Fri, Jul 18 2008
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Published May 17, 2008 08:43 pm - There weren’t any long lists of accolades or accomplishments during Tyler Casey’s funeral service Saturday. “The man we honor today died in one act of bravery,” said Ken Robinson, the pastor officiating at the service at Racine Christian Church. Young Seneca firefighter’s bravery, determination cited By Melissa Dunson mdunson@joplinglobe.com There weren’t any long lists of accolades or accomplishments during Tyler Casey’s funeral service Saturday. “The man we honor today died in one act of bravery,” said Ken Robinson, the pastor officiating at the service at Racine Christian Church. “He was not a veteran, he was just starting out on his journey.” More than 500 people attended the 21-year-old Seneca firefighter’s funeral, and half of those were emergency-service personnel. They came to honor the youth and bravery of the man who died of injuries he suffered trying to warn Newton County residents of the deadly twister headed their way May 10 at Iris Road and Highway 43. Casey’s tragic death is hard to swallow, Robinson said. “I won’t even give you a hint that this is going to be easy — this is tough stuff,” he said. “It can challenge your faith, your understanding and even your confidence. We’ll cry, but hopefully, when you leave this place you will have a renewed hope in humanity.” That renewed hope came in the form of stories and comments from Casey’s fellow firefighters with the Seneca Area Fire Protection District. They described a young man, small in stature, but big in heart, who always rose to the call of duty, even when it came time to pay the ultimate price. “He was a determined individual — you just couldn’t shake him off,” said Bruce Jeffers, a member of the Seneca Area Fire Protection District. “Even before his probation (period) ended, he was out there helping even newer guys to learn what he had just learned. “He was a good guy, and a great firefighter.” Because Casey died after he was deployed to the Iris Road and Highway 43 intersection as a storm spotter, he received full firefighter honors during the funeral. A large U.S. flag covered his casket. Another U.S. flag and a Missouri state flag flew on either side of the casket, and Casey’s firefighting gear was folded in front. It’s the fire gear that Townsend said the other firefighters used to tease Casey about. “We used to tell him he had to shop in the children’s section,” Townsend said. “He was the littlest guy in our department, but he had the biggest heart.” Missouri state Reps. Kevin Wilson and Marilyn Ruestman presented Casey’s family with a resolution passed last week in the Missouri House honoring Casey’s sacrifice. The resolution was signed by every member of the House. “I didn’t need to know Tyler, his actions told me everything that I needed to know about him,” Wilson said. 
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