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Thousands turn out to honor slain firefighter in St. Louis
By Margaret Gillerman and Patrick O'Connell
ST.
LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
07/25/2008
UPDATED at 5:52 p.m.
MAPLEWOOD — Hundreds of solemn firefighters and other mourners filled the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church and lined the streets of Maplewood and nearby towns today to say goodbye to fallen firefighter Ryan Hummert.
Fire pumpers and ambulances from around the state and beyond brought their crews to pay last respects.
Hummert, 22, was shot to death while responding to a fire Monday.
The funeral got underway about 10 a.m. today as a light rain fell outside the church, 2934 Marshall Avenue in Maplewood.
This is the church where Hummert was baptized. About 400 mourners filled the sanctuary, and another 400 were in the church gymnasium. The overflow crowd went to the Maplewood Baptist Church down the street. The mourners there were able to watch the service on a closed-circuit television.
Organizers estimated the total turnout at more than 1,200 people.
Maplewood Fire Chief Terry Merrell, in his eulogy, said, "Every call we answer, Ryan will ride right along with us in spirit. He is our guardian angel now.
"
One of the firefighters who also spoke at the funeral Mass said, "We should remember Ryan, not for the way he died, but for the way he lived life.
"
And then that same firefighter said, as if speaking directly to Hummert: "What happened that day did not define you as a hero. You were already a hero the day you stepped on that truck.
"
Florissant firefighters Chris Alber and Carl Mohrmann came to take part in the procession after the service. The procession followed from the church to Sunset Burial Park at Gravois and Laclede Station roads in south St. Louis County. It included more than 350 fire trucks and command vehicles as well as more than 500 firefighters, officials said.
A Maplewood fire truck decorated with funeral bunting and flowers carried the casket to the cemetery.
"He was a union brother of ours," Alber said.
Mohrmann added: "It's something you don't expect. If someone goes, it's usually in a fire. Getting shot is not what you expect.
"
Mohrmann predicted the procession would be "the longest you'll ever see.
"
Crowds of firefighters in dress uniform, some wearing white gloves, congregated outside the church and lined Marshall Avenue. They stood erect in silence and were joined by Maplewood residents and friends.
"Our sympathy and gratitude for all they did and all they do," said Casey Coulter, 18, who was there with her baby, Carlos, in a stroller, and her mother, Sharon Coulter.
A group of children walked by carrying tiny American flags.
About 1:45 p.m. a procession led by an honor guard and a pipe and drum corps began a somber march to the grave. A "sea of blue," the name used to describe the hundreds of firefighters in uniform who attended, followed.
"I wanted to cry one more time at the bagpipes," said Lynn Koppel, who watched with her grandson Blake, 13. Blake's father is Maplewood Firefighter Stephen Koppel and his grandfather, Charles Koppel, is a retired firefighter from Ladue. "It's too sad -- such an awful thing,"' said Lynn Koppel.
Hummert's high school football team also showed up at the cemetery wearing their jerseys.
The crowd stood silently as firefighters saluted and two trumpeters played a mournful "Taps.
"
At the service, Hummert's family received his medals of valor, a firefighter's axe and other mementoes from his chosen career. An engraved silver bell rang out, tolling Hummert's symbolic "last alarm," and one of the eagles at the service soared above the crowd.
One young firefighter wearing his dress suit and white gloves collapsed in the intense heat and emotion and had to be carried out . Several other firefighters also had to be taken aside and administered help.
As the service ended, Fenton Firefighter John Medlock reflected on the death of such a young heroic man: "It doesn't make any sense.
"
Earlier, along the procession route, residents and workers stood in the rain, many with umbrellas, to watch. A giant flag was hoisted high into the air by a fire truck. A bank on Manchester Road had two flags and a sign that read, "Ryan Hummert, We Salute You.
"
Samantha Rainwater, who lives on Maple Avenue in Maplewood, brought her young daughter and two nieces to stand along Marshall Avenue to watch the line of cars heading to the cemetery.
Fighting back tears, Rainwater said: "It was our duty to come and show our respect and honor those willing to sacrifice for our safety.
"
Then, she added: "We'll stand at attention with our hands our on hearts.
"
About noon today, under gray skies, a feeling of tranquility filled the cemetery set in rolling green hills and large trees. The only sounds were birds singing and church bells in the distance. Sirens heralded the arrival of the procession.
Trams from Grants Farm carried attendees about a half-mile inside the cemetery. From there, they will walk another half-mile to the gravesite.
As firefighters arrived, Affton Fire Capt. Ken Westbrock said of the hundreds of firefighters who were gathering, "It's quite a large family.
"
ST.
LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
07/25/2008
UPDATED at 5:52 p.m.
MAPLEWOOD — Hundreds of solemn firefighters and other mourners filled the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church and lined the streets of Maplewood and nearby towns today to say goodbye to fallen firefighter Ryan Hummert.
Fire pumpers and ambulances from around the state and beyond brought their crews to pay last respects.
Hummert, 22, was shot to death while responding to a fire Monday.
The funeral got underway about 10 a.m. today as a light rain fell outside the church, 2934 Marshall Avenue in Maplewood.
This is the church where Hummert was baptized. About 400 mourners filled the sanctuary, and another 400 were in the church gymnasium. The overflow crowd went to the Maplewood Baptist Church down the street. The mourners there were able to watch the service on a closed-circuit television.
Organizers estimated the total turnout at more than 1,200 people.
Maplewood Fire Chief Terry Merrell, in his eulogy, said, "Every call we answer, Ryan will ride right along with us in spirit. He is our guardian angel now.
"
One of the firefighters who also spoke at the funeral Mass said, "We should remember Ryan, not for the way he died, but for the way he lived life.
"
And then that same firefighter said, as if speaking directly to Hummert: "What happened that day did not define you as a hero. You were already a hero the day you stepped on that truck.
"
Florissant firefighters Chris Alber and Carl Mohrmann came to take part in the procession after the service. The procession followed from the church to Sunset Burial Park at Gravois and Laclede Station roads in south St. Louis County. It included more than 350 fire trucks and command vehicles as well as more than 500 firefighters, officials said.
A Maplewood fire truck decorated with funeral bunting and flowers carried the casket to the cemetery.
"He was a union brother of ours," Alber said.
Mohrmann added: "It's something you don't expect. If someone goes, it's usually in a fire. Getting shot is not what you expect.
"
Mohrmann predicted the procession would be "the longest you'll ever see.
"
Crowds of firefighters in dress uniform, some wearing white gloves, congregated outside the church and lined Marshall Avenue. They stood erect in silence and were joined by Maplewood residents and friends.
"Our sympathy and gratitude for all they did and all they do," said Casey Coulter, 18, who was there with her baby, Carlos, in a stroller, and her mother, Sharon Coulter.
A group of children walked by carrying tiny American flags.
About 1:45 p.m. a procession led by an honor guard and a pipe and drum corps began a somber march to the grave. A "sea of blue," the name used to describe the hundreds of firefighters in uniform who attended, followed.
"I wanted to cry one more time at the bagpipes," said Lynn Koppel, who watched with her grandson Blake, 13. Blake's father is Maplewood Firefighter Stephen Koppel and his grandfather, Charles Koppel, is a retired firefighter from Ladue. "It's too sad -- such an awful thing,"' said Lynn Koppel.
Hummert's high school football team also showed up at the cemetery wearing their jerseys.
The crowd stood silently as firefighters saluted and two trumpeters played a mournful "Taps.
"
At the service, Hummert's family received his medals of valor, a firefighter's axe and other mementoes from his chosen career. An engraved silver bell rang out, tolling Hummert's symbolic "last alarm," and one of the eagles at the service soared above the crowd.
One young firefighter wearing his dress suit and white gloves collapsed in the intense heat and emotion and had to be carried out . Several other firefighters also had to be taken aside and administered help.
As the service ended, Fenton Firefighter John Medlock reflected on the death of such a young heroic man: "It doesn't make any sense.
"
Earlier, along the procession route, residents and workers stood in the rain, many with umbrellas, to watch. A giant flag was hoisted high into the air by a fire truck. A bank on Manchester Road had two flags and a sign that read, "Ryan Hummert, We Salute You.
"
Samantha Rainwater, who lives on Maple Avenue in Maplewood, brought her young daughter and two nieces to stand along Marshall Avenue to watch the line of cars heading to the cemetery.
Fighting back tears, Rainwater said: "It was our duty to come and show our respect and honor those willing to sacrifice for our safety.
"
Then, she added: "We'll stand at attention with our hands our on hearts.
"
About noon today, under gray skies, a feeling of tranquility filled the cemetery set in rolling green hills and large trees. The only sounds were birds singing and church bells in the distance. Sirens heralded the arrival of the procession.
Trams from Grants Farm carried attendees about a half-mile inside the cemetery. From there, they will walk another half-mile to the gravesite.
As firefighters arrived, Affton Fire Capt. Ken Westbrock said of the hundreds of firefighters who were gathering, "It's quite a large family.
"
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