Charlie & Arnold Martinez #4

In my first Highway Memorial post, I showed the memorial of Charlie Martinez.  I had forgotten, until this morning, that there is another memorial near Charlie’s.  It is this one, dedicated to Arnold Martinez.  Below I have a shot of the two of them together.

Note, the year and month, August 1987 is on both the memorials.  I took the photo July 6, 1986.  Either someone takes amazing care of the memorials, are, more likely to me, they were new in 1996 and were erected much nearer the date I took the photos, than the date on the memorials.  

If that is the case, I must assume the memorials are in memory of twin boys, Arnold and Charlie Martinez, aged 9 or 10 at the time they died here.

Be that as it may, as I look through the four of five photos I took at the site of their memorial, I recall hearing children’s laughter, blowing on the wind that was sweeping gently down the gully, where I stood.

If you have pictures and a story of a Highway Memorial you would like for me to post on this site, email me at the address on the right.

JoJo Bird - Highway Memorials #3

I never had the pleasure of meeting JoJo Bird, but I've felt like I've known her since I snapped this picture July 6, 1996.  

Thirteen days after JoJo died in the spot you see in the photo on the left, she turned 26.  Today she would be 43 years old, probably a mother, and maybe even a grandmother.  All of those possibilities ended October 29, 1994. 

Someone wanted me to know about JoJo so they built this memorial, and I'm glad.  For some reason I can see her twirling across a open room, her yellow full skirt swirling around her knees.

Do you Have a Highway Memorial you want to share.  Send it.  My email address is on the right of this post.

Highway Memorials Number 2

Last night, I posted the first blog to this site.  Today I was thinking about that as I drove back to Huntsville, from Scottsboro, Alabama.  On the eastern side of Huntsville, just off Highway 72, I spotted this Highway Memorial.  

There is no name or date on it, and it appears that it has been a while since anyone tended it.  No matter.  It marks the spot where a life (or lives) ended and that should be noted and remembered.

If you have any information on this Highway Memorial, or would like to add another one, please email me at the address on the right side of this post.

Thank you -

Highway Memorials Introduction

Highway Memorials Number 1

For eleven years ending in 1995, I was a professional speaker.  With my former wife, I spoke in 48 of 50 states, Canada, and the Caribbean.  For the first few years, we traveled by air.  Then, in order to effectively reach smaller markets, I purchased a motor home.

In the following years, I wore out two motor homes crisscrossing the country.  I've seen more of the United States than possibly anyone other than long-haul truckers.  

For the last few years of that time I took a number of photos of what I call Highway Memorials.  I was driven by the notion that one day I would research a number of them, find out who they honored, the accident that took their live(s), and who built and maintains the memorial.  

That was the plan, but so far nothing has come of it.  Then today, rummaging through some old photos, looking for one to illustrate a blog post I was writing, I came across three envelopes full of photos of Highway Memorials.  I decided in that moment that a blog site would be the way to share the photos and the idea.  

So, for now, I'm going to post the pictures that aren't cataloged and ask you to make comments and tell me what you think of the idea.  In addition, if you know of a Highway Memorial that you would like me to post, send a photo, and if you have it, include the information you have about it.  I'll publish the photos and stories in the order that I receive them.  My eMail address is just to the right of this post.

Thanks for your time.

Bert Carson - Huntsville, Alabama January 9, 2013 10 PM