GENESEO, Illinois – Hundreds of people came together to celebrate the life of a three-year-old Geneseo boy who was killed in a car accident outside The First Lutheran Church.
With a ray of sunshine now gone in Geneseo, grey skies give way to an abundance of color.
“Our son Carter was killed in a car accident about a week ago,” says Alex Joseph, the father of victim Carter Joseph.
“We don’t know 90% of the people here,” Alex observes. “I am meeting everyone for the first time here today.”
At the Geneseo Community Center friends, family, and strangers unite to remember the life of Carter. But, instead of a day of mourning, it’s a day to honor the bright boy thanks to his parents who moved to Geneseo only four months ago.
“Carter would’ve hated a funeral,” says Alex. “He was a three-and-a-half-year-old spitfire.”
Carter was a rambunctious kid who had a love for coloring.
“Whenever he had a marker or paintbrush in his hand he was totally focused and totally calm,” Alex says.
At today’s celebration blue skies are the only forecast.
“Carter really like blue - he was always into blue,” Alex remembers. “You’ll see some of that today we did that with the bracelets.”
Charter’s masterpieces leading the family to start a donation fund in his name called “Outside the Lines”.
“That’s kind of the motivation for “Outside the Lines”,” Alex says. “He didn’t like rules, he didn’t like being restricted.”
For now, the family is focused on moving forward and never forgetting their colorful Carter.
“We just start healing and figure out what tomorrow looks like and what the next day and what the rest of our life looks like without Carter,” says Alex.
The donation fund will support and bring art to kids and the community in Geneseo. You can donate to the fund here.