Three crosses mounted on the hill behind First Baptist Church on Second Street symbolize that Jesus was crucified between two thieves but is also symbolic of the love that Jesus has for Christians. Church member Don Gates wanted to give a gift to the church in memory of his late wife, Lenda.
Don and Lenda Gates were married for 47 years after meeting at church when she was 18year-old senior and he was a 24-year-old U.S. Army veteran. Lenda passed away in 2004. The final piece of the crosses will be a plaque that says the following:
Don Gates loves to talk about his late wife, Lenda.“I often refer to Lenda as my rudder and my anchor. She was always there to help me make the right decisions, but didn’t hesitate to drop the anchor when she thought I was about to make a mistake,” Don says. “Our marriage was a 46-year-old love affair.”Don says he loved her so much and wanted to memorialize that love by ...
