Dear community members:

I want to thank you once again for all the help, kind gestures and general support for my husband, Ron, and me throughout the past 17-plus years since the accident that left Ron a quadriplegic.

You’ve stopped to help when Ron’s wheelchair left us stranded.

You’ve plowed the snow for us.

You supported us when we needed work on our home.

When Ron was in the hospital (numerous times), he always received the best care, above and beyond the requirements of the job.

Dr. Guzzo and Dr. Wierman took excellent care of Ron, even making home visits in a day and age when that’s unheard of.

You, as a community, have done it all with a smile, a friendly greeting, a personal touch.

Ron taught many of you or your children and felt privileged to do so.

He was always quick to volunteer to help, whether it be raising money for the hospital, making stilts for the neighborhood kids, being a camp counselor, joining other teacherspicking up trash alongside the highway, helping to establish Teacher’s Credit Union (of which he was treasurer for several years), working with our church on various projects, etc.

You, in turn, took a special interest in his well-being.

We often said that we most likely would not have had the support we have experienced if we had lived elsewhere.

Dowagiac and its people have been very good to us. Thank you for everything.

Bonnie Latourette