Attendees blow bubbles at the dedication of the Sadie Tull memorial bench at the Carlyle dog park. Photos by Matt Wilson A large group attended a dedication for a memorial bench for Sadie Tull at the Carlyle dog park on Saturday, Sept. 19. Tull passed away on March 3.
The memorial bench was made by Dale Hohman. The bench is placed in the tall fountain area of the dog park.
The ceremony was led by Cheryl Brinkmann.
Brinkmann said several people got together and wanted to do something that would honor Tull's memory in a fun and pet-friendly way.
Cheryl Brinkmann speaks to the crowd during the memorial bench ceremony for Sadie Tull at the Carlyle dog park. Brinkmann said she hopes that everyone who brings their pets to the park will enjoy it. There is a pet book library at the section of the park so children can read books.
The Carlyle Parks Department got the grass trimmed in the area and Premier Landscaping finished the area up.
Carlyle Mayor Judy Smith said she was glad to see such a good crowd at the dedication. She said it is sad why the group had to gather, but the area will be an amazing spot for people to come and sit.
"Hopefully they will remember Sadie," Smith said. "She was a wonderful person. Sadie could make you laugh when you didn't want to and she could almost make you cry when you didn't want to. She was a phenomenal human being."
Carlyle First Baptist Church Pastor Scott Broughton blesses the Sadie Tull memorial bench. Smith said the area of the park will benefit more people than she can imagine.
Smith said if someone needs something done to call Brinkmann.
"When Cheryl got a hold of me and told me this is what we are thinking about, we already had some of these plans in place," Smith said. "I told the guys at the Parks Department that this was our chance to get this all done at one time."
Smith said it will be so heartwarming to see people at the dog park think about Tull and enjoy the beautiful area.
Carlyle First Baptist Church Pastor Scott Broughton blessed and dedicated the bench.
Tull groomed the Broughton families' dogs. Broughton has a bench in memory of his daughters, Savanna and Brooke-Lynn, at Carlyle High School.
"It is an opportunity for you to go by and remember and smile and just think about them," Broughton said. "I just pray that you do that. Every once in a while you get a memory that makes you smile and those are the ones you should hold on to."
Broughton said some of the best memories made are the ones that make us laugh long after someone is gone.
"We hope that Sadie's legacy will continue through the people she touched," Broughton said. "She showed a lot of kindness to others. We thank the Lord for the life she lived, the love she shared and the unforgettable personality she had."
Brinkmann shared a story about Tull. She said there was a ribbon snake in her yard. She sent Tull a text saying there was a weird snake in her backyard. Tull went to the backyard with a Rubbermaid tote and reached down and picked up the snake. Brinkmann said the snake was longer than Tull. She put the snake in the tote and then set it free.
Friend Denise Boenhoff said her memories of Tull are probably a little different than everyone else's. Boenhoff met Tull through the resale that she does as fundraising. Tull would always keep an eye on the fun things Boenhoff had.
"Not only did she care for animals, she cared for everybody," Boenhoff said. "As soon as she would see that there was anything that the neighborhood kids could have to enjoy, she asked if she could come and get them."
She would bring the items to the neighborhood kids just to see the smiles on their faces.
"She will always be a light in this world," Boenhoff said.
The ceremony ended with bubbles being blown in the air to symbolize Tull's bubbly personality.
