To the editor:

As I sit down to type this letter on behalf of my family, two words come to my head and heart…love overflowing.

Recently, I received the phone call that no parent wants to ever get. Within the next 20 minutes, I found out that the youngest of the two most precious people on Earth to me was gone from this world.

When you become a parent, you try to instill in them the values that you hold dear: be kind, treat everyone with respect, help those in need, and find a career that makes you happy and want to go to said job each day. After that week, which in one respect was the hardest thing we’ve ever had to do, it was also the proudest and most rewarding thing we’ve had to do. I knew we raised a good boy; it takes a village. But I had no idea the impact Aaron had and will continue to have on this, my hometown, and the hundreds of lives Aaron touched. His death, ironically, took on a life of its own. So our family just sat back and experienced the ride and let the love flow. And boy did it.

To try to list all the people who did something nice for our families, I would never begin to list them all and I don’t want to miss a single person. To anyone who remembered Aaron and our family in any way, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We will never forget this outpouring of love.

That said, I cannot do this without specifically extending appreciation to Superintendent Josh Porter and Aaron Davidson, Middle School Principal Shawn Chesteen and the entire Fort Dodge Middle School staff and Fort Dodge school system, and the Fort Dodge school board for allowing the use of the middle school for Aaron’s visitation and service; as well as his coaches and sports organizations in his life as a Dodger student, those whom he worked with as a Dodger coach and teacher, and then as a vice principal at the middle school – his home for almost 12 years. Also, the FCA service was truly amazing. Thank you, Dalton Summers and company, who made that event possible.

Aaron was truly living his best life. As we found out at the six-plus hour visitation, Aaron affected the lives of so many students, parents and associates. Simply said, Aaron made a difference in every life he encountered.

To our pastor, Dan Kahl, for his lovely message; Joan, Tara, Brian for their gift of music; and the three dear people who gave reflections on Aaron’s life: Matt Elsbecker, Andi Adams, and Aaron’s big brother and our incredible son, Jordan. Also, thank you to all the staff at Gunderson Funeral Home.

A scholarship is being established in Aaron’s memory to help the many students’ lives that he touched. I am so proud of being a lifelong Dodger, and “Together We Rise” has taken on new meaning for Aaron’s family. Thank you, Fort Dodge.

Ellyn and Dave Lemke

Dennis Miller and Glenn Levicki

Jordan and Kelly Miller

Buster and Joey