My Grandson - Jake Klein

Jake Klein had four people as his parents and he called all of them Mom or Dad. He was born to Steven and Marsha Klein.  At age 4 or 5 he went to live with Sharon and Art West. Sharon saw to it that Jake saw his birth parents often. As his grandmother, I was encouraged to visit and take Jake to our RV whenever I wanted. In 2010, Jake flew to Iowa where he spent three weeks with me visiting his Iowa relatives by going to a cousin’s wedding,

                               

                              

attending the Klein Reunion, and visiting in the Hoven and Klein homes. Other fun places were the Knoxville car races and the hot air balloon races.  All the tall corn and people’s basements impressed Jake.

                                      

The last time I saw him was this summer when my daughter and I stayed for three days at Sharon’s home near Livingston, Texas to visit Jake and his families.

On December 8, he spent four and a half hours with Steve and Marsha and then went home and attended the Christmas party which Sharon’s employer, Brookshire’s, was hosting. Sharon and Art, her daughter Tiffany and Tiffany’s two children Chloe aged 10, and Tristin aged 4 also attended. Tiffany, who lived next door to her parents, said she wanted to return home with Jake. The rest of the family rode home with Sharon. Sharon stopped for gas. A few miles down highway 146 she came upon an accident.

I quote the Polk county Enterprise as to what occurred. “Caleb Luke Edwards, 18, of Livingston was driving a 2006 Dodge Ram pickup truck northbound and became distracted while removing some items from his pockets, he told Trooper Allen Stanton. His pickup truck drifted into the southbound lane and struck a southbound 2003 Chevrolet pickup truck driven by Klein.

Edward’s truck ran over/ through Klein’s pickup then went into a skid and rolled, coming to rest upright, Stanton said. Klein’s demolished pickup was pushed into the northbound lane. (Tiffany) Semons-Lewandowski was ejected from the vehicle as it came to rest, according to the trooper”. . .

“Edwards, listed with non-incapacitating injuries, was transported by ambulance to memorial Medical Center in Livingston. He admitted to consuming alcohol in the hours receding the crash, Stanton said, and charges are pending results of a blood alcohol test.” Jake was a seventeen-year-old senior at Livingston High School. Tiffany was thirty-three years old.

To te     To telll you about the kind of people that Tiffany and Jake were and about their relationship.  I’m telling you the st     the story that Tiffany told me last summer.  She worked as a home health aide for Hospice. She asked one of he     her clients if there was anything that this elderly lady wished she had done in her life.  The woman said that she n     had never gone to a prom. So Tiffany found a prom dress, styled her hair and painted the woman’s finger nails.     nails. She told Jake that the woman needed an escort so Jake dressed up and went to the woman’s home and t     and took her to the prom in his beloved car, and danced with her before bringing her home.

To
Jake       Jake had an open casket but Tiffany was too damaged to be viewed. In Jake’s casket were his graduation phot       photos and a Bible open to the Psalm 23. Flowers were everywhere at the double viewing on December 12 a      12 and the funeral on Thursday, December 13. 

The           Klein family members went to one of Jake’s favorite restaurants after the viewing.  Members of  the Klein
                 family attending the funeral were l to r Marsha, Jimmy, (Ann's husband) Ann, me, Jamie, Bob Klein and
                 Steven Klein.  In front are Baylee( Ann's daughter), and Carol Klein.