Bryan Station seniors honor late classmate

Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Friday, October 07, 2011

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Nate Stuckey died in an April 2009 car accident; he was a freshman at Bryan Station High School.

Nate Stuckey died in an April 2009 car accident; he was a freshman at Bryan Station High School.

Nate Stuckey died in an April 2009 car accident; he was a freshman at Bryan Station High School.MarKedra Jackson, speaking for the Class of 2012, noted the crape myrtle is known for its colorful and long-lasting flowers, "the same way we'll remember Nate."Students filled a half-dozen posters with memories and words of encouragement for the Stuckey family.Members of The Great Tree committee spread dirt and mulch during the dedication service. The Great Tree of Love is a tribute to his nickname, "Nate the Great."Students, staff and families gathered outside Bryan Station High for the memorial and tree dedication service, which led into Homecoming weekend.Members of Bryan Station's JROTC unit and the Harambee singers participated in the half-hour program.Nate's grandmother, Berdena Stuckey, thanked Principal Mike Henderson and the entire Bryan Station community for their continuing support.After the program, several people paused to snap a picture of the marker and tree.

Bryan Station High School’s Class of 2012 has not forgotten Nate Stuckey, the classmate they lost in the spring of their freshman year. And to ensure his presence lives on, the students planted a tree and placed a marker near the front entrance of the school.

“As a senior class, we had to do something to show we do miss him and he’ll always be with us,” said MarKedra Jackson, a member of the senior advisory board.

Students, staff and members of Nate’s family gathered Thursday afternoon for the half-hour program, which included music by the Harambee group and the reading of “A Tragedy,” a poem written after the car accident. Nate died in the April 2009 crash on Russell Cave Road, and three fellow students, all juniors at the time, were injured.

Classmates chose to honor Nate during Bryan Station’s Homecoming weekend. He played football, ran track and was a member of the school’s JROTC program. Friends described him as funny and outgoing.

“I did not know Nate but I feel like I do, which is how you know a legacy follows,” said first-year principal Mike Henderson. “No matter how long or how short our lives are, everything we do makes an impact,” he told the assembled students.

MarKedra agreed that Nate made a lasting impact on their class.

“He touched a lot of hearts while he was here. He smiled big enough to light up the world,” she said. “He wasn’t able to finish with us, but he’s here with us in spirit.”

The memorial marker includes the phrase “The Great Tree of Love,” a tribute to his nickname “Nate the Great.” Members of The Great Tree committee spread dirt and mulch around the Natchez crape myrtle during the dedication.

“The tree we chose is known for its colorful and long-lasting flowers – the same way we’ll remember Nate,” MarKedra told the crowd.

Seniors also passed out pledge cards, urging fellow teens to “drive smart and safe,” and a half-dozen posters were filled with signatures, memories and well wishes for the Stuckeys.

Nate’s grandmother, Berdena Stuckey, spoke on the family’s behalf.

“During the time of his death, you were there, and you’re yet still here,” she said in thanking the Bryan Station community. “Don’t let Nate die in your hearts. Keep him there.”

 

 

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