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November 11, 1999
Students gather to remember Jason WaldnerHunting accident victim was athlete, guitar player, friendBy GUY PRIEL Journal Staff Writer NEW ULM -- It was a time of healing, a time of tears and a time of remembrance, as mourners gathered at Christ the King Lutheran Church Wednesday night to honor the memory of a fallen friend. Sporting shirts with his nickname, "Waldo", students signed cards and placed flowers in memory of Jason Scott Waldner, 15, who died Sunday as the result of a hunting accident in Blue Earth County. Echoing the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 22, the crowd heard testimony from those closest to Waldner, as members of Menagerie sang brief interludes. "Athlete, artist, friend," football buddy Al Paperniak said. "These words describe Jason Waldner. But no words can express our loss." Jason was the type of person who always talked about what his plans for the future would be and he always had a black eye from playing football or hockey, neighbor Teresa Baeza said. "There are so many memories, it is hard to pick just one," she said. "He told me everything. We had a special friendship. It is hard to see him go." Not only was Waldner good at football, where he was number 17 for the New Ulm Eagles, he was also a member of the hockey team. "We made a bet that if we won and went to state he would shave his head," hockey player Jase Marti said. "We lost our first two games, but he shaved his head anyway." The haircut took place in a bathroom where Jason grabbed Marti's father's electric razor and started shaving one side of his head. The razor quit half way through, and the boys grabbed scissors and finished the job. "He looked pretty funny by the time we were finished," Marti said. "It was fun playing hockey with him and I'll miss that. He had a great personality and could make everyone laugh. He will be missed." Waldner was working to become an Eagle Scout, and he was respected by his Scout troop. "He was more than a fellow Scout; he was a good friend," Pete Nelson said. "I remember a canoe trip we took to Canada and the canoe flipped, although we never did figure out whose fault it was. But things managed to work out OK. He always took charge." On a sledding trip, Jason came to the rescue of an injured boy and helped haul him back up the hill after his leg got injured, Tim Hellendrung said. Waldner loved to play the guitar and was even asked to play in church during services at one time, but he said no, because they wouldn't like his kind of music, the Rev. Jon Anderson said. "What can't we say about Jason?" Curtis Schultz said. "We were going to form a band together with him as the lead guitarist. We had had several conversations about what bands we liked." Plans for the band continue despite Waldner's death. It will be named Down's Syndrome, and their first album will be dedicated to Waldner. "As we laugh and remember Jason, we also have to grieve the loss of his potential in the community," Anderson said. Making a home run during the last baseball game of the season was a magical moment for the team and for Waldner, who had a ball signed by all the members of the Schell's/Radio One Fastpitch Softball Team. He hit the ball over the fence and hit a motorhome, Adam Bartels said. "I knew Jason as all of these things, but I also remember him as a best friend," Dale Mueller said. "I don't quite know what to say. Words can't express what I want to say. How can we say goodbye?" Mueller read a poem about the love and friendship they shared and the emptiness left by his absence, moving the crowd to tears. "Thank you," Anderson said. "We would have been poorer without your words. Only a God who understands suffering can stand with us in this time of tragedy." Waldner was born Jan. 1, 1984 and was a member of the Class of 2002 at New Ulm High School.
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