Lindsay Brandmeyer lit a candle on 27th November, 2008:

Happy Thanksgiving Justin. It isn't close to the same without you- I miss you tremindously. I love you!

Shiloh misses you too!

Jamie Jung lit a candle on 30th October, 2008:

I think about you and miss you every day and when I am sad, I remember that you are with us every step of the way and you will always be. Bless us all Justin and continue to remain a part of our lives. I love you.

Jamie Jung lit a candle on 20th August, 2008:

You are forever in my heart. I think about you often and I tell my son about what a great person you are and how lucky he is to have such a wonderful guardian angel. When Wyatt is dreaming I imagine you playing with him and talking to him. It brings a smile to my face and tears to my eyes. You will always be part of my life and I will always love you like a brother.

Dina Castillo (Filomena Milillo's daughter) lit a candle on 4th August, 2008:

I Pray for God to Continue to Bless you all...

Rest in Peace Justin

jim fuehne lit a candle on 1st August, 2008:

Hey Justin!
i have read so many of the testimonials your family and friends have said about you.It just shows how much you were loved and how much you are missed. There's really nothing I could add that hasn't already been said. But I do remember what a great washers player you were. I remember watching you as you got interested in the game at our family gatherings. You started to excel atthe game faster than anyone I've ever seen. I remember as time went on that there were two types of people at washer events. There were those who felt very lucky to be your partner and those who wish they could have been your partner. I admired your talent greatly, but I was also very proud to call you my nephew. When you left us it was one of the saddest days of my life, but I will always picture you throwing that washer and watching it fall so softly in that box for 3 points and knowing I've just seen the best at this game. Enjoy your life in eternity and I'm looking forward to challenging you to a game when I get there

Tom Brandmeyer lit a candle on 28th July, 2008:

Justin, we buried you 1 year ago yesterday and if feels like it was just yesterday. I miss you more and more each day. Mom and I try to go on but it is so hard without you. I can't wait to see you again. Lindsay and Nathan are engaged and will be married next year but I know that you already know that. Please help us go on. Alayna talks about her Daddy'o all the time and that really helps us. I love you son. Please bless us.
Dad

Lindsay Brandmeyer lit a candle on 22nd July, 2008:

I love you Justin. I miss you everyday and can't wait to hug you again. You are my bestfriend.

In my heart forever- XO

Rachel lit a candle on 17th July, 2008:

Justin, I think about you every day, but it seems that as we approach the next few days those thoughts are multiplying. I was watering my plants and flowers this morning, and my thoughts were all of you. I know that I did not know you as those closest to you did, but you always treated people as if they were your best friend. I will never forgot when I ran into you at the mall during the winter/spring of 2007 and you immediately opened your arms to hug me. We chatted a bit and went about our separate ways. It was probably the last time we really had a conversation. After we went our separate ways, my friend commented how nice you were. I agreed. Your smile could warm up a room and that is mostly what I see when I remember you.

Patty Lee lit a candle on 15th July, 2008:

Dear Justin,
Even though I only saw you at family get togethers or celebrations, I feel like I know you personally. I feel close to you because I've had the privilege of knowing many members of your family for years. Justin, I wish you could have known how much your family and friends love you. Please watch over them as they continue to grieve your loss. You are missed so much.

Diane Baker lit a candle on 24th June, 2008:

I light this candle in honor of Justin. He sounds like he was such an amazing young man. I lost my brother 5 years ago, so I know the pain and heartache. We were very close. I do believe that Justin is talking to his daughter. That is special moments in her life. My deepest sympathy goes out to the family.

Lauren Fuehne lit a candle on 23rd June, 2008:

Justin, I think about you all the time still and it still doesn't get any easier. I pray for you all the time and I hope you hear me. I'll never forget you!
Love,
Lauren

Jill Kissinger lit a candle on 17th June, 2008:

I miss you Justin. I think about you alot. I'm so lucky you came into my life, you were such a great friend. I hope you know how many people have touched in your life and I'm one of them. Love you Justin...you will always hold a special place in my heart.

Barb Brandmeyer lit a candle on 14th June, 2008:

I love you, Justin. You were such a beautiful son and father. I always knew you were special; more kind and sensitive than other children. I miss our many talks throughout the day and I miss watching you with your daughter, Alayna. She told me yesterday that when she's real quiet and closes her eyes, she hears you whisper to her. I know you're still with us and I cherish my memories of you. I will love and miss you always.

Mom

Dina Castillo (Filomena Milillo's daughter) lit a candle on 12th June, 2008:

Sorry for your loss..I know the pain never seems to go away..
Hold on to the memories..
Rest in Peace Justin..

I lost my father my sister and recently my mother..I miss them so much everyday..
God Bless you all !!
Pls feel free to visit my mom's page

Lindsay Brandmeyer lit a candle on 5th November, 2008:

I love you Justin. I miss you more and more each day and the pain never seems to get any easier. I laugh at Shiloh alot and know that you are probably laughing with me. We all miss you so very much. Alayna tells me her memories of you and loves to look at her baby books with pictures of you and her in them. I love you brody.

LYNN G. lit a candle on 7th October, 2008:

I light this candle in honor of my friend Justin. Well Justin there is so much to talk to you about. I loved working with you @ glen carbon office. We would go on our break's & sit outside & just talk about our family's. You gave me advise with my son Justin about what I should do with him. We talked about Alayna alot. I miss hearing how she is doing. I still have that note you wrote me & put on my desk when I called off work that say's "Dear Lynn, you're fired because I had to wait for chart's your angry tech Justin". I look at that note everyday when I am @ Glen Carbon. It makes me smile. We worked so great together. I miss the food your dad would cook & you would bring it into work for lunch & always share it with me. Most of all I miss you. You are a great friend. Nobody can every take your place. You are one of a kind. When I was sad you always wanted to know what was wrong. And I am not the one that wanted to talk if I was mad or upset. But you could get me to open up & talk about it. I love you for that. Cause after talking to you I felt better. Well Justin I know you are watching over all of us & keeping us safe but work is not the same with my buddy Justin. You know alot of my secrets & I have so much more to tell you. I miss you Justin. I will see you again. Until then I will never forget you. Your side kick @ work. Love Lynn

Eric Timmermann lit a candle on 14th August, 2008:

Justin,

I remember how great of a personality you had. You never judged or put a label on anyone. That's a powerful thing, and something i will never forget. I know Lindsay is going to be asking you all kinds of questions regarding the fantasy football draft, so try to help her because she really wants to win. Shiloh has been awesome; what a great dog! I want you to know we've been enjoying all the time we get to spend with Alayna, whether its going to the zoo, science center, or just hanging out. We all miss you very much and I'm sure you'll be with us everywhere we go.

Your proud to be future brother-in-law,
Eric

Kris Behrman lit a candle on 2nd August, 2008:

You are forever in my heart. Your kindness, fabulous smile, gentleness, playfulness...touched so many lives-and continues to do so. Memories of you flood my thoughts...you and Nathan riding your cars around the house during commercial breaks of Dukes of Hazzard with your underwear on your heads, playing church in your house in New Baden, boating on the intracoastal in Charleston, seeing your smile and feeling your hugs, admiring you as a father with Alayna, just to name a few.

I feel your spirit so often. I miss you and love you so very much!

judy fuehne lit a candle on 1st August, 2008:

Justin,
You, Nathan, Lindsay, your mom and dad and our family spent so much time together when you were growing up that I always felt you kids were almost like my own. We had some wonderful times together, didn't we? I will always remember those great times. We all miss you so much. We'll see you again one day. Love, Aunt Judy

Lee Brendel lit a candle on 25th July, 2008:

Justin,

Anyone who knew you has undoubtedly benefited from your quick wit, your easy smile, and your big heart. It's a testiment to your spirit.

I see this everyday in those who knew and loved you. In this way, I know you'll never truly be gone.

Still, not a day goes by where I don't think of you and wish you were here.

Jackie Campos lit a candle on 18th July, 2008:

I spent a long time alone this morning thinking about you, Justin. The only way I can picture you is with a smile. I can't think of anyone else I can truly say that about. I miss seeing you with Alayna.I keep you and your family in my prayers every night because I know God's peace transcends infinitely beyond what we presently know or can even imagine---here on earth and in heaven. I feel peace in knowing you are in heaven. And when I think of you there, I see you smiling.

Brenda lit a candle on 15th July, 2008:

I light this candle in honor of my loving nephew-Justin.
Justin-I miss you so much! You will always be with me in my heart. I think about you every day.
You were always so wonderful with my kids-Zach & Josh. They cherish all the times you would play basketball with them or just hang out with them at Grandpa & Grandma's house. They thought you were the coolest.
When Josh was sick this past year with his appendix...before surgery.. he said, "Justin is right here with me, Mom, everything is going to be ok".
You are our guardian angel.
You were always so caring and kind to all of us. You had so much love in your heart and it showed. The love you had for your family, friends and your daughter Alayna was incredible. I am sure Alayna will carry on your legacy.
Please help all of us through this grief. It has been a difficult year for everybody.
I love you and miss you!

Gary Behrman lit a candle on 11th July, 2008:

Below is the eulogy I delivered for Justin.
July 26, 2007
St. Bernard’s Church
Albers, Illinois

I cannot claim to know the mind of God nor speak for God at moments such as this, but I am humbled and honored to speak for the people gathered in this Church to pray with you Barb and Tom, Nathan and Lindsay.

This Church is 100 years old this year. For a century, people of faith have brought their joys and their pains to God under this roof. Asking God to hold our pain and our joy and carve them into the stone and mortar of this Church so that we will always remember who we are and why we are here.

We are here at St. Bernard’s Church to remember an important truth that we celebrate in this Eucharist - that nothing can ever separate us from the love of God made known to us in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Nothing in the past and nothing yet to come can separate us from God’s promise, “I love you and you are mine.” We just sang this together as we presented Justin’s gifts to the altar.

We need each other to remember this promise, that is why we gather together to pray, to remember. We remember God’s love for us, our love for each other and our love for Justin. We remember Justin’s love for us; we remember his entire life, not only his final days here on earth. In this Church we remember Justin, who he is and what he means to us.

There was a moment in the hospital last week when Barb wanted so much for the medical staff to know Justin as we know him. The SLU hospital staff was outstanding in their care for Justin and all of us. So when Barb turned to a doctor who was especially sensitive to Justin and our family, the Doctor said, “I know Justin was a good man, I can see this in your family. My brother committed suicide when I was young. I know and I understand what you are trying to say.”

Justin was a special little boy, from his early years he loved to make people laugh. One of his more magical moments would be when the family was walking through their neighborhood or riding their bikes, he would say, “I smell a rabbit.” And behold within minutes, a rabbit would dart across the street. Justin was magical in the way he could make us laugh and make life appear beautiful and awesome.

Nathan, you are such a good big brother. From childhood on you and Justin were best friends. When you were young, you were Justin’s interpreter; you alone knew Justin’s language. Justin would be talking and talking and none of us knew what he was saying. We would turn to you and you knew exactly what he said.

Watching Justin and his brother and sister Lindsay grow up together was such a joy for me and for so many others. I remember our vacations and bar-b-que’s. What a beautiful family you are. Justin, Lindsay and Nathan are best friends, not all siblings can say that their best friend is their brother.

I met a lot of Justin’s friends this week at the hospital, what a great group of people. You can tell a lot about a person by his friends. You guys and gals are the best. Thank you for being here. I know it means a lot to Barb and Tom that you are here today with us. Last night, I turned to one of Justin’s friends and I asked her to tell me something special about Justin. She simply said, “I never met a nicer guy than Justin. Nothing was too much to ask of him. He was generous and kind. Just ask Bobby, Vicky’s brother. At Shorty’s 70th anniversary celebration he asked Justin where he got the Shorty’s tee shirt. Justin said they were just for the family, so he took off his shirt and gave it to Bobby. Justin would literally give you the shirt off of his back.

According to his friends, Justin was a sports statistical genius, just like his Uncle Clyde. Justin could calculate and report football and baseball statistics right from under his baseball cap, which he always wore. Justin knew more about statistics than I ever learned in my PhD program. I should have asked Justin to sit in for me for my statistics exams maybe I would have passed them! In ’05 he was the fantasy football champion. His trophy stands next to the altar this morning.

I cannot pass up this opportunity to thank Scott, Justin’s friend, for being there for Justin. You two are buddies for life. I know that Barb and Tom love you and appreciate all that you are to Justin. I can just hear Justin right now saying to Scott. This is such a great conversation about a great conversation we had one night. Ask Scott or any of his friends, and they will tell you that Justin was a great conversationalist; always witty, quick to laughter, clever and spontaneous.

Justin was a loving son, brother, friend and father. He and Susan brought Alayna into the world, a beautiful girl who is an ever constant reminder of Justin and Susan’s love for her. They are extraordinary parents and Alayna will carry on Justin’s spirit long into the future.

Justin’s life cannot be summed up by remembering one day in his life or dwelling only on these past couple of weeks. Justin is so much more than this. So, we look not only to the past to gain comfort and strength, but we look to the future. Because of his death many of us in this Church will have a new chance with life. This is not going to be easy. What we are faced with is a matter of faith, hope and love. Faith that Justin’s death is not in vain, hope that we will some day understand and love that we remain close to each other.

Those of us who dare to call ourselves Christian or Catholic we believe that there is more to Jesus’ crucifixion. There is more to the story than just his death. It does not end there. Something happened with Jesus during those three days in the tomb. As Justin was unconscious in the hospital I kept thinking about his days in the tomb. I kept reminding myself that there is more to the story. Just like Mary, the mother of Jesus and his friend John the apostle, we wait and we wait. And then Sunday there was resurrection, for Jesus and for Justin. Just ask Nathan. Justin let Nathan see clearly that his death is not the end of the story. I looked at Nathan and I saw new life and I can honestly say that resurrection became real to me on that Sunday.

Just like the early apostles, at first I did not believe what I was seeing. So like the apostles we prepare for Pentecost. Fifty days, fifty weeks, fifty months, someday into the future we will speak a new language, we will be blessed with the fire of Pentecost and we will understand what our dying means, just like the apostles did. A language of love, of forgiveness, a language of hope and faith; our faith believes that no matter how cruel, how tragic death might be, death is not the end of the story. It is not the end of Justin’s story. So I invite everyone in this Church to expect a miracle to happen between today and Pentecost. Expect God to visit each of us in unexpected ways at unexpected times and in unexpected places. Expect a miracle, or two or three or a hundred.

And so we need the strength and hope to believe this story of resurrection. As Catholics we have a long family tradition of asking Mary, our Lady of Sorrows, to be with us as our comforter and perpetual help. She held the body of her dying son in her arms. She knows. She understands. She will give us the strength to believe in miracles, even after death has occurred. Something good awaits those who believe and hope in God, that nothing can separate us from God’s love. Expect a miracle. I already smell a rabbit.

Jill Boehne lit a candle on 23rd June, 2008:

Justin,

I miss you, your smile, your kind words. You were such a gentle, loving soul. A friend to all.
You will always hold a very special place in my heart. You were such a significant part of my childhood, and I will always love you!

Jill

Katie Brandmeyer lit a candle on 23rd June, 2008:

Justin, not a day goes by that I don't think of you. It's the little things I remember the most and hold closest to my heart..the friendly waves and smiles, and the concert tickets you gave to me. I know you are happy in Heaven with Grandpa..I love you so much and miss you. You will always be my favorite big cousin.

Nathan Brandmeyer lit a candle on 17th June, 2008:

I miss you so much, Brody. You were my best friend. I talk to you all the time. I hope you hear me. There are about a thousand times a day that I think about you or when something reminds me of you. I miss you and love you very much. You were the best brother and friend I could ever ask for. Your Brody loves you.

Tom Brandmeyer lit a candle on 14th June, 2008:

My dear son I will always love you with my whole heart. You have blessed me in so many ways and I am forever grateful to God for blessing mom and me with you for 27 years. I learned so much from you in such a short time on how to be a better father and I am forever grateful. You were also a beautiful child full of love for others and caring for those who you knew were hurting or maybe just needed a friend that day. You are my hero Justin and I am proud to be your dad.

Lindsay J. Brandmeyer lit a candle on 11th June, 2008:

For an amazing and devoted father. We will remember you this Father's Day weekend- Love you.