{"id":36592,"date":"2022-10-01T00:01:39","date_gmt":"2022-10-01T07:01:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/barbarafalconernewhall.com\/?p=36592"},"modified":"2026-06-06T08:59:38","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T08:59:38","slug":"widowed-memorial-brick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/server.stagingweb3.net\/barbarafalconernewhall\/widowed-memorial-brick\/","title":{"rendered":"Widowed: No Dreary Memorial Brick for My Husband"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"widowed<\/a>
Note that a cat has stepped onto the Newhall family memorial brick . . . With a little luck, frozen yogurt will get dripped onto our brick from time to time. Photos by Barbara Newhall<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nope. There would be no funereal memorial brick for Jon.<\/p>\n

The idea crossed my mind not long after Jon died, when a flyer arrived in the mail. Did I want to help pave the new plaza planned for our neighborhood shopping village? I could do that by purchasing a memorial paving brick and have it engraved — any way I wanted.<\/p>\n

My first thought was to order a paver with Jon’s name and dates on it.<\/p>\n

Jonathan Newhall<\/strong><\/h6>\n
March 18, 1941 – February 19, 2021<\/strong><\/h6>\n

But that felt like a terrible idea.<\/p>\n

I pictured Jon, all by himself on the new plaza, with nothing but his dates to keep him company. People would walk by him — over him — and have no idea who he was or whether anybody loved him.<\/p>\n

So, no. There would be no funereal memorial brick for Jon on that plaza.<\/p>\n

But this plaza thing was a great idea for our village, and I wanted to participate. The personalized brick pavers would be laid in the sidewalk in the middle of town, in front of the frozen yogurt shop.<\/p>\n

Jon and I used to take the kids to that shop. Drips of frozen yogurt often found their way onto that sidewalk.<\/p>\n

Yes, I wanted to get a memorial brick with Jon’s name on it. But I wanted his name to be surrounded by the names of the people who loved him back in the frozen yogurt days, and love him still.<\/p>\n

And so, as of this summer, there is a memorial brick on the sidewalk outside the yogurt shop. It reads:<\/p>\n

The Newhall<\/strong><\/h6>\n
Family<\/strong><\/h6>\n
Jon, Barbara<\/strong><\/h6>\n
Peter, Christina<\/strong><\/h6>\n

Jon was not alone in his life. We were a family of four in the frozen yogurt days. And we are a family of four still.<\/p>\n