Lapeer County family pleads for return of missing memorial keepsake
NORTH BRANCH, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - A Lapeer County family is pleading for the return of a missing part of a loved one's memorial.
In June, 25-year-old Abram DeBaeke lost his life in a fatal car crash in Lapeer County. His family set up a memorial near the site of the crash. Now, the family has taken to social media after they discovered a sentimental part of that memorial, a pair of cowboy boots, might have been taken.
"Our whole family is really almost in denial. We don't really believe any of this," says one of Abram's brothers, Caleb DeBaeke.
The crash happened at the intersection of Jones Road and Burnside Road in northern Lapeer County.
Down Jones Road, you'll find a memorial for Abram DeBaeke. It's covered in words from loved ones expressing their love and decorated with some of his favorite things, like his straw hat and antlers, which his brother Caleb says reflects his brother's love for the outdoors and hunting.
"Abram was the type of kid who would just give anything to anybody, you know. He would give you the shirt off his back or the boots off of his feet," Caleb DeBaeke said.
He also said his brother did just that and gave the boots off his feet for another one of his brothers, Christian.
Abram had a pair of boots passed down for generations in their family, and before his death, Abram passed them along to his little brother.
"After Abram had passed, my brother Christian had chosen to come down here and put those boots that were given to him from Abram down there," said Caleb DeBaeke.
He says those boots were taken from the memorial, adding another layer to the DeBaeke family's grief.
Caleb DeBaeke says there are no plans to file a police report.
"We're not trying to make it a problem for anybody. We really just know that if the person out there has a good heart, they'll come back, and they'll give the boots back," he said.