MONROE - East School Park has a new addition on the playground, thanks to the kindness shown toward one family grieving the loss of their youngest son who was murdered at the hand of his fiancee.
The toy, a green-and-yellow sand digger, was chosen to reflect Curt Marzolf's mining background, his mother Sharee Marzolf said.
"We chose that as opposed to something like a tree because Curt's degree was mining engineering," Sharee said. "He loved to dig in the dirt."
Curt was a 22-year-old Monroe High School alumni, slated for graduation from the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, Missouri, on Dec. 19. Marzolf was preparing to begin a career in mining engineering, with a job lined up in Overland Park, Kansas, after graduation.
But his dreams came to a violent end in the early morning hours of Dec. 12 when his fiancee, Meghan Werner, shot and killed him. Werner called the Rolla Police Department at 5:45 a.m. that day and told authorities Curt had committed suicide.
But police said they found that Curt and Werner had apparently had a physical altercation and that evidence didn't support suicide as the cause of death. They charged Werner, a native of Fenton, Missouri, with second-degree murder and armed criminal action. Werner was held on a $1 million bond until Dec. 17, when she posted bail. Trial proceedings have yet to begin, with the earliest court case scheduled for June 9 when the judge will be entertaining a motion for change of venue.
While family members await news of the Missouri justice system, they said they have done their best to keep Curt in their thoughts while grieving their loss.
To that end, a dedication was held May 14, Curt's 23rd birthday, for the sand digger and accompanying park bench. Sharee said contributions from her fellow employees at RR Donnelly in Monroe paid for the digger, while neighbors who wanted to remember Curt put together the funds for the bench. A plaque in remembrance of Curt that features engraving that reads "just relax," a common phrase for Curt, was donated by Monroe Engraving.
"It's just our way of letting somebody know, yes, Curt was here," Sharee said. "We're doing one day at a time."
Curt's brother Carl Marzolf was present for the dedication and said the gathering of more than 30 people was touching.
"The most meaningful part is the ideas by the community as a way to remember Curt," he said. "It showed the quality of people he had in his life."
Though the brothers were eight years apart, they had been growing a close bond since both becoming adults. Carl said while they were young, they spent quality time in East School Park, which is just steps from their front door at 2208 10th St., another reason Sharee felt the toy and location was appropriate.
"When my kids were growing up, that was their front yard," she said. "I think (the sand digger) will be well-used. We've already enjoyed seeing kids use it, and it's only been there a few days."
Sharee added that the dedication to their family has been "wonderful" and said she could not express how much gratitude she has felt over the past six months, especially to Parks Director Paul Klinzing and the Parks and Recreation department for their help to make the dedication to her son possible.
The toy, a green-and-yellow sand digger, was chosen to reflect Curt Marzolf's mining background, his mother Sharee Marzolf said.
"We chose that as opposed to something like a tree because Curt's degree was mining engineering," Sharee said. "He loved to dig in the dirt."
Curt was a 22-year-old Monroe High School alumni, slated for graduation from the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, Missouri, on Dec. 19. Marzolf was preparing to begin a career in mining engineering, with a job lined up in Overland Park, Kansas, after graduation.
But his dreams came to a violent end in the early morning hours of Dec. 12 when his fiancee, Meghan Werner, shot and killed him. Werner called the Rolla Police Department at 5:45 a.m. that day and told authorities Curt had committed suicide.
But police said they found that Curt and Werner had apparently had a physical altercation and that evidence didn't support suicide as the cause of death. They charged Werner, a native of Fenton, Missouri, with second-degree murder and armed criminal action. Werner was held on a $1 million bond until Dec. 17, when she posted bail. Trial proceedings have yet to begin, with the earliest court case scheduled for June 9 when the judge will be entertaining a motion for change of venue.
While family members await news of the Missouri justice system, they said they have done their best to keep Curt in their thoughts while grieving their loss.
To that end, a dedication was held May 14, Curt's 23rd birthday, for the sand digger and accompanying park bench. Sharee said contributions from her fellow employees at RR Donnelly in Monroe paid for the digger, while neighbors who wanted to remember Curt put together the funds for the bench. A plaque in remembrance of Curt that features engraving that reads "just relax," a common phrase for Curt, was donated by Monroe Engraving.
"It's just our way of letting somebody know, yes, Curt was here," Sharee said. "We're doing one day at a time."
Curt's brother Carl Marzolf was present for the dedication and said the gathering of more than 30 people was touching.
"The most meaningful part is the ideas by the community as a way to remember Curt," he said. "It showed the quality of people he had in his life."
Though the brothers were eight years apart, they had been growing a close bond since both becoming adults. Carl said while they were young, they spent quality time in East School Park, which is just steps from their front door at 2208 10th St., another reason Sharee felt the toy and location was appropriate.
"When my kids were growing up, that was their front yard," she said. "I think (the sand digger) will be well-used. We've already enjoyed seeing kids use it, and it's only been there a few days."
Sharee added that the dedication to their family has been "wonderful" and said she could not express how much gratitude she has felt over the past six months, especially to Parks Director Paul Klinzing and the Parks and Recreation department for their help to make the dedication to her son possible.