You are being invited to read the story of a waterfall, a very Special waterfall, lovingly and painstakingly constructed by one lone man, taking 3 long years to complete.

The idea came to Don Williams one day, and he quickly sketched the idea onto a little note pad he keeps with him at all times. Donnie lives on 2 acres in Leesburg, Fl., with the frontage on a busy road called Radio Rd. With his home sitting in the middle of the property, he wanted to make a nice pond out front and along with that thought came the idea of maybe including a nice waterfall of some sort flowing into the pond.....and why not a BIG waterfall !

So began the task....digging a hole 75' long, 55' wide and 15' deep in the middle. This idea began Donnie's journey that took him FAR beyond his original wish for a pond in his front yard !!

What began this intense drive and urgency that overtook Donnie's project all of a sudden..........was it love or anger or BOTH ? It suddenly took on a whole new meaning with the news alert about a missing little girl in Homosassa Fl........very close to home. So precious a face, her father and grandparents so distraught. Donnie and his wife Donna wanted to do something to help.......maybe help search for her. It wasn't very far away afterall. Then the devastating news........little Jessica Lundsford had been violated and killed in a most horrendous way, buried alive, clutching her favorite toy. An evil sick old man right across the street from Jessica's home had done this. Her Daddy, Mark Lundsford, his tears and grief were almost unbearable to watch nite after nite, day after day on the local TV news.

Little Jessica, so many angels taken before her, and so many since her, thousands. Donnie wanted to show his concern somehow for Mark and all the families suffering such unbearable loss, unthinkable violent crimes, their children's lives ended at the hands of evil, not by the hands of God as life is suppose to end.

Donna suggested the waterfall could represent tears, for all the losses.......flowing and flowing. Thus began the mission for Donnie.

Working at the project every weekend, getting up so early and hating to stop when darkness fell. Working his regular job during the week days he'd come home and work most nites when daylight lasted well into the late hours. Donnie brought home into the yard TONS of rocks and broken pieces of concrete.....by hand with no help from anyone. One rock at a time, one piece of concrete at a time, he began building his dream waterfall, until it was 35' tall from pond bottom. By hand Donnie smeared concrete on all the rocks and concrete cracks to bind it all together. Bringing into the yard also was piles of sand and dirt, shoveled one wheelbarrow at a time into the bottom of the pond and forming the sides.

Building this enormous waterfall, Donnie has it watched over by a huge Angel kneeling at the very top, purchased at an antique store one day in downtown Mt. Dora. It was just there waiting for it's new home and Special job. A star shines brightly above attached to a broken tree trunk for all to see. With two more beautiful statues of angels watching over on each side Donnie got it done. The water running loudly, water spraying out softly along the pond edges and end, the beautiful lights shining down on the glittering "tears", the mighty mama bear and her baby cub , the seal Donnie shaped out of an old piece of driftwood.  The turtle, the huge crane. The owl to keep a special eye out during the night. And watching close by is the buck deer with his doe, and their two fawns, the ducks, the koi fish, the colorful water lilies, and the intimidating alligator keeping all safe from harm.

This project was a labor of love, with pangs of anger giving Donnie the strength and determination to complete his task. And when things became especially difficult, when Donnie's strength just wasn't enough, he'd talk to God, reminding Him why he was doing all this work, and asking for God's help, His strength, because every rock, every piece of concrete had to be moved somehow into just the right spot, making just the perfect formation that was in Donnie's head. And that is when God gave Donnie a helping hand, and the strength and power needed flowed into his body, legs and arms.

But how would people passing by recognize the meaning behind this project, this magnificent display ? Well, in front of the pond on the slope at it's wall, began the final remembrance. Donnie poured hundreds of concrete blocks, all different sizes and shapes, and made a "memorial wall" of blocks, in front of the pond and continuing around to the side. Donna went on the computer and gathered the first 90 of thousands of names of murdered children in our nation, each with their own story. And for 3 days Donna knelt and painted all the names on each block. And with all the stories of these children fresh in her mind, Donna found herself placing each name in a very special order, with the smallest baby angels being surrounded by the oldest angels so they are protecting the most fragile. With the school massacres each student was placed sided by side, hand in hand. Donna's tears ran, and the sorrow and anger kept her going. It was if she personally knew each one of these precious souls, having read their sad, sad stories of  death.

Along with each name is their age at death, the date they were taken away, and the state. And at the very top, the very FIRST name painted on, is little Jessica Lundsford...........beside her is little Adam Walsh, like a big brother. They too being watched over by a special angel sitting on a post.

Donnie has now built a walk-way with benches on the side and end of the pond, and also a wishing well close by for any who want to come and enjoy the waterfall, read all the names of our lost precious angels, loved by so many people in their short lived lives, and people can make their wishes at the well. We welcome any and all. Many have driven by slowly, looking, wondering. Many stop, take pictures, talk to Donnie if he is there, some cry, but almost all tell him how beautiful it is and thank him. They say they have been watching the project take shape since day one a long 3 yrs. ago !

Now on most weekends Donnie is tending to all the little finishing touches at his pond and waterfall, wanting to plant some more pretty flowers and plants around. Most evenings he will sit there quietly, listening to the water flow, the "tears falling", the hundreds of little frogs talking to each other. And he gazes into the dark skies filled with thousands of twinkling stars, believing each is one of the precious angels, taken by hands of evil, and now living in Heaven with God, suffering no more.

Donnie would like to thank the City of Leesburg for donating all the pond liner which they were going to discard, having served its purpose. Donnie lugged it all home, pounds and pounds if it, spliced it, laid it in place, glued it together, making it all work. Never being able to afford buying  such a huge quantity of new liner on his own. A generous gesture for which the city thought was a worthy cause. 

And three friends need to be thanked as well.....Harley Boone, wanting to lend a helping hand in the digging early in the project, and neighbor Paul Warren for the many hours spent with Donnie thinking, pondering, discussing which plan, which pipe, which valve, which solution would work best. And 3500 miles away, in CA. friend Jimmy Martella, spending lots of minutes on the phone with Donnie also discussing how this may work, or that may work. Donnie thanks you all so very much. Afterall, Donnie is just an ordinary person with no experience "building" a pond and waterfall of such magnitude......he took on an extraordinary task. Completed at last using sheer imagination, determination, power of mind over body......with God's help and inspiration every step of the way. Donnie held each child in his heart, at times crying so while working, wondering how he will ever get it done.

And wife Donna, still in complete awe at what one man has done all by himself, her loving husband whom she is SO very proud of, gazing upon the majestic sight in her front yard, thinking out loud, "how in the world did Donnie do all this?" ........and hearing her 8 yr. old granddaughter Rylie say: "Grandma, I sure hope my name is never on the wall."

We sincerely thank each and every one of you for reading this story. And we now ask that you pass it on to every single person you know, please------with just one hope in mind. That the story might reach the family, a friend, an acquaintance of one of the precious angels, so they may know that their child is NOT forgotten, and people DO care and  their legacy of life will be displayed at the hands of one very hard working, determined, driven man......Donnie Williams, Radio Rd., Leesburg, Fl.

And in closing, we would like to invite anyone who has read this story to help us give this waterfall memorial project it's name. Please think about what you have read, and let us know if you FEEL an appropriate name. We want to put the "name" on a dedication plaque out front, so any that stop can read what the waterfall and many blocks with the names on them is all about. Thank you for your help ! We appreciate it so very much.

PLEASE send all comments, name suggestions, and responses to the following e-mail address: redice17@embarqmail.com. We would love it if you could forward this story on to everyone in your e-mail address book and ask them to do the same.......lets keep this going in the hopes of reaching some family, friend, or acquaintance of an angel gone, but NOT FORGOTTEN !!!!!

Sincerely,

Donna and Donnie