NATHAN YODER

I first met Nathan when he was getting his leg lengthening procedure at the hospital I was working at. I was one of the nurses taking care of his recovery and what a delightful young man he was. Hopefully he is at peace and I pay my condolences to his family and friends.

Nathan was one of my students at St. Columba's Nursery School in the 80s. He was smart, thoughtful, and able in every way. He had remarkable self-esteem. One day, Nathan and several four-year-old classmates were playing in the little house on the playground. Assigning roles, one boy said, "I'll be the Dad, and you (pointing to another boy) can be the grandfather, and you (pointing to another) can be the teenager, and you (pointing to Nathan) can be the kid." "No," Nathan said, "I don't want to be the kid." "You have to be, because you're little." "No," Nathan said calmly, "I am not little. I'm already five! And anyway, I want to be the King." The other boys could not argue with that -- so Nathan was King.

When Nathan was only 2 years old he told me he was going to go exploring with his dad. We were at a Christmas gathering at Harper's Ferry. He was not only bright but was a delightful child