 19, 2003, I received a phone call at my home
from my brother-in-law asking me to pick up his daughter at primetime at
Louisa Wright Elementary School. It was getting late and he would not be
able to pick up his daughter before primetime closed. The one mile drive to
the school was fairly treacherous. Cars were all over the road. As I walked
into the cafeteria, the first person to greet me was a bright-eyed little
boy with a great big smile. "Hi, Mr. Bolger!" I rubbed his head, "Hi,
Jarod!" I didn't think it was possible, but his smile grew even bigger. You
could now see his lower teeth inside of that smile. We discussed who was
picking him up from primetime. His big, brown eyes twinkled at me. What a
happy little boy! A few minutes after I left, the 'accident' occurred. And
when Jim came over that night to tell me, ...well, I give thanks to the Good
Lord that I had that moment with Jarod and can share it with you. Jarod was
a fun-loving boy and I give him full credit for introducing my son, Alec, to
bugs. Thanks, Jarod?! Up to that point, Alec couldn't stand the thought of
bugs! But one warm summer evening, while fireflies were spotting up the
darkness against the tree line, Jarod shared his enthusiasm with Alec for
the wonderful world of insects. Together, they inspected the underside of
every stone they could turn over. Two dirty boys! Innocent as can be. That
is how I will remember Jarod. Chip Bolger
-
We liked spending time with Jarod and their family. We used
to make crafts with Jarod and Jenny at their house after school. We
especially liked the construction paper pumpkins. We also won't forget our
morning meetings, cutting up with Jarod and other friends at the bus stop.
We liked to play together in our basements and in our backyard - like tag.
Thanks Jarod for sharing your toys with us on your boat. Jarod was a fun
friend. We will really mis him. Mark and Nick Cecil
-
I've often enjoyed Jarods free spirit. Recently I
confronted Jarod with a suggestion that he shouldn't ride his bicycle past
my mailbox; a known "Do not pass Point" before the intersection. He informed
me that I'm not his Dad. To which I replied "I was put in charge tonight and
I own this road, now turn around!" Jarod grinned at me, giggled and
immediately went to play in a safer area of our street. Jarod's strong
spirit is far and beyond the characteristic I loved the most about him.
Mike Cecil
-
I will never forget that strong-willed and energetic boy
who never failed to entice a hug or at a minimum a 'hair rumpling" whenever
I saw him. He was irresistible. It was probably the way he'd giggle and
enjoy the attention that was so appealing. I remember the times on the boat
and all he put up with while the rest of us skiied. (He was still too little
then.) Often I'd hold him on my lap when it was Jenny's turn to ski and do
my best to entertain him singing songs and counting. Later he'd fall asleep
on the boat - with his eyes open - I guess he didn't want to miss anything.
I will miss that little boy voice saying "Hey Lisa, look at this!" Offering
me a chance to gaze upon his newest found bug or some other "earthy"
treasure. Lisa Cecil
-
I Cant believe something like this has happened. I Will
Severely miss him. He was always smiling. I can remember whenever he fell or
something he would quit for a Few min. then he would get right back up. i
can recall a time when he had first learned to ride w/o training wheels & I
asked him if he wanted help getting started because i could tell he was
having a hard time, but he refused and just tried harder. After a fw tries
he was up and riding like there was no tomorrow. Again i say I will miss him.
Alexis Phillips
-
I would like to begin by expressing my deepest sympathies to
your family. I am a member of Perfect North ski patrol. Frank Cleary sent an
e-mail to all the patrol members regarding this tragic news. I visited the
website and upon reading the opening lines of the home page I noticed that
this story sounded familiar. I work for two area fire departments, Mason and
South Lebanon, and was on duty at Mason the day of the incident. The next
day, Saturday, I worked at South Lebanon. My Captain told us the story of an
accident that happened the day before at a school in Lebanon. He told us how
broken up the crew that responded from Lebanon Fire Department was after the
incident. To make a long story short, the first Paramedic to arrive on scene
with your son works with me at South Lebanon Fire Department and is a good
friend of mine. I am telling you this so that I can express to you that the
care that your son received was first rate. Both my friend and the rest of
the crew that responded put their hearts and souls into trying to save your
son and they regret, as they will for a long time to come, that there was
nothing more that they could do. Please accept the condolences from all the
responders that responded, South Lebanon Fire Department, and Mason Fire
Department. If there is anything that any of us can do for your family,
please don't hesitate to let us know. David O.
Ramsey Firefighter/Paramedic
-
First
of all i would just like to say how sorry i am about all of this. Jarod was
a bundle of joy and happiness. I live four or so houses down from you, i can
remember one day i was home alone and i could hear something out in the
garage, the first thing i thought was that a dog was in there, well i went
out and there stood Jarod looking around for a bike to ride. he was the
cutest little boy around. I would love to go outside and ride a bike around
with Jarod, we would race around the street and argue about who one, i loved
him like my own little brother. I will miss him dearly.
Love always, Kaely Phillips
-
What a wonderful tribute to a wonderful little boy! Kevin
and I have had the rare opportunity to watch Jarod grow from a newborn to
the young man he was. He was ALWAYS smiling and having fun! That's what
we'll remember the most about him. The Spitlers
-
I believe that Jarod is my new Christmas angel and is
sitting next to me right now. I am keeping you and your family in my prayers
and i will be there if you or anyone needs anything. Angie Mooney
-
I remember always going to your guys's house and Jarod
running up to me and grabbing my hand to show me a new video game or toy he
got. I remember playing hide-n-go-seek with him outside. I remember him
always coming and sitting on my lap during movies. I'll never forget his
smiling face with his little pudgy cheeks but that big smile that could
light up the world. He was the cutest little boy ever. There are many
stories i could tell since I've known him since he was born. He wasn't just my
best friend's little brother he was also my brother. I'm devastated by this
but i know i have a guardian angel now and a very good one. I also know he
is saving a seat for everyone he loves all around him up in heaven. God is
taking care of him and i can't wait to see him again. Judy Stoll
-
Jarod loved to go to school, he had many friends and loved
his teachers. The work he brought home was always special, and "Needed to
be neater", it was precious. On Sat after the accident, we were going
through his book bag, we found a present, wrapped in Christmas paper, with a
bow, for Mom. It was a Christmas ornament with his picture on it. Dad
-
Jarod like to go boating and we spent numerous hours on
Caesar Creek lake. He loved to go tubing and show off for the people in the
boat. My boat has a small room for a porta potty. I took the potty out and
Jarod would love to sit in the room and look out the little port window and
watch the waves go by. It was just the right size for him. Dad
-
Jarod loved going to church. Ok I admit there were a few
Sundays we slept in, but he and I often spoke about God, Jesus and the
special events of Christmas. Dad
-
Star Wars, what can you say, who hasn't seen or doesn't like
star wars. For some reason he loved the movie series. I can't tell you how
many endless light saber battles occurred in our house between Jacob and
Jarod. Any yes, how many time was I kissing smashed little hands too. Jarod,
the good guy, was always saving the world from death and destruction. He was
our savior. Dad
-
Jarod loved bugs, we don't know where this fascination came
from. Although Jarod love to play, he's also spent endless hours looking
under rocks, logs, in brush or anyplace he could find something that
crawled. He also loved to share and show people what he had found. This was
never an attempt to scare, maybe to tease, but he just wanted to share his
excitement about something really cool. He would often want to take bugs
from home to school to share with friends and teachers. One story that comes
to mind was the fall of 2003. Jillian had soccer practice and he had caught
a Monarch butterfly. He wanted to keep it and take it home but the only
thing we had was an empty water bottle. We told him to let it go, there was
nothing we could do. He was sure there was another way, you never let bugs
go, right? Before we knew it he had some managed to get the butterfly into
the water bottle. And it was still alive and looked perfectly normal. We
were completely amazed and realized he had a special way with little
creatures. He took it to school the next day to show everyone. I know he had
a future as a bottled ship builder. Dad
-
Jarod came into this world June 17th, 1997 and was greeted
by two very happy parents, a big sister Jillian and a big brother Jacob.
Dad
-
My
Angel
I
look up towards the sky
Ican
see your face smiling down on me
I can
see you watching over me
Your
my angel, guard me.
I
look down at the ground
A
little bug crawls by
I can
see you watching over me
Your
my angel, teach me.
I
look at your family
They
are so loving ,caring, and faithful
I can
see you watching over me
Your
my angel , love me.
I
look at a little child
Smiling innocently, so happy and young
I can
see you watching over me
Your
my angel, care for me.
I
look at your picture
The
biggest smile is always on your face
I can
see you watching over me
your
my angel , wait for me.
By:
Susie Blocksom
RIP
Jarod Matthew Bennett, you will be greatly missed by all who knew and
loved you.
-
Jarod...Jarod...Jarod...what can I say! I miss you so much
little buddy! I only played soccer with Jillian for a year, and in this year
I got to know the Bennetts very well! and I was glad.... I loved each and
everyone of them. They were like a second family to me. They treated me like
a daughter, which made me feel great..... I remember on the night I received
the news, I was in TOTAL shock....and denial....see I'm not one of those
people who cries a lot. But when I found out, I cried my eyes out. I shed
more tears then I had ever in my life! I just couldn't take it! Then the
next day I got online, to see Jill on, then I saw the site. Instantly I
clicked don it and went right to it. It was the most beautiful site
ever....just like Jarod in every single way! While I read and looked at the
site, I remember all the great times I had with Jarod. Like how he would
always show me the bugs he found at the soccer fields after or games or
practices, some were well...icky, he would always chase me with the bugs
because he knew that I hated them so much! He would always give me hugs and
BIG kisses, just randomly, for no apparent reason. I loved him he was like a
brother. I will always remember this year at the Nightmare at the rock
tournament. a few members and I, from my soccer team went to watch Jill
play, and Jarod and Jacob we fighting and punching each other and my team
mates were like "they are going to kill each other" an I just laughed and
said "nope..they always do it!" The day after I heard the news about Jarod,
I instantly told all my friends, who didn't even know him. I make them go to
the site, look at all the pictures, they each told me that they cried, and I
was shocked because they didn't know him. They were some of the best support
for those few days! and want to thank all of them. Every time I visit the
site I cry and cry no matter what. I just visited it today January 10 2004.
For my first time in a few weeks. and it was up dated with the song Tears in
Heaven! and that's when I just lost it! And rite now @ 6:21 I'm still teary
eyed from about 45 minutes ago! Jarod was my Christmas angel, and will
ALWAYS be! They say that every time a bell rings a angle gets his
wings...and that night I heard one...Jarod got his. now hes in heaven flying
just like he always wanted to. and I know he is watching over us. all of us.
Jarod- you better save me a seat up there in heaven, the day I arrive I
better get a hug and a big old kiss like I used to. and you better watch
over me, Jill, Jacob, your mom, and dad, all of us down here on earth! and I
would also like to apologize for not coming to your funeral! I just couldn't
bare to see my angel buried! it would be too much for me. But I will PROMISE
you that EVERY year on the day you passed I will visit your grave with
flowers.. until I meet up with you. you got my word on that! I LOVE YOU
JAROD!!! I LOVE YOU!! Love Always and Forever Jacquelyn Bouche
