Pastor, family and friends reclaim site of suicide

BREMERTON — The Rev. Sigi Helgeson of Family of God Lutheran Church on Sunday, Nov. 20, joined with family and friends to reclaim a parking space outside the church in which a young man killed himself overnight on Oct. 2.

Melva Hill of Bremerton presented the congregation with an autumn gold ginkgo tree planted at the site, which also has a plaque remembering her son, Anthony J. Klocke, 28. Klocke mixed common household cleaning chemicals to produce toxic fumes, which he then breathed while parked at the church. Helgeson discovered him the next morning.

On Sunday, she said, "We remember him."

The ceremony was followed by a communitywide forum at the church on coping with suicide.

Pictured: An autumn gold ginkgo tree, flowers, plaque and Christ candle were at the site Sunday.