WATERFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — It was an emotional day at Waterford Center Cemetery, marking the final chapter of a story that began nearly six decades ago.
Watch Alexandra Bahou's video report:
It’s been a long time coming, but gravestones now sit at the place of what once were unmarked graves, offering a semblance of closure for the community that still remembers a tragedy long ago.
Bob Russako watched Monday as gravestones adorned with the names of his friends were set into place.
“Now everybody knows where they're at. I mean, I know where they are at now. Coming out here and not finding anything was very hurtful after a while,” Russako said.
The gravesite had weighed heavily on Russako for years, with his four friends sitting in unmarked graves.
“I was 15, same age as Kathy, and I remember very well — running around our house, her and my stepsister piercing their ears with ice cubes. And I remember her favorite song,” Russako said.
We first shared Russako and his story back in June. Russako’s friends, the Browns, lived just around the corner from him growing up.
Previous Story: Waterford man lost his friends in a house fire nearly 60 years ago. Now, he’s buying their gravestones.
An early morning fire on Jan. 5, 1966, ripped through the Brown family’s house on Arcadia Park Drive, tragically killing four of the children: 15-year-old Katheryn, 12-year-old Nancy, 9-year-old Donald and 7-year-old Julia.
The second oldest, Larry, was able to escape by jumping to safety.
Courtesy: The Oakland Press
Larry Brown’s widow, Nancy, and some of her children were at the gravestone placing on Monday, so grateful to Russako for his kind gesture.
“It means so much today, and I can't believe that Bob is so gracious to do this and so appreciative of him, you know, to have that finally done after all these years... it means a lot,” Nancy Brown said.
Former neighbors also showed up to pay their respects, with the tragedy still heavy all these years later.
“Unfortunately, I remember all of it. I'm not a mushy person... when you see that, you just never get it out of your head,” Dennis Weber said.
Weber lived right across the street from the Browns. Russako and Weber were pallbearers for the children when they were just children themselves.
"We were all traumatized," Weber said.
Now the resting place for the children is complete, also serving as a beautiful reminder that friendship carries on long after we’re gone.
"I'm so glad it came together like this, on a beautiful day,” Russako said.
