Saying Goodbye

Hundreds of Imperial Sugar Employees and members of the community said goodbye today to the ten men whose lives were lost in the refinery explosion.

 “It’s important to me personally because I have been part of that family for 33 years. I worked at Imperial Sugar. So it's very important to me just to think about and commemorate our family and those that are here and the those that are not,” said Arthur Kelley.

“To pay my respects. My husband works and worked for them for 37 years and we are here to pay our respects to everybody,” said Jane Zeigler.

Titled "A Community that Remembers", the memorial was a chance for many of the families to begin the healing process.

It was an emotional ceremony, full of words of support and encouragement.  Several members of the clergy from the area looked to the Bible for words to help strengthen all of those affected by the explosion. Letting them know that by trusting in God and by leaning on one another it is possible to overcome this tragedy.

One of the families directly affected by the explosion, the Thomas’. Mister Tony Thomas was one of eight men who lost their lives the night of the explosion.

“The father of compassion who comforts us in all our trouble so that we can comfort all those with any trouble with comfort we ourselves have received for God,” Cody Thomas read from the Bible.

The son of one of the victims Cody Thomas relied on the Bible for words of strength.  He says that's what has helped his family get through the past two weeks.

“It’s something that you don't want to go through but my family and I have a very strong faith in God we know if we didn't, we don't know how we would get through it,” says Cody.   

Cody says the loss of his dad is the hardest thing he's ever had to deal with.

He describes him as a funny energetic man who always had a smile on his face, “he loved life and he loved his family. He pretty much loved everybody and always held out his hand to help somebody.”  

But amidst the tears and the hurt comes hope.   

An emotion best expressed by Huxsie Scott's "A Song of Hope."

“You reach out and take your neighbor by the hand. Together we will stand tall and move ahead to better days there will be brighter days ahead.”